JP2000066849A - Method and device for setting printing for printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for setting printing for a printer with which a user can provide the printed result as expected even without confirming the print setting of the printer before instructing printing processing. SOLUTION: Concerning the printing setting method for a printer with which document data are printed according to printing conditions expressed by setting information, this method has steps S32 and S33 for comparing the first setting information added to the document data with second setting information preset to the said printer and displaying a difference on a display part when the first and second setting information are mutually different, step S35 for next selecting any one of the said first and second setting information corresponding to the input of the user, and step for continuously sending the selected setting information to the printer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print setting method and apparatus for a printer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a print setting method and apparatus for a printer that prints document data according to print conditions represented by setting information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when printing document data using a personal computer, print setting information held by a printer driver and print setting information specified by an application program are different from each other. The latter, the latter takes precedence. Therefore, the user usually makes print settings of the printer through an application program.

For this reason, if a user instructs a printing process for document data created in advance in another environment without checking the print setting information, a paper size error or the like may occur. In order to avoid this, before the user instructs the printing process, the setting information regarding the printing of the printer must be checked for each item.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a print setting method and apparatus for a printer which enables a user to obtain a print result as expected without checking the print settings of the printer before instructing print processing. To provide.

[0005]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print setting method for a printer for printing document data in accordance with a print condition represented by setting information. The first added to the document data
Comparing the first setting information with the second setting information preset for the printer, and when the first and second setting information are different from each other, displaying the fact on a display unit; The method includes a step of selecting one of the first and second setting information in response to an input by a user, and a step of transmitting the selected setting information to the printer.

In the print setting method for a printer according to the first aspect, the first setting information added to the document data includes:
When the second setting information preset for the printer is different from the second setting information, the fact is displayed on the display unit. Therefore, even when the user instructs the printing process without confirming the setting information, the user can perform the first and second printing before the actual printing.
Can be recognized as different from each other. Then, the user can obtain a print result as expected by selecting one of the first and second setting information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print setting method for a printer for printing document data in accordance with a print condition represented by setting information, wherein a first software program specifies the document data. Comparing the setting information with second setting information set in advance for the printer, and when the first and second setting information are different from each other, displaying the fact on a display unit; And a step of selecting one of the first and second setting information in response to an input by the user and transmitting the selected setting information to the printer.

In the print setting method for a printer according to the second aspect, the first setting information specified by the software for the document data and the second setting information set in advance for the printer are included. When they are different from each other, the fact is displayed on the display unit. Therefore, even when the user instructs the printing process without confirming the setting information, the user can recognize that the first and second setting information are different from each other before the actual printing. Then, the user can select the first and second
By selecting any of the setting information, the expected print result can be obtained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print setting apparatus for a printer for printing document data in accordance with a print condition represented by the setting information, wherein the first setting information is added to the document data. When the user designates a designated file, a printer driver that holds second setting information set for the printer, and print processing of the document data, the first and second setting information are compared. , The first,
When the second setting information is different from each other, a control unit is displayed on the display unit to allow the user to select one of the first and second setting information.

[0010] In the print setting apparatus for a printer according to the third aspect, when the printing process of the document data is instructed, the control section sets the first setting information added or designated by the application program to the document data and When the first and second setting information are different from each other, the second setting information is compared with the second setting information held by the printer driver. Looking at this display, the user can select the first,
The user notices that the second setting information is different from each other, and selects one of the first and second setting information. Printing is performed based on the selected setting information. Thus, the print setting device for this printer is the first,
The fact that the second setting information is different from each other is displayed on the display unit to prompt the user to make a selection. Therefore, even when the user instructs the printing process without confirming the setting information, the print result is as expected. Can be obtained.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a personal computer system to which the present invention is applied. The personal computer 1 has a control unit 4 for controlling the entire system.
And a printer driver 2 for driving the printer 7
And an application program 3 provided separately from the printer driver 2. In addition, a keyboard 5 for inputting by a user, a display unit 6 for displaying a signal received from the control unit 4 as an image, and a printer 7 for printing are connected to the personal computer 1 as peripheral devices. Have been.

The application program 3 is software for creating and editing a document, and adds setting information (first setting information) representing printing conditions to the created document data.

The printer driver 2 is located downstream of the application program 3 in the flow of document data to be printed. That is, the document data created by the application program 3 is received and sent to the printer 7. The printer driver 2 can hold setting information (second setting information) indicating printing conditions input by the user to the printer 7.

This system operates as a whole by the operation of the control unit 4 as follows.

First, as shown in step S 1 in FIG. 2, the control unit 4 sets setting information (second setting information) to be held by the printer driver 2. See Figure 3 for details.
As shown in (1), the user first selects the output destination printer 7 that the user wants to print (S11). Next, the display unit 6 displays whether or not “perform print settings” for the printer 7 (S12). When the user inputs a set value to the keyboard 5, the set value is adopted as second setting information (S13). On the other hand, when the user inputs that the print setting is not performed, the default setting of the printer driver 2 is adopted as the second setting information (S14).

Next, as shown in step S 2 in FIG. 2, the user instructs a printing process of document data through the keyboard 5.

In response to this print processing instruction, the control unit 4 finally determines print settings for the printer 7 (S3). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the application program 3 acquires the first setting information added to the document data (S31). Subsequently, the first setting information is compared with the second setting information held by the printer driver 2 to determine whether or not the first and second setting information match over all setting items. (S32).
Here, when the first and second setting information match over all setting items, the matching setting information is attached to the print job (S34) to generate a print job (S37). On the other hand, when the first and second setting information are different from each other with respect to some or all of the setting items, a portion of the first and second setting information relating to different items is displayed on the display unit 6 (S33). . Looking at this display, the user notices that the first and second setting information are different from each other, and selects one of the first and second setting information for the displayed item (S35). The first,
If any one of the second setting information is automatically selected with priority, there is a disadvantage in any priority. For example, if the paper size setting in the first setting information is “letter” and the paper size setting in the second setting information is “A4”, the first setting information is automatically selected with priority. Although the created document data can be printed in the same format, it is necessary to specially feed "letter" size paper. On the other hand, if the second setting information is selected automatically with priority, it is not necessary to feed the paper specially, but the created document data cannot be printed in the same format. As described above, even if any setting information is preferentially automatically selected, some disadvantage occurs. Therefore, the selection of the setting information is left to the user. Then, the first setting information is corrected based on the selected setting information, and the corrected first
Is attached to the print job (S36), and a print job is generated (S37).

Thereafter, as shown in step S 4 in FIG. 2, the control unit 4 sends the generated print job to the printer 7. The printer 7 performs printing based on a print job received from the personal computer 1.

As described above, in this system, the fact that the first and second setting information are different from each other is displayed on the display unit 6 to urge the user to make a selection. Therefore, even when the user instructs the print processing without confirming the setting information, it is possible to obtain the expected print result.

Although the application program 3 adds the first setting information to the created document data, the first setting information is designated when the print processing is instructed. Is also good.

[0022]

As is clear from the above, claims 1 and 2
According to the print setting method for the printer of
Even if the print processing is instructed without confirming the setting information, the expected print result can be obtained.

Similarly, according to the print setting apparatus for a printer according to the third aspect, even when the user instructs the print processing without confirming the setting information, the user obtains the expected print result. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a personal computer system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main flow of the operation of the system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating in detail a flow of a print setting process of a printer driver.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating in detail a flow of a print setting final determination process for a printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Personal computer 7 Printer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A print setting method for a printer that prints document data in accordance with a print condition represented by setting information, comprising: first setting information added to the document data; When the first and second setting information are different from each other,
Displaying a message to that effect on a display unit; selecting one of the first and second setting information in response to an input by a user; and transmitting the selected setting information to the printer. And a print setting method for a printer. 2. A print setting method for a printer that prints document data according to a print condition represented by setting information, the method comprising: first setting information designated by software for the document data; A second preset
Comparing the first and second setting information with each other, when the first and second setting information are different from each other, displaying the fact on the display unit; A print setting method for a printer, comprising a step of selecting one of them and a step of sending the selected setting information to the printer. 3. A print setting device for a printer that prints document data according to print conditions represented by setting information, wherein the application program adds or specifies first setting information to the document data. A printer driver that holds the second setting information set for the printer, and when instructed to print the document data, compares the first and second setting information and compares the first and second setting information. When the setting information of the second setting information is different from each other, a control unit is displayed on the display unit to allow the user to select one of the first and second setting information. Setting device.