JP2003076515A - Printer system and its printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten printing time in the printing of a plurality of number of sheets. SOLUTION: When the printing of the first copy is started, whether or not its printing mode is a plural copies printing mode is determined (S1), when one copy is printed, a normal printing operation is performed and terminated (S5). When two or more copies are printed, a printer is once stopped (S2) at a point of time when the printing of the first copy is terminated. In this case, print data of an image memory is left as it is. Next, a user checks a printed image, when the user is satisfied with image quality, selects 'output OK' and when the user is not satisfied with the image quality, selects 'output NG' (S3) by an output check input device. In the case of the 'output OK', control that continue the printing of the remaining copies is performed (S4) by using the print data of the image memory. In the case of the 'output NG', the printing is cancelled (S5). In this case, the print data of the image memory is also cleared. Consequently, in the case of the 'output OK', time until the image memory is developed is shortened by processing the image in the printing of the second copy and afterward.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer system using a color printer and the like and a printing method thereof, which enables trial printing when printing a plurality of copies.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In current color printers, the printing speed of the printer itself is sufficiently high, and the overall speed when printing a plurality of copies is often improved. However,
The printing of the first copy in the mode for printing a plurality of copies often depends on the capability of the personal computer used by the user who prints, and the processing on the printer side often takes a long time. After all, the printing time of the first copy is often considerably long depending on the printing environment and the document.

On the other hand, in the conventional color printer,
When a user prints a color original, an image,
Items to be used are selected and printed out. Although the setting items prepared by the manufacturer are common to many users, it is necessary to make a test print to check whether the user's document matches the setting. Conventionally, test printing is performed with one setting item, and if the user checks the print image and is not satisfied, the setting and test printing are repeated several times to determine a setting item that is satisfactory, and then The main printing was performed according to the decided items.

[0004]

However, in the multi-copy printing mode, when the setting item is determined by the above-described trial printing, the main printing is performed from the first copy using the setting item. However, the printing time for the first copy of the main printing is long due to the reason described above, and there is a problem that the entire printing time from the trial printing to the main printing is long. In particular, when printing multiple copies of a document that contains many color images, in terms of cost (to avoid waste), check the image quality by actually looking at the printed material before printing multiple copies. Therefore, it was a problem that the printing time was long.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to perform print output while saving time and wasteful output in the multiple copy print mode.

[0006]

To achieve the above object, in a printer system according to the present invention, a printer system comprising a computer having a printer driver and a printer for performing image processing and printing operation under the control of the printer driver. In the above, in the input means for the user to input the check result of the print image of the first copy printed in the multiple copy print mode, and to temporarily stop the printing at the end of printing of the first copy and check the result from the input means. The printer is provided with a control means for waiting for the input of the check mark and continuing the printing of the remaining number of copies when the check OK is input.

Further, in the printing method of the printer system according to the present invention, in the printing method in the printer system including the computer having the printer driver and the printer for performing the image processing and the printing operation under the control of the printer driver, the plural-copy printing mode is used. Then, after the printing of the first copy is completed, the printing is temporarily stopped, the input of the check result of the print image of the first copy is waited for by the user, and when the check is OK, the printing of the remaining copies is continued. ing.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, this system comprises a host computer 100 and a printer 200 such as a color printer. The host computer 100 has a printer driver 101. When the printer driver 101 processes data,
The image processing method is switched by the user's designation of the print setting item 104 by the operation unit, or the necessary command is attached to create the data for the printer.

The printer 200 includes an image processing device 102,
It has an image memory 105 and an image output device 103. The image processing apparatus 102 receives data from the host computer 100 or the like, converts the data into a format that can be output, and writes the data in the image memory 105. Image output device 1
03 prints the print data written in the image memory 105 on an output medium (mostly paper) and outputs it.

FIG. 2A shows the configuration of the image output device 103 in the printer 200, which has an output check input device 201 and a control device 202. This control device 20
In the multi-copy printing mode, the control 2 controls so that the printing operation is temporarily stopped at the end of printing the first copy. FIG. 2B shows a selection button in the output check input device 201, and as shown in the figure, "Yes (output OK)".
Or, "No (output NG)" is displayed. The user checks the image of the first copy printed out and presses either selection button according to the check result.

Next, the operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 3, when the printing of the first copy is started, it is determined whether or not the print mode is the multi-copy printing mode (step S1, hereinafter, step is omitted). , The normal print operation is performed, and the process ends (S
5). When the number of copies is set to two or more, the printing device of the printer is temporarily stopped when the printing of the first copy is completed (S2). At this time, the print data in the image memory 105 is left as it is.

Next, the user checks the printed image and checks it. If the image quality is satisfied, the output check input device 201 selects "output OK", and if not satisfied, "output NG" is selected. Select (S3). Control device 20
2 is the image memory 1 if the "output OK" input is obtained.
Using the print data stored in 05, control is continued to continue printing for the remaining number of copies (S4). In the case of "output NG", printing is canceled by the same operation as normal printing cancellation (S5). At this time, the image memory 1
The print data in 05 is also cleared.

According to the present embodiment, in the case of "output OK", the output of the first copy is used as it is as the output of the first copy of the main printing, and the printing of the second and subsequent copies is immediately continued. It is possible to reduce the time taken for the image processing apparatus 102 and the printer driver to process an image and develop it in the image memory 105 during printing of the second and subsequent copies.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the function of the first embodiment, that is, the function of the first embodiment, is provided near the print number setting screen of the printer driver 101 in the host computer 100.
A check box 106 for inputting whether or not to use the check function described above is prepared, and the check function of the first embodiment is enabled only when the check box 106 is ON. Note that the check function of the check box 106 is disabled when the number of print copies is one. This gives 1
Printing can be performed without pausing to check the print quality after printing the second copy.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, a plurality of setting items (test print settings 1, 2, and 3 in the figure) can be selected and saved as prioritized setting items as print condition setting items. It was done like this. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the setting 1 is the print quality setting DTP image preset setting, the setting 2 is the graphics image preset setting, and the setting 3 is the one selected as the user setting. Keep it.

As a result, printing is performed in order from the setting 1, and if the test print check is OK, printing with the setting is continued for the second and subsequent copies, and the printing is ended. If the test print check is NG, the printing process with the setting is canceled, and then the printing is automatically performed according to the setting 2. When the print check is OK during printing according to the settings to be performed subsequently, the second and subsequent copies are continuously printed, and the remaining test print settings are not used, and the printing is ended.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the above operation. First, it is determined whether or not the printing mode is the multiple copy printing mode (S1
1) If the print mode is the plural-copy print mode, the test print is enabled (S12), and it is determined whether the test print is performed (S1).
3) If trial printing is to be performed, first, the first copy is printed according to the item of setting 1 (S14), and the print result is checked by the user (S15). In the case of "output NG", the process shifts to setting 2, the first copy is printed again, a check is performed, and setting 3 ... is sequentially performed until "output OK" (S).
14-S16). When the output is "OK", the printing of the remaining second and subsequent copies is continued, and then the process ends (S1).
7, S18). Further, in the case of the one-copy print mode in S11, after printing is performed according to predetermined setting items (S19),
The printing is finished (S18). Further, even if the trial printing is not performed in S13, the printing is finished.

[0018]

According to the invention of claim 1 or 5,
When printing multiple copies, if you are satisfied with the print quality by providing a function to temporarily stop printing at the first copy and let the user check the quality of the printed image,
Since it is possible to continue printing from the second copy without spending a long printing time for the first copy, it is possible to shorten the overall printing time.

According to the second or sixth aspect of the present invention, the check function of the first or fifth aspect of the invention is not always used, but the validity or invalidity thereof can be selected. Therefore, particular attention is paid to the print quality. If not, as in the conventional case, it is possible to continue printing a plurality of copies without stopping the printing once when the first copy is printed. Therefore, if you have decided that this is the setting item,
The user who operates the host computer between the printing of the first copy and the second copy does not need to go to the printer main body and issue an instruction to continue printing.

According to the invention of claim 3 or 7,
A plurality of setting items for which trial printing is desired are selected in advance in order of priority, and the user inputs a check NG when looking at the first copy, whereby the setting items of the next priority order are automatically transferred. Printing starts. As a result, the user can reduce waste of work time and labor without going back and forth between the printer and the host computer.

According to the fourth or eighth aspect of the invention, when printing a plurality of copies, the printer is temporarily stopped at the first copy to let the user check the quality of the printed image, and the print quality is not satisfactory. Can automatically cancel the printing of the second and subsequent copies.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing configurations of an image output device and an image check input device in the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an operation display screen according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an operation display screen according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 host computer 102 image processing device 103 image output device 105 image memory 106 Trial print check box 200 printers 201 Output check input device 202 control device

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A printer system comprising a computer having a printer driver and a printer for performing image processing and printing operation under the control of the printer driver, and a check result of a print image of a first copy printed in a multiple copy print mode is displayed. Input means to be input by the user, and once the printing of the first copy is finished, the printing is temporarily stopped, and the input of the check result from the input means is awaited.
A printer system, wherein the printer is provided with control means for continuing printing of the remaining number of copies when K is input. 2. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is provided with a check function selecting unit for selecting whether to enable or disable the check function of the print image of the first copy by the input unit. 3. A computer is provided with setting item selecting means for selecting a plurality of setting items of printing conditions in order of priority, and the control means automatically executes the following when a check NG is input from the inputting means. 3. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein the printing is continued according to the setting items of the priority order. 4. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit cancels printing when a check NG is input from the input unit. 5. A printing method in a printer system comprising a computer having a printer driver and a printer for performing image processing and printing operation under the control of the printer driver, wherein printing is performed at the time when the printing of the first copy is completed in the multiple copy printing mode. A printing method for a printer system, wherein the printing is stopped, the user waits for the user to input a check result of the print image of the first copy, and when the check OK is input, the printing of the remaining number of copies is continued. 6. The printing method for a printer system according to claim 5, wherein the check function of the print image of the first copy can be enabled or disabled. 7. A plurality of printing condition setting items are prioritized and selectable, and when a check NG is input from the user, printing is automatically continued in accordance with the next priority setting item. The printing method of the printer system according to claim 5 or 6. 8. The printing method for a printer system according to claim 5, wherein printing is canceled when check NG is input as the check result.