JPS58160172A - Controlling system for print color of printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the titled system enabling the printing of some characters with a different color from that of neighboring characters, by detecting a (group of) specified character(s) from printing data, by giving a print-color information thereto, and by delivering then the printing data to a printer. CONSTITUTION:Besides a user program 21 and a program (writer) 22 for control of printing, a print-color switching program 23 is added to programs in a memory 2. The print-color switching program 23 analyzes printing informations inputted from a control card 6, etc., i.e. informations on specification of a character and a print color for printing data for monochrome, and controls the switching of the print color.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print color control method for a line printer that allows any part of characters to be printed in a color different from surrounding characters. 3. Prior Art and Problems Line printers usually print data given from a CPU (central processing unit) in one print color, usually black. For this reason, even if there is a part of a long printed document that you would like to particularly emphasize from a content perspective, it is not possible to visually emphasize that part.
It is difficult to grasp important points, and it is easy to overlook, forget, or deviate from the main idea due to individual differences in judgment.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to apply print color change information to normal monochrome print data so that a character or a group of characters, etc. specified by the information can be printed in a print color that stands out from the surroundings. One way to print a specified character or group of characters in a color that stands out from others is to attach print color information to each character code, but this increases the amount of information in the print data and makes it difficult to change The present invention uses data that can be made into four characters as is without any modification using the conventional method if it is a single color, and adds color information for a specified character or character group to the data to create the character or character. It attempts to print a group in a specified color, and is extremely flexible.

Components of the Invention The present invention provides a print color control method for a printer controlled by a central processing unit, in which information specifying a character or a group of characters in print data and instructing the print color is sent to the central processing unit using an input means such as a control card. When inputting to the device and printing, the central processing unit detects the designated character or character group from the print data, attaches print color information to the detected character or character group, and sends the print data to the printer. This will be described in detail below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

Embodiment of the Invention Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of the entire line printer control system, in which 1 is a CPU (central processing unit), 2 is a memory storing various programs, 3 is a keyboard, and 4 is a control system from the keyboard 3 and CPUI, etc. A magnetic disk device stores input data, etc., and 5 is a line printer that prints out data etc. given from the CPUI. The program memory in memory 2 usually contains the general user program 2.
1 and 10 grams (writer) 22 for print control are stored, but in the present invention, a print color switching program 23 is added here. This print color switching program 23 analyzes print color information input from a control card, that is, character designation and print color designation information for single-color print data, and performs print color switching control. Fig. 2 shows the processing procedure. In this figure, the unprocessed list (print data) 41 in the disk device 4 is read out, and the character portion specified by the control card 6 is printed in a different color from the surrounding area (this is also specified by the card 6).
Process to make it. 42 is a list after processing, which is sent to the printer and printed.

FIG. 3 (al to (C)) shows an example of the list 41 before processing, the control card 6, and the list 42 after processing.The control card 6 has information EO3IO, which indicates that it is normal ( 10) Completed (EO3: End or
5tep) L/Not completed (1) All completed code (the one after EO3 is other than 10) contents (90SYS
TEM=OC4-004) is given an instruction to print in a color that blends with the surroundings. In this example, the printer 5 is a two-color printing type, black and red. If no specification is specified, the printer 5 is black, and if specified, it is red. Since we are assuming that the color specification information is not included in the control card, if there are three or more colors, the control card 6
In this example, the list 41 before processing has an abnormal end (ABEND) completion code (90), so in the list 42 after processing, this part (within the one-dot chain line frame) 7 is Specified to be printed in red.

In addition, 90SYSTEM-OC4-004 has a data exception (
This indicates that the process ended abnormally due to the reason in the fourth item (004) of OC4).

FIG. 4(a) shows the general flow of the print color switching program 23, and (b) to (dl) show the detailed flow of each part.As shown in the figure, when the print color is changed and the program starts, initial processing is performed, and the printing Data etc. are expanded onto the memory and initial values are set, then control card analysis processing is performed, control card reading and cents to standard format are performed, and then printing color switching processing is performed.
While outputting print data to the printer, a control card searches for a character specified, and when the character comes, the color information along with its code is melted into the printer, making the printing color of the character different from the others.

Print color designation by the control card 6 is not limited to the example described above. For example, within a predetermined range of program suspension (D7.f
-) / 7) Kaa, Taraso. It is also possible to change all printing colors. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of this.
The control cursor specifies that if there is a statement EXAMi NE within the range of column 62, the print color will be changed. In this case, all EXAMiNEs in columns 12 to 62 are printed in red (indicated by a line frame), but columns 0 to 11 and columns 63 to 80 are search target groups, so even if EXAMiNE is located here, It is marked with a black "I" like the surrounding area.

Figure 6 shows a Japanese line printer that can print in three or more colors (
NLP) is taken as an example. Many of the various types of forms have similar shapes and formats, so to distinguish them, the color of the form itself (underneath) is usually changed to yellow, yellow, etc.
However, changing the color of the paper is troublesome as it requires replacing the printer paper, etc. The present invention attempts to do this by switching the printing color. The base (paper color) of the form 8 is all the same color (for example, white). If the business-related document is related to payroll, the background of subdivision 81 where the letters "Salary" are printed is used, for example, on the edge, and if it is related to human resources (not shown), the subsection where the letters "Personnel" are printed. Print the minute background in red (hereinafter this applies). l
b) shows the control card 6 in which the specified part is written at this time, the area 81 has a horizontal length of 20 starting at the coordinates (10, 6),
Since it is a rectangle with a vertical length of 10, it is called 5QUARE.
Specify as (10, 6, 20, 10). In this case, the area 81 is colored green, so GREEN, 5H
Let it be ADOW. 5HADOW also refers to an operation in which a large number of small stars are printed in a distributed manner, and the printed portion is colored in the color of the stars. If the form 8 is related to human resources, just change the GREEN of the control card 6 to RED and the area 8
The background of 1 is red. A form consists of fixed parts such as frames and company names, and variable parts that change each time.The fixed parts (format or home overlay) are registered in advance, and only the variable information is entered from a keyboard or the like. Since the area 81 belongs to the fixed portion, its printing color is specified when registering the overlay.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to arbitrarily designate a part of the printed text output from the printer 1 and print it in a color that stands out from the surroundings, thereby making it possible to print parts that particularly need attention, etc. It has the advantage of being able to visually emphasize the

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a line printer control system, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of printing processing according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a flowchart of the print color switching program, No.
6 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of different embodiments of the present invention. In the figure, 5 is a printer, 6 is a control card, 7.81 is a print color switching specification section, 22 is a print control program, and 23 is a print color switching program. Applicant Fujitsu Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Minoru Aoyagi Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] In the print color control method of a printer controlled by a central processing unit, information specifying a character or a group of characters in print data and instructing the print color is inputted to the central processing unit by an input means such as a control car r, and printing is performed. At this time, the central processing unit detects the designated character or character group from the print data, attaches print color information to the detected character or character group, and sends the print data to the printer. A printer's print color control method.