JP2021082197A - Print control device, print control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow even a user who does not have the specialized knowledge to easily perform printing subjected to imposition of "cut and stack" at the high level by using a printer driver without using a special application if the user has the basic knowledge of the imposition (layout).SOLUTION: A printer driver 400 of a computer 100, when the print setting in a case of printing document data by a printer includes the setting of double punching and the setting of Nin1 with the assumption that a printed matter is cut at the center of the sheet (Yes in S801 and Yes in S802), decides the layout method to "the imposition for cutting" (S804), and decides the arrangement of a logical page to a sheet surface such that the sheets are in the correct page order by stacking a bundle of sheets after performing the cutting at the center of the sheet by using the layout method (the imposition for cutting).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to printing, and more particularly to a print control device, a print control method, and a program using a printer driver that impositions a document according to a print setting.

Traditionally, in the printing industry, an imposition method (cut and stack) has been used in which printed paper is cut, several bundles are made, and the bundles are stacked so that they are arranged in the correct page order.
Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for laying out using an imposition-only application.
Patent Document 2 describes a technique for designating this special layout by using a printer driver.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-172247 JP 2015-186038

In recent years, finishing options that can cut paper in the center have been shipped for printers for print-on-demand, and using the printer options, the "cut and stack" aspect as described in the background technology. It became possible to attach.
Since impositions such as "cut and stack" are not used in homes and general offices, they were mainly used by imposition-specific applications and performed by operators with some expertise.

However, when the function of cutting the center of the paper as an option of the printer is realized as described above, the printer driver for using the printer is also required to provide the "cut and stack" function.

Here, it is possible for the printer driver to provide a "cut and stack" function as one of the imposition (layout) functions. However, for many users who do not have the expertise to use printer drivers, this "cut and stack" function is difficult to understand, and there is concern that "cut and stack" cannot be selected properly. Therefore, even in a situation where "cut and stack" needs to be set, "cut and stack" may not be set properly, correct printing may not be performed, and a correct deliverable may not be obtained.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. The present invention provides advanced "cut and stack" imposition using a printer driver without using a dedicated application, even for users who have basic knowledge of imposition (layout) and who do not have specialized knowledge. The purpose is to provide a mechanism that enables easy printing with (layout).

The present invention is a print control device for printing document data with a printer, and as a print setting when printing the document data with a printer, finishing on the premise that the printed matter is cut at the center of the paper. A setting means capable of accepting a plurality of settings including the first setting which is a setting and the second setting which is a layout setting in which a plurality of logical pages indicating pages included in the document data are arranged on one print surface of the paper. And a determination means for determining the arrangement of the logical page on the print surface based on the print setting, the determination means includes the first setting and the second setting in the print setting. In this case, it is characterized in that the arrangement of the logical pages on the printing surface is determined so that the correct page order is obtained by stacking the bundles of paper after cutting at the center of the paper.

According to the present invention, even a user who has basic knowledge of imposition (layout) and a user who does not have specialized knowledge can use a printer driver without using a dedicated application to perform advanced "cut and stack". Imposition (layout) printing can be easily performed.

The figure which shows an example of the structure of the system to which the print control device of this embodiment can be applied. Computer hardware configuration diagram. Computer software configuration diagram. The figure for demonstrating the flow of the printing process which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows an example of finishing, cutting, and collating about a double punch on the premise of cutting a paper. The figure which shows an example of the print setting UI displayed by the UI processing part of a printer driver. The figure which shows an example of the print setting UI displayed by the UI processing part of a printer driver. The flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the despool processing part of a printer driver. The flowchart which shows an example of the layout determination process (S730). The figure which shows the layout example of a part of "cut & stack". The figure which shows the layout example of a plurality of parts of "cut & stack".

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration to which a print control device showing an embodiment of the present invention can be applied.
It is assumed that the computer 100 is an information processing device and is connected to the printer 101 via a communicable wired or wireless medium (102). The computer 100 functions as a print control device for printing a document generated by an application with the printer 101 by using a printer driver described later.

The printer 101 is, for example, a printing device (image forming device) having a configuration in which a printer main body 103, a large-capacity paper feed deck 104, a puncher 105, and a finisher 106 are connected.
The large-capacity paper feed deck 104 feeds paper (also referred to as a sheet or print medium) to the printer main body 103. The puncher 105 is a post-processing device that punches holes at predetermined positions on paper. The paper for which image formation has been completed is sent from the printer main body 103 to the paper transport section of the puncher 105 through the connecting section. When punching is set, the paper is punched in the puncher 105 by being sandwiched between a convex punch die and a concave punch die via a transport path. The punch dies are replaceable and the user can set the appropriate dies as needed. In the puncher 105, in addition to the normal punch (1 place), it is possible to punch at a plurality of places (here, 2 places) assuming cutting as shown in FIG. 5 to be described later. When the punching process is completed, the paper is conveyed to the finisher 106 through the connection portion, the finishing of the set function is executed, and the paper is ejected to the output tray.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 100.
The computer 100 is controlled by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1 provided in the control unit 110. The CPU 1 can load and execute the basic input / output system (BIOS control program) stored in the ROM 3, the operating system (OS), the printer driver, various application programs, etc. stored in the external memory 14 into the RAM 2. is there.

The computer 100 includes a keyboard I / F5 for connecting a pointing device (not shown) such as a keyboard 9 or a mouse that receives input from the user. Further, the computer 100 includes a display I / F 6 to which a display 10 or the like for displaying the processing result as an image to the user can be connected. The keyboard 9 functions as a reception unit that accepts user operations. The display 10 functions as a display unit that presents information to the user.
Further, the computer 100 includes an external device I / F8 such as a USB, a memory card, and a wired / wireless network for communicating with other information devices.
Further, an external memory I / F7 for connecting an external memory 14 such as a hard disk (HD) or a solid state drive (SSD) is provided.
It also includes a bus that connects these devices 1-8.

The process described in this embodiment is realized by loading the program stored in the program ROM of the ROM 3 or the external memory 14 into the RAM 2 and executing the program in the CPU 1.
Although the description of the hardware configuration of the printer 101 is omitted, an image is formed on a paper medium by using a known technique.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the computer 100. Hereinafter, the software configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to this figure.
The computer 100 includes components such as an application 200, an OS 300, and a printer driver 400 as a software configuration.

The application 200 is an application program that makes settings for printing and issues print instructions in response to a user's request. The OS 300 performs basic control of the computer 100. The printer driver 400 receives print settings and print instructions from the application 200 via the OS 300 and processes them.

Further, the printer driver 400 includes a UI processing unit 410 that creates print settings, a GR processing unit 420 that creates print jobs, a spool processing unit 430 that generates intermediate data, and a despool process that performs print processing based on the intermediate data. A unit 440 is provided.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the printing process according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the flow of printing using the printer driver 400 will be described with reference to this figure.
The process at the time of printing using the printer driver 400 of the present embodiment is divided into a process on the application process 450 side and a process on the despool process 460 side. Although the OS 300, the UI processing unit 410, and the GR processing unit 420 are described in both the application process 450 and the despool process 460, they are the same.

First, the processing flow on the application process 450 side will be described.
If necessary, the application 200 calls the UI processing unit 410 of the printer driver 400 via the OS 300 to create print settings. After that, the application 200 calls the GR processing unit 420 of the printer driver 400 via the OS 300. The GR processing unit 420 uses the spool processing unit 430 of the printer driver 400 to write out the print settings and print data passed from the application 200 as the spool file 500 in the intermediate data format. Further, the spool processing unit 430 activates the despool processing unit 440 of the printer driver 400 in order to proceed with the printing process.

Next, the processing flow on the despool process 460 side will be described.
The despool processing unit 440 is started by the spool processing unit 430. The activated despool processing unit 440 reads the spool file 500, which is intermediate data, calls the UI processing unit 410 to change the print settings, and calls the GR processing unit 420, if necessary, via the OS 300 to perform a print job. Is generated.

The despool processing unit 440 in the despool process 460 plays a role equivalent to that of the application 200 in the application process 450. The GR processing unit 420 in the despool process 460 generates a print job without calling the spool processing unit 430. The print job generated by the GR processing unit 420 is transmitted to the printer 101, and the printing process is performed by the printer 101. Since the features of this embodiment are realized by the processing on the despool process 460 side, the processing on the despool process 460 side will be described in the following description unless otherwise specified.

[Finishing, cutting, collating]
Here, the finishing handled in the present invention will be described.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of finishing, cutting, and collating regarding a double punch on the premise that paper is cut.

FIG. 5A shows an example of a double punch on the premise of cutting at the center of the paper.
In FIG. 5A, the perforations 520 correspond to punched holes drilled at two locations, the edge and the center of the paper 510. The dividing line 530 corresponds to a line that divides the paper 510 into two, and corresponds to a cutting line when cutting the paper.
In addition to the combination of the edge and the center of the paper shown in FIG. 5A, the perforations 520 are located at two locations at both ends of the paper and at two locations along the dividing line 530 at the center of the paper. It may be present and does not preclude the practice of the present invention. Further, the positions of the perforations 520 may be two or more places on the paper.

Further, although not shown, a line that divides the paper into upper and lower parts may be used as a dividing line. In this case, the perforation position is along the top edge of the paper and the center along the dividing line, the center along the dividing line and the bottom edge of the paper, and the top edge and the bottom edge of the paper. It may be a combination of the lower end and the upper and lower two places in the center along the dividing line. These do not preclude the practice of the present invention.
Further, although FIG. 5A shows an example of dividing the paper into two, the practice of the present invention is not hindered regardless of the number of divisions of the paper.

FIG. 5B shows an example of cutting.
As shown in FIG. 5B, an example is shown in which a plurality of sheets of paper 510 are cut along the dividing line 530 to be divided into two bundles 540 and a bundle 550.

FIG. 5C shows an example of collation.
FIG. 5C shows an example in which the drilling positions of the bundle 540 and the bundle 550 generated by cutting are aligned and vertically overlapped. The finishing method of arranging the pages so that the pages are arranged in the correct page order by superimposing the bundles cut in this way in order is called "cut and stack", and is the layout method which is the object of the present invention.

[Print configuration]
Next, the related print settings of the present invention will be described.
6A and 6B are diagrams showing an example of a print setting UI displayed by the UI processing unit 410 of the printer driver 400.

The application 200 of the application process 450 calls the UI processing unit 410 via the OS 300 in order to determine the print settings. The UI processing unit 410 receives a print setting instruction from the user by displaying the print setting UI as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

In the example of FIG. 6A, the page setting tab 610 shows an example in which the page layout 611 for arranging a plurality of pages on one print surface and the number of copies 612 for setting the number of copies for unit printing are accepted from the user. In addition, hereinafter, "page layout" is also simply referred to as "layout". In layout 611, it is possible to set a plurality of logical pages of document data to be arranged on one sheet of paper (Nin1 setting).
In the example of FIG. 6B, on the finishing tab 620, as the setting of the punch hole 621 which is one of the finishing settings, the setting value on the premise of cutting the paper (here, the “double punch” described above is used. ) Is accepted from the user.

As described above, the print setting is written to the spool file 500 by the spool processing unit 430, read by the despool processing unit 440, and reflected in the print job.

[Operation of despool processing unit]
Next, the operation of the despool processing unit 440, which is the core of the present invention, will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the despool processing unit 440. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 described later is realized by the CPU 1 reading a program stored in the external memory 14 or the like into the RAM 2 and executing the program.

When the despool processing unit 440 is started from the spool processing unit 430, the despool processing unit 440 executes an appropriate initialization process (S710). After that, the despool processing unit 440 acquires the print setting by reading the spool file 500 (S720).
In order to perform the despool processing, it is necessary that the spool processing of all pages is completed and the drawing data is written to the spool file 500. Therefore, the despool processing unit 440 waits for the spool processing unit 430 to finish the spool processing of all pages (S730). When the spool processing of all pages by the spool processing unit 430 is completed, the despool processing unit 440 proceeds to S740.

In S740, the despool processing unit 440 refers to the print settings included in the spool file 500 and determines the layout for printing the target job. Here, Nin1 printing, poster printing, bookbinding printing, etc. are called "normal imposition", and imposition on the premise of cutting paper such as "cut & stack" explained above is "imposition for cutting". I will call it. In the present invention, when finishing is set on the premise of cutting represented by "double punch" and Nin1 for dividing the paper and allocating pages is set as the layout, "imposition for cutting" is set instead of "normal imposition". Is processed as the layout for the target job. Therefore, even if the user does not understand and select a complicated layout such as "cut and stack", if the setting requires cutting by understanding and selecting a basic layout such as Nin1. It has the effect of instructing the execution of the "cut and stack" layout that is premised on cutting. Here, the details of the layout determination process (S740) will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of details of the layout determination process (S740).
In S801, the despool processing unit 440 determines whether or not "double punch", which is premised on cutting, is set for finishing as a finishing setting. When "double punch" premised on cutting is not set for finishing (when No in S801), the despool processing unit 440 is set to "normal imposition" as before (S803), and this layout determination processing (S740). To finish.

On the other hand, when "double punch" premised on cutting is set for finishing (in the case of Yes in S801), the despool processing unit 440 proceeds to S802.

In S802, the despool processing unit 440 determines whether or not Nin1 (for example, "2in1") for dividing the paper and allocating pages is set as the layout setting. When Nin1 for dividing the paper and allocating pages is not set as the layout (No in S802), the despool processing unit 440 sets it as "normal imposition" (S803) as before, and performs the layout determination process (S740). finish.

On the other hand, when Nin1 for dividing the paper and allocating pages is set as the layout (Yes in S802), the despool processing unit 440 sets the layout method to "imposition for cutting" (S804) and sets the layout determination process. (S740) is finished.

As described above, if the double punch premised on cutting is set for finishing and Nin1 that divides the paper and allocates pages is set as the layout, the layout method is set to "imposition for cutting", and other than that. Then, as before, it is assumed to be "normal imposition".

Hereinafter, the description of the flowchart of FIG. 7 will be returned.
After the layout is determined in S740, the despool processing unit 440 performs job start processing (S750).

After that, the despool processing unit 440 draws a logical page to be arranged on each physical page according to the layout determined in the layout determination process (S740) (S760).
Then, the despool processing unit 440 determines whether or not all physical page drawing is completed (S770). When the physical page to be drawn remains in the target job (No in S770), the despool processing unit 440 returns the process to S760 and continues the drawing process of the physical page.

On the other hand, when the drawing of all the physical pages of the target job has been completed (Yes in S770), the despool processing unit 440 performs the job end processing (S770). After that, the despool processing unit 440 performs the end processing (S780), and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[Example of imposition for cutting]
Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, a layout method of “cut and stack”, which is an imposition premised on cutting, will be described. Here, only an example of binding a physical page with a short edge will be shown and explained. There may be a "cut and stack" that is bound on the long side, but the explanation here is omitted.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a layout example in the case of printing a part of “cut and stack” in the “before cutting” state and the “after cutting / collating” state.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a layout example of “cut and stack” in which a plurality of copies are printed, “before cutting” and “after cutting / collating”.
The imposition for cutting is determined by the number of logical pages, layout (Nin1), logical page arrangement order, binding direction, single-sided / double-sided, number of copies, and the like.

In the case of double punch that divides the paper into two at the center, if the number of logical pages (total number) is P and the N value of the layout (Nin1) is N, the number of logical pages arranged on the paper after cutting is N / It becomes 2. Here, INT [X] is an integer obtained by rounding down the minority part of the value X (that is, the maximum integer that does not exceed "X"). Then, the N logical pages arranged on the first physical page are arranged in the first set (small set of logical page numbers) arranged in the area on one side of the dividing line 530 and in the area on the other side. It consists of a second set (a set with a large logical page number).

The first set is a small set of page numbers of logical pages from the first logical page to the logical (N / 2) page.
The second set is the logic (INT [(P + (N-1)) / N] × (N / 2) +1) from the page of the logic (INT [(P + (N-1)) / N] × (N /). 2) + N / 2) A large set of logical page numbers up to the page.
However, when N = 2, the first set is only the first logical page, and the second set is only the logical (INT [(P + (N-1)) / N] × (N / 2) +1) page. Become.

In the logical page placed on any Xth physical page, the first set is the set from the logical (N / 2 × (X-1) +1) page to the logical (N / 2 × X) page. It becomes. In addition, the second set is logical (INT [(P + (N-1)) / N] × N / 2 + (N / 2 × (X-1) + 1)) from the logical (INT [(P + (N-1)) + 1)) page to the logic (INT [(P + (N-1) N -1)) / N] x N / 2 + (N / 2 x X)) It is a set up to the page.
When N = 2, the first set is only the logical Xth page, and the second set is only the logical (INT [(P + 1) / 2] + X) page.

It is also necessary to decide which set of the two sets of logical pages (first set, second set) to be placed on the same physical page should be placed on the left (or right), which is bound. The orientation and whether it is the back side of double-sided printing are relevant.
In this embodiment, when the binding direction is "short edge binding (left)", the first set (small set of logical page numbers) is placed on the left side of the same physical page, and the second set (logical page number of the logical page number) is placed on the right side. A large set) will be placed.

For this reason, in the case of "short edge binding (right)" in which the binding direction is reversed, the second set (set with a large logical page number) is placed on the left side and the first set (logical page number) is placed on the right side on the same physical page. A small set of) will be placed.

Furthermore, when the corresponding physical page hits the back side of double-sided printing, the set of each logical page should be placed at the position opposite to the front side on the back side, considering the continuity of the pages on the front and back sides of the paper after cutting. become. That is, when the first set is arranged on the left side of the front surface and the second set is arranged on the right side, the second set is arranged on the left side of the back surface and the first set is arranged on the right side. On the other hand, when the second set is arranged on the left side of the front surface and the first set is arranged on the right side, the first set is arranged on the left side of the back surface and the second set is arranged on the right side.
The arrangement order of the logical pages is used to determine the arrangement order of the theory pages in the set of logical pages.

Each specific example will be described below.
First, the case where the number of copies is one will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 9A shows an example of the number of pages: 12 pages, layout: 2in1, arrangement order: left to right, binding direction: short side binding (left), printing method: one side, number of copies: 1 copy. ..
The first logical page is placed on the left side of the first physical page before cutting, and the seventh logical page is placed on the right side. After that, the second logical page and the eighth logical page are arranged on the second physical page, and the third logical page and the ninth logical page are arranged on the third physical page in the order from left to right. That is, the 4th logical page and the 10th logical page are arranged on the 4th physical page. The 5th logical page and the 11th logical page are arranged on the 5th physical page. The 6th logical page and the 12th logical page are arranged on the 6th physical page.

By arranging the logical pages in this way, the logical pages 1 to 6 are arranged in the order of pages in the left bundle after cutting, and the logical pages 7 to 12 are arranged in the right bundle. Will be.
Therefore, by superimposing the left bundle on the right bundle, the first page of logic to the twelfth page of logic are arranged in page order as shown in "After cutting / collating".

FIG. 9B shows an example of the number of pages: 12 pages, layout: 2in1, arrangement order: left to right, binding direction: short side binding (left), printing method: both sides, number of copies: 1 copy. ..
It differs from the example shown in FIG. 9A in that it is double-sided printing. In the case of double-sided printing, the binding position and page order of the even-numbered physical pages on the back side must be reversed on the left and right sides of the binding direction and arrangement order. The binding direction and arrangement order of the odd-numbered physical pages corresponding to the front surface are the same as in the case of single-sided printing in FIG. 9A.

Therefore, on the second physical page (back side), the eighth logical page is arranged on the left side and the second logical page is arranged on the right side. By arranging in this way, the order of the pages after cutting and collating will be correctly arranged in the order of the front side and the back side. That is, on the fourth physical page (back side), the 10th logical page is arranged on the left side and the 4th logical page is arranged on the right side. On the sixth physical page (back side), the 12th logical page is arranged on the left side and the 6th logical page is arranged on the right side.
Hereinafter, an example in which the number of pages, layout, arrangement order, binding direction, and number of copies are changed based on the case of FIG. 9B will be shown.

FIG. 9C shows an example of the number of pages: 24 pages, layout: 4in1, arrangement order: from upper left to right, binding direction: short side binding (left), printing method: both sides, number of copies: 1 copy. , The number of pages and the layout are different from the previous example of FIG. 9B.

Since the double punch is set and the paper is divided into two left and right at the center of the paper, in the case of 4in1, the layout is performed so that two logical pages are arranged on the left and right paper divided after cutting. Since the layout is 4in1, the layout order is "upper left to right", which corresponds to "left to right" of 2in1, but since the left and right are divided at the center of the paper, the logical pages are continuous in the divided paper. Arrange to do so.

Therefore, the first and second logical pages are arranged on the left side of the first physical page (front surface), and the 13th and 14th logical pages are arranged on the right side. Further, the logic 15th and 16th pages are arranged on the left side of the second physical page (back surface), and the logic 3rd and 4th pages are arranged on the right side. By arranging in this way, the order of the pages after cutting and collating will be correctly arranged in the order of the front side and the back side.

That is, the 5th and 6th logical pages are arranged on the left side of the 3rd physical page (front surface), and the 17th and 18th logical pages are arranged on the right side. Further, the logic 19th and 20th pages are arranged on the left side of the 4th physical page (back surface), and the logic 7th and 8th pages are arranged on the right side.
Further, the logic 9th and 10th pages are arranged on the left side of the 5th physical page (front surface), and the logic 21st and 22nd pages are arranged on the right side. Further, the logic 23 and 24 pages are arranged on the left side of the sixth physical page (back surface), and the logic 11 and 12 pages are arranged on the right side.

FIG. 9D shows an example of the number of pages: 12 pages, layout: 2in1, arrangement order: right to left, binding direction: short side binding (left), printing method: both sides, number of copies: 1 copy. , The arrangement order is different from the example of FIG. 9B. Since the arrangement order is the reverse "right to left" of FIG. 9 (B), the arrangement of FIG. 9 (B) is reversed left and right on all physical pages.
Therefore, after cutting, the 7th to 12th logical pages are arranged in the left bundle, and the 1st to 6th logical pages are arranged in the right bundle in page order, and the right bundle is placed on the left bundle. After collating, the page order will be correct.

That is, the 7th logical page is arranged on the left side of the 1st physical page (front surface) before cutting, and the 1st logical page is arranged on the right side. After that, the second logical page and the eighth logical page are arranged on the second physical page (back side), and the ninth logical page and the third logical page are arranged on the third physical page (front side) in this order from left to right. Further, the 4th logical page and the 10th logical page are arranged on the 4th physical page (back side). The 11th logical page and the 5th logical page are arranged on the 5th physical page (front surface). The 6th logical page and the 12th logical page are arranged on the 6th physical page (back side).

FIG. 9E shows an example of the number of pages: 12 pages, layout: 2in1, arrangement order: left to right, binding direction: short side binding (right), printing method: both sides, number of copies: 1 copy. , The binding direction is different from the example of FIG. 9B. Since the binding direction is the reverse "short edge binding (right)" of Fig. 9 (B), the position of the perforation is reversed left and right in Fig. 9 (B), but there is no effect on the arrangement of the logical page, and the logical page The arrangement is the same as the case of FIG. 9B.

Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 10, an example in which a plurality of copies of “cut and stack” are printed will be described. In addition, in order to facilitate the explanation, the description is limited to the case of 2in1 here. In the case of printing a plurality of copies, the whole is considered as printing one copy, and the pages are arranged.
That is, when printing three copies of a three-page document, each logical page is arranged so as to print one copy of a 9 (= 3 × 3) page document (page order 123123123). In the case of double-sided printing, in order to prevent the front side and the back side from belonging to different parts, if the original has an odd number of pages, the final page is arranged so as to supplement the blank logical page with an even number of pages. In other words, when printing a 3-page document on both sides of 3 copies, a 1-copy 9 (= 3 x 3) page document (page order 123 □ 123 □ 123 □, * blank logical page “□”) is printed. Arrange each logical page so that. As a result, even if a plurality of copies are specified, the ethics pages are arranged so that the output for the specified number of copies has the correct page order.

The example shown in FIG. 9 does not show an example in which a blank logical page is intentionally required, but in FIG. 10, a blank logical page is shown as “−”. It should be noted that the plurality of copies described here indicate the number of copies to be printed in units of copies.

FIG. 10F shows an example of the number of pages: 3 pages, layout: 2in1, arrangement order: left to right, binding direction: short side binding (right), printing method: one side, number of copies: 3 copies. ..
In this case, the first logical page of the first copy is arranged on the left side of the first physical page, and the third logical page of the second copy is arranged on the right side. Further, the first logic page 2 is arranged on the left side of the second physical page, and the third logic page 1 is arranged on the right side. That is, the third logical page of the first part is arranged on the left side of the third physical page, and the second logical page of the third part is arranged on the right side. Further, the second logic page is arranged on the left side of the fourth physical page, and the third logic page is arranged on the right side. The second logical page is placed on the left side of the fifth physical page, which is the final physical page, and a blank logical page (“-”) is placed on the right side.

When each logic page is arranged in this way, after cutting, the first logic page to the second logic page 2 are arranged in page order for each copy in the left bundle. In the bundle on the right side, the second logic page 3 to the third logic page 3 are arranged in page order for each copy, and a blank logic page is arranged at the end. As a result, by placing the left bundle on the right bundle and removing the last blank sheet, the three-page data of three copies are arranged in page order for each copy.

FIG. 10 (G) shows an example of the number of pages: 3 pages, layout: 2in1, arrangement order: left to right, binding direction: short side binding (left), printing method: both sides, number of copies: 3 copies. , The difference from the case of FIG. 10 (F) is that it is double-sided printing.

In the case of double-sided printing of a plurality of copies, if the front side and the back side of the paper after cutting belong to different "parts", the printed matter cannot be divided into "parts". Therefore, it is necessary that the front side and the back side of the paper after cutting belong to the same "part". Taking this into consideration, as described in the example of FIG. 9B above, the arrangement is performed so that the even-numbered physical page corresponding to the back surface is arranged so as to be horizontally reversed in the binding direction or on the page.

On the first physical page (front surface), the first logic page of the first copy is arranged on the left side, and the third logic page of the second copy is arranged on the right side. On the second physical page (back side), a blank logic page (“−”) corresponding to the second copy is arranged on the left side, and the second logic page of the first copy is arranged on the right side. The third physical page (front surface) is arranged such that the third logical page of the first part is on the left side and the first logical page of the third part is on the right side.

That is, on the third physical page (front surface), the third logical page of the first copy is arranged on the left side, and the first logical page of the third copy is arranged on the right side. On the fourth physical page (back side), a blank logic page (“−”) corresponding to the second logic page of the third copy is arranged on the left side and the first copy is arranged on the right side. On the fifth physical page (front surface), the first logical page of the second part is arranged on the left side, and the third logical page of the third part is arranged on the right side. On the sixth physical page (back side), a blank logic page (“−”) corresponding to the third copy is arranged on the left side, and the second logic page of the second copy is arranged on the right side.

By arranging as described above, the bundle on the left of the cutting includes a blank logic page (“-”) in the first copy, and the first logic page to the second logic page in the second copy. Up to is arranged in page order for each copy. In addition, the right bundle contains blank logical pages (“-”) for the second and third copies, and the third to third blank logical pages for the second copy are pages for each copy. It will be arranged in order. Therefore, by superimposing the bundle on the left on the right, the three-page data of the three parts are arranged in page order for each part.

As described above, when printing document data, the correct page order can be obtained by stacking bundles of paper after cutting the printed matter at the center of the paper simply by setting print settings such as double punch and Nin1 from the printer driver. It becomes possible to easily perform such advanced printing. For this reason, even if the user has basic knowledge of imposition (layout) and does not have specialized knowledge, advanced "cut and stack" imposition using a printer driver without using a dedicated application ( It is possible to easily perform printing with layout).
It should be noted that the dedicated application for imposition has many functions and requires a certain amount of specialized knowledge to be used, so that it is difficult for a general user to use it. On the other hand, the printer driver can be easily used even by a general user who does not have specialized knowledge. For this reason, it is convenient for users who use a printer with a finishing option that can cut the paper in the center by making it easy to print with "cut and stack" imposition from the printer driver. The sex can be greatly improved.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the printer driver arranges the logical page on the physical page has been described. However, the printing system of the operating system (OS) operating on the computer 100 may arrange the logical page on the physical page described above. Further, the computer 100 does not arrange the logical page on the above-mentioned physical page, the computer 100 transmits the print setting and the print data to the printer 101, and the printer 101 side the logical page on the above-mentioned physical page based on the print setting. May be arranged.

It should be noted that the structure and contents of the various data described above are not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the structure and contents are various depending on the intended use and purpose.
Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention can take an embodiment as, for example, a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, a storage medium, or the like. Specifically, it may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices, or may be applied to a device composed of one device.
Further, all the configurations combining the above embodiments are also included in the present invention.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.
Further, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or a device composed of one device.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications (including organic combinations of each embodiment) are possible based on the gist of the present invention, and these are excluded from the scope of the present invention. is not it. That is, all the configurations in which each of the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof are combined are also included in the present invention.

100 Computer 101 Printer 200 Application 300 OS
400 Printer driver 410 UI processing unit 420 GR processing unit 430 Spool processing unit 440 Despool processing unit

Claims (9)

A print control device for printing document data with a printer.
As print settings when printing the document data with a printer, the first setting, which is a finishing setting on the premise that the printed matter is cut at the center of the paper, and the document data are included in one print surface of the paper. A setting means capable of accepting a plurality of settings including a second setting which is a layout setting for arranging a plurality of logical pages indicating the pages to be printed.
It has a determination means for determining the arrangement of the logical page on the print surface based on the print setting.
When the printing setting includes the first setting and the second setting, the printing surface is such that the printing surface has a correct page order by stacking a bundle of paper after cutting at the center of the paper. A print control device, characterized in that it determines the placement of said logical pages on. When the total number of logical pages included in the document data is P and the second setting is to arrange N logical pages on one print surface, the area on one side of the print surface to be cut in the center of the paper is the first. One area, the area on the other side is the second area, the maximum integer that does not exceed x is INT [x], and the set of logical pages arranged in the first area is the first set and the second area. Let the second set be the set of logical pages placed in
For the Xth print side,
The first set is a set from the "N / 2x (X-1) + 1" th logical page to the "N / 2xX" th logical page.
The second set is "INT [(P + (N-1)) / N] x N / 2 + (N / 2 x (X-1) + 1)" from the third logical page "INT [(P + (N-1)) ) / N] x N / 2 + (N / 2 x X) "so that the set is up to the third logical page.
The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination means determines the arrangement of the logical pages. When the printing setting further includes a third setting for printing on both sides of the paper, the determining means reverses the first region and the second region on the odd-numbered printing surface and the even-numbered printing surface. The print control device according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement of the logical pages is determined. When the printing setting further includes a fourth setting for printing a plurality of printed matter in units of copies, the determination means stacks a bundle of paper after cutting at the center of the paper. The printing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the arrangement of the logical pages on the printing surface is determined so that the output for the number of copies specified in the setting has the correct page order. Control device. The determination means supplements one logical page to the last page of the logical page when the print setting further includes a third setting for printing on both sides of the paper and the total number of logical pages is odd. The print control device according to claim 4, wherein the arrangement of the logical pages is determined. The print control device according to claim 5, wherein the logical page 1 in the final page of the logical page is a blank page. The print control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first setting is a double punch setting for punching a plurality of holes in two or more places on a sheet of paper. As print settings when printing document data with a printer, the first setting, which is a finishing setting assuming that the printed matter is cut at the center of the paper, and the document data are included in one print surface of the paper. A print control method in a print control device for printing the document data with a printer, which has a setting means capable of accepting a plurality of settings including a second setting which is a layout setting for arranging a plurality of logical pages indicating pages. And
It has a determination step of determining the arrangement of the logical page on the print surface based on the print settings.
In the determination step, when the print settings include the first setting and the second setting, the print surface is arranged so that the correct page order is obtained by stacking the bundles of paper after cutting at the center of the paper. A print control method, characterized in that the arrangement of the logical pages on the paper is determined. A program for operating a computer as the means according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images