JP2004199359A - Printing system and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system and an image forming device, capable of printing a heading character in a size and arrangement according to a tab area. <P>SOLUTION: In this printing system, when tab paper is sequentially read by an image reading part 103 of a printer 1 to acquire tab area information, the tab area information is stored in a tab information storage part 1061 correspondingly to read order. When print data and tab print specification data from a host device are received by a transmission/reception part 105, the area information about a tab specified by the print specification data is read from the tab information storage part 1061 by a heading character processing part 109a of the printer 1, and the heading character is enlarged or reduced, and arranged according to the area of the tab, and the size, the arrangement or the like of the character or a heading character string specified by the tab print specification data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printing system in which a host device and an image forming apparatus are connected by a communication network to perform a printing process, and to the image forming apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, a transfer sheet having a tab on a designated page (hereinafter, referred to as a tab sheet) is fed, and a heading of a character designated on the tab is printed. Has been devised and disclosed. For example, in Patent Literature 1, when it is detected that a sent original is a tab designation sheet using a tab designation sheet having information to be printed on a tab and information of a tab sheet insertion page, information of the tab designation sheet is given. There is disclosed a technology for recognizing a document and controlling a document feeding operation and a copying operation based on the information content of the tab designation sheet.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-11-225247
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the image formation on the tab is limited to reading the original. Therefore, when printing on a tab in response to a print instruction from a host device such as a personal computer, it is necessary to input a heading character in a position corresponding to the size of the tab in advance, which is complicated. In addition, when the number of characters to be printed on the tab is large, the character sometimes runs off the tab.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing system and an image forming apparatus capable of printing a heading character in a size and an arrangement according to a tab area.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is
In a printing system in which a host device that transmits print data and an image forming device that receives the print data and prints it on transfer paper are connected via a communication network,
The image forming apparatus includes:
An image reading unit that reads transfer paper having tabs and obtains tab area information;
From the host device, a receiving unit that receives tab print designation data including a heading character string to be printed on a tab together with the print data,
A heading character processing unit that enlarges or reduces the size of the heading character string based on the acquired tab area information and tab print designation data according to the tab area,
The host device includes:
An operation unit for inputting the tab print designation data,
The image processing apparatus further includes a transmission unit that transmits the print data and the tab print designation data to the image forming apparatus.
[0007]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus reads tabbed transfer paper to acquire tab area information, and includes tab print designation data including a heading character string to be printed on the tab together with print data from the host apparatus. Is received, and the size of the heading character string is enlarged or reduced according to the tab area based on the acquired tab area information and tab print designation data. Therefore, the size of the heading character string to be printed on the tab can be printed in a size corresponding to the tab area.
[0008]
The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1,
The tab print designation data includes information on a character arrangement method,
The heading character processing unit arranges the heading character string based on the acquired tab area information and a character arrangement method designated by the tab print designation data.
[0009]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus arranges the headline character string based on the tab area information and the character arrangement method designated by the tab print designation data transmitted from the host device. Therefore, the tab heading character can be printed by the character arrangement method designated by the user from the host device.
[0010]
The invention according to claim 3 is:
An image forming apparatus configured to be connectable to a host device that transmits print data via a communication network and prints print data received from the host device on transfer paper,
An image reading unit that reads transfer paper having tabs and obtains tab area information;
From the host device, a receiving unit that receives tab print designation data including a heading character string to be printed on a tab together with the print data,
A heading character processing unit that enlarges or reduces the size of the heading character string based on the acquired tab area information and tab print designation data according to the tab area;
It is characterized by having.
[0011]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, tab transfer information including a heading character string to be printed on the tab is received from the host device together with the print data from the host device by reading the transfer paper having the tab and acquiring the tab area information. Based on the tab area information and the tab print designation data, the size of the index character string is enlarged or reduced according to the tab area. Therefore, the size of the heading character string to be printed on the tab can be printed in a size corresponding to the tab area.
[0012]
The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 3,
The tab print designation data includes information on a character arrangement method,
The heading character processing unit arranges the heading character string based on the tab area information acquired and a character arrangement method specified by the tab print designation data.
[0013]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the headline character string is arranged based on the tab area information and the character arrangement method designated by the tab print designation data transmitted from the host device. Therefore, the tab heading character can be printed by the character arrangement method designated by the user from the host device.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a printing system 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 100 is configured such that a printer 1 and a host device 2 are connected via a network N and can transmit and receive data. The number of printers 1 and host devices 2 is not particularly limited.
[0015]
The network N is an information communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) built in a building such as a company or a school. Here, the line form is shown as a ring form, but is arbitrary. The connection between the terminal devices may be wired or wireless. However, from the viewpoint of the reliability of information management, it is desirable that the network be secured so that only specific users can access it. Further, the network N includes, for example, a relay device such as a router that performs analysis of transmitted / received data, setting of a transmission path, and transfer, as well as a line concentrator such as a hub having a predetermined number of ports.
[0016]
Next, each device constituting the printing system 100 will be described.
First, the printer 1 will be described.
[0017]
The printer 1 is an image forming apparatus such as an inkjet printer, a copying machine, an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral), a printing machine, a printer information providing terminal (for example, a kiosk terminal), and a predetermined page from the host device 2 via the network N. Print data described in a description language is received, and printing is performed according to control data included in the print data.
[0018]
FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the inside of the printer 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, an operation display unit 102, an image reading unit 103, a transfer unit 104, a transmission / reception unit 105, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 106, a storage unit 107, and a spool. The image processing unit 109 includes a unit 108, a heading character processing unit 109a, and an image development processing unit 109b.
[0019]
The CPU 101 reads out system programs and various processing programs stored in the storage unit 107 and expands them in the RAM 106, and centrally controls the operation of each unit of the printer 1 according to the expanded programs. Further, the CPU 101 executes a tab sheet reading process and a print data expanding process described later according to the read program.
[0020]
That is, when the tab print mode is designated from the operation display unit 102 and the reading of the tab sheet is instructed, the CPU 101 sequentially transports the tab sheets placed at the document set position and reads the tab sheet by the image reading unit 103. The area information of the tab portion is obtained, and stored in the tab information storage unit 1061 in association with the reading order.
[0021]
Further, when the CPU 101 receives the print data and the tab print designation data of the header portion from the host device 2, the CPU 101 sequentially stores the received print data in the spool unit 108. Next, the stored print data is sequentially output to the image processing unit 109, and the transfer unit 104 is controlled based on the tab print designation data transmitted from the host device 2 so that the tab paper is set at a predetermined timing. The paper is conveyed from a paper supply unit or a paper supply unit where transfer paper is set. Then, printing is performed on the sheet conveyed by the transfer unit 104 based on the image data developed by the index character processing unit 109a and the image development processing unit 109b of the image processing unit 109 according to the presence or absence of the tab print designation.
[0022]
The operation display unit 102 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various operation buttons, device status display, operation status of each function, and the like on a display screen in accordance with an instruction of a display signal input from the CPU 101. The display screen of the LCD is covered with a pressure-sensitive (resistive pressure type) touch panel configured by arranging transparent electrodes in a grid pattern. The XY coordinates of the point of force pressed by a finger or a touch pen are represented by voltage values. Detected, and outputs the detected position signal to the CPU 101 as an operation signal. The operation display unit 102 includes various operation buttons such as a numeric button and a start button, and outputs an operation signal by a button operation to the CPU 101.
[0023]
The image reading unit 103 includes a scanner below a contact glass on which a document is placed, and reads an image of the document. The scanner is composed of a light source, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and the like. The scanner reads the image of the document by forming reflected light of the light scanned and illuminated from the light source onto the document and photoelectrically converts the image. Output to 109. Here, the image is not limited to image data such as figures and photographs, but also includes text data such as characters and symbols. Further, tab area information is acquired by reading an image on a tab sheet in the tab print mode.
[0024]
The transfer unit 104 includes a photosensitive drum, toner, a discharge unit, a paper feed unit, and the like. The paper supply unit includes at least two paper supply units in which ordinary transfer paper is set and a paper supply unit in which tab paper is set. The transfer unit 104 conveys a sheet having the size and orientation specified by the operation display unit 102 or specified by the control data included in the print data from the sheet supply unit in accordance with the print instruction from the CPU 101, and An electrostatic latent image of the image input from the image processing unit 109 is formed on the front surface. Further, the transfer unit 104 attaches toner to a region including the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum, transfers and fixes the toner on print paper conveyed from the paper supply unit, and then discharges the toner from the discharge unit.
[0025]
The transmission / reception unit 105 is an interface connectable to a transmission medium connected to a network such as a LAN and a WAN. The transmission / reception unit 105 includes, for example, a communication control card such as a LAN card, and performs transmission / reception and input / output of various data with the host device 2 connected to the network N via a communication line such as a LAN cable.
[0026]
The RAM 106 serves as a temporary storage area for programs, input or output data, parameters, and the like read from the storage unit 107 in various processes executed and controlled by the CPU 101. Further, the RAM 106 includes a tab information storage unit 1061 that stores tab area information of the tab sheet read by the image reading unit 103.
[0027]
The storage unit 107 is configured by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like, and stores a system program corresponding to the printer 1, various processing programs executable on the system program, and the like. The programs are stored in the form of computer-readable program codes, and the CPU 101 sequentially executes operations according to the program codes.
[0028]
The spool unit 108 is configured by an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, or the like, and print data and tab print designation data transmitted from the host device 2 (for example, a tab insertion page, a tab to be printed on the page). (Heading character string, character size, arrangement, font, tab order for specifying tab area, etc.).
[0029]
The image processing unit 109 includes a heading character processing unit 109a and an image development processing unit 109b. Headline character processing section 109a reads tab area information from tab information storage section 1061. Then, for the page for which tab printing is specified, the heading character string is expanded in the specified font, and tab area information according to the specified tab order and the size, number of characters, layout, etc. of the heading character string are displayed. Based on this, the headline character string is enlarged and reduced.
[0030]
The image development processing unit 109b develops print data for each page transmitted from the host device 2 as image data. For a page for which tab printing is specified, data other than the heading part is developed, combined with the data developed by the heading character processing unit 109a, and output to the transfer unit 104.
[0031]
The image processing unit 109 performs image processing such as enlargement / reduction, rotation, and position change, gradation processing, frequency processing, and the like on the image data input from the image reading unit 103, and outputs the image data to the transfer unit 104. .
[0032]
Next, the host device 2 will be described.
The host device 2 is configured by a personal computer or the like, converts document data and image data created by application software into a data format printable by the printer 1 using a predetermined page description language, and prints the number of copies and the type of printing paper. Then, a script to which control data for specifying a printing mode (monochrome, color) and the like is added is transmitted to the printer 1 via the network N as print data.
[0033]
FIG. 3 shows an example of the internal configuration of the host device 2. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the host device 2 includes a CPU 201, an operation unit 202, a display unit 203, a transmission / reception unit 204, a RAM 205, a storage unit 206, and the like.
[0034]
The CPU 201 develops a designated program from various programs stored in the storage unit 206 in a work area (not shown) in the RAM 205, and centrally controls each unit according to the program. Further, the processing result is stored in the work memory in the RAM 205, and display information for displaying the processing result is generated and output to the display unit 203. Then, the processing result stored in the RAM 205 is stored in a predetermined area of the storage unit 206.
[0035]
That is, when the CPU 201 instructs printing on the printer 1 from the operation unit 202, the CPU 201 causes the display unit 203 to display a print setting screen according to a printer driver program stored in the storage unit 206, and performs tab printing from the print setting screen. Is designated, a tab print designation screen 2031 described later is displayed. When the operation unit 202 inputs a tab print insertion page, a heading character string, a font, a character size, layout, a tab order, and the like, and instructs to execute printing, the CPU 201 converts the input information into tab designation data. And sends the data to the printer 1 by the transmission / reception unit 204.
[0036]
The operation unit 202 includes a keyboard having various function keys in addition to character keys and numeric keys, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operated key to the CPU 201. The operation unit 202 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a touch panel.
[0037]
The display unit 203 includes a display screen such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays display data such as a tab print designation screen 2031 on the screen according to an instruction of a display signal input from the CPU 201. To be displayed.
[0038]
FIG. 4A shows an example of the tab print designation screen 2031. This screen is displayed on the display unit 203 when tab printing for printing characters on tab paper is designated on the print setting screen by the operation unit 202. As shown in FIG. 4A, a tab paper image 2131a is displayed on the right side of the tab print designation screen 2031. When one of the tab images 2131a-1 to 2131a-n in the tab sheet image 2131a is selected by double-clicking, it is possible to specify the tab area to which the item input on the left side of the screen is applied. it can. More specifically, since 1 to n of the tab images 2131a-1 to 2131a-n correspond to the order of the tabs read by the image reading unit 103 in the printer 1, by selecting the tab image, the screen in the printer 1 is selected. It is possible to specify a tab area for arranging a heading character in the insertion page input on the left side. In the tab print designation screen 2031, when all the input items are input and the “OK” button at the lower right of the screen is pressed, the input items are determined. When the tab image 2131a-n is right-clicked and "add tab" is designated, the tab image 2131a-n + 1 is displayed as shown in FIG. 4B. By repeating this operation, tab images can be added according to the actual number of tabs.
[0039]
Either automatic or point designation can be selected as the size of the character to be printed in the tab area. The arrangement of the characters can be specified to any of leftward (upward), rightward (downward), center, and even. In addition, it is possible to specify vertical or horizontal.
[0040]
The items input on the tab print designation screen 2031 are transmitted as tab print designation data attached to the print data when the print data is sent to the printer 1.
[0041]
The transmission / reception unit 204 is an interface connectable to a transmission medium connected to a network such as a LAN, a WAN, or the Internet. The transmission / reception unit 204 includes, for example, a communication control card such as a LAN card, and transmits / receives various data to / from the printer 1 connected to the network N via a communication line such as a LAN cable.
[0042]
The RAM 205 serves as a temporary storage area for programs, input or output data, parameters, and the like read from the storage unit 205 in various processes executed and controlled by the CPU 201.
[0043]
The storage unit 206 has a recording medium (not shown) in which programs, data, and the like are stored in advance, and the recording medium is a magnetic or optical recording medium or a semiconductor memory. This recording medium is fixedly provided in the storage unit 206 or is detachably mounted. The recording medium is processed by a system program, various processing programs corresponding to the system, and various processing programs. Data and the like are stored. Specifically, the storage unit 206 stores a printer driver for performing printing control on the printer 1. The program is stored in the form of a computer-readable program code, and the CPU 201 sequentially executes an operation according to the program code.
[0044]
Next, the operation will be described.
FIG. 5 shows a tab sheet reading process. This processing is executed when the tab sheet mode is set in the printer 1 under the control of the CPU 101, the tab sheet is set at the document setting position, and the operation display unit 102 instructs reading of the tab sheet. Hereinafter, the tab sheet reading process will be described with reference to FIG.
[0045]
First, in the tab sheet reading process, the tab sheets set at the document setting position are sequentially conveyed and read by the image reading unit 103 (step S1). Next, area information of the tab portion of the read tab sheet is obtained (step S2), and stored in the tab information storage unit 1061 in association with the reading order (step S3).
[0046]
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of data storage in the tab information storage unit 1061. As shown in FIG. 6, the tab information storage unit 1061 stores an order area 1061a for storing data (for example, 1, 2, 3,...) Indicating the order in which tabs are read, and tabs read in that order. Data indicating the area information of the tab portion of the paper (for example, ({(x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x3, y3), (x4, y4))}, ((x5, y5), (x6, y6), a tab for storing (x7, y7), (x8, y8)}, {(x9, y9), (x10, y10), (x11, y11), (x12, y12)},. And an area information area 1061b.
[0047]
Next, FIG. 7 shows a print data expanding process. This process is performed when print data and tab print designation data are received from the host device 2 under the control of the CPU 101, and the received data is printed on paper.
[0048]
Based on the control signal from the CPU 101, the tab character designation unit 109a refers to the tab print designation data stored in the spool unit 108, and determines whether tab print is designated for the next page to be printed. (Step S11). If tab printing is not specified for the page to be printed next (step S11; NO), the process proceeds to step S20, where the image development processing unit 109b prints the next page stored in the spool unit 108. The print data for one page is developed and output to the transfer unit 104 (step S21). If the page output in step S21 is not the last page (step S22; NO), the process returns to step S11, and steps S11 to S21 are repeatedly executed. If the page is the last page (step S22; YES), this process is executed. finish.
[0049]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that tab printing has been designated for the next page to be printed (step S11; YES), the heading character string to be printed on the tab on that page and the character The arrangement, typeface, size, and tab order are read (step S12), and the tab processing unit 109a refers to the tab information storage unit 1061 to read tab area information according to the tab order (step S13). Next, the heading processing unit 109a develops the font according to the tab print designation data (step S14). If the character size is automatically designated (step S15; YES), the tab area information and the number of characters to be input are set. The character is enlarged or reduced according to (step 16). If the character size is specified (step S15; NO), the character is enlarged or reduced to the specified character size (step S17). If it is not possible to arrange all the heading characters in the tab area with the specified character size and number of characters, the character size is automatically adjusted. Next, the heading information processing unit 109a arranges characters according to the tab area information and the arrangement specified by the host device 2 (step S18), and outputs the characters to the image development processing unit 109b. The image development processing unit 109b reads out the print data other than the heading part from the spool unit 108, develops the image, combines it with the developed heading part (Step S19), and outputs it to the transfer unit 104 (Step S21).
[0050]
If the output page is not the last page (step S22; NO), the process returns to step S11, and steps S11 to S21 are repeatedly executed. If the output data is the last page (step S22; YES). This process ends.
[0051]
In the transfer unit 104, based on a control signal from the CPU 101, paper is conveyed from a paper supply unit on which tab paper is set or a paper supply unit on which normal transfer paper is set, and is input from the image development processing unit 109 b. The image is printed on tab paper or transfer paper.
[0052]
Here, FIGS. 8A to 8D show examples of heading characters printed on tabs at different positions. Each of the examples is an example in which the heading character string is “contents”. FIG. 8A shows a case where the character arrangement is designated as “equal allocation”, FIG. 8B shows a case where the character arrangement is designated as “center arrangement”, and FIG. FIG. 8D shows a case where the designation of the arrangement is “bottom arrangement”, and FIG. 8D shows a case where the designation of the character arrangement is “top arrangement”.
[0053]
As described above, according to the printing system 100, tab sheets are sequentially read by the image reading unit 103 of the printer 1, tab area information is obtained, and the tab sheet is stored in the tab information storage unit 1061 in association with the reading order. It is memorized. When the print data and the tab print designation data are received from the host device 2, the area information of the tab designated by the print designation data is read from the tab information storage unit 1061 by the heading character processing unit 109 a of the printer 1. The heading characters are enlarged or reduced according to the tab area, the heading character string specified by the tab print specification data, the character size, the arrangement, and the like.
[0054]
Therefore, it is possible to print a heading character string of a size specified by the user or a size corresponding to the tab area on the tab. Further, characters can be printed in the tab area according to the character arrangement specified by the user.
[0055]
The description in the above embodiment is a preferred example of the printing system 100 according to the present invention, and is not limited to this.
For example, in the above embodiment, the user specifies the tab area in which the heading character is to be printed for each insertion page, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, pages into which tabs are inserted are numbered in ascending order, tab areas are made to correspond to the order in which they were read by the image reading unit 103. If it is made to correspond to a page, the tab area of each insertion page can be specified, so that the tab area can be automatically set according to the insertion page without the user having to specify the tab area each time.
[0056]
When the type of tab paper used is such that the tab areas overlap as shown in FIG. 9, when the tab paper is read and the tab area information is acquired, the actually read tab paper is used. If the difference between the tab area and the tab area read up to the previous time is acquired as the tab area information in that order, the present invention can be applied regardless of the type of the tab.
[0057]
In addition, the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each device constituting the printing system 100 can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0058]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus reads tabbed transfer paper to acquire tab area information, and includes tab print designation data including a heading character string to be printed on the tab together with print data from the host apparatus. Is received, and the size of the heading character string is enlarged or reduced according to the tab area based on the acquired tab area information and tab print designation data. Therefore, the size of the heading character string to be printed on the tab can be printed in a size corresponding to the tab area.
[0059]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus arranges the headline character string based on the tab area information and the character arrangement method designated by the tab print designation data transmitted from the host device. Therefore, the tab heading character can be printed by the character arrangement method designated by the user from the host device.
[0060]
According to the third aspect of the invention, tab transfer information having tabs is acquired by reading transfer paper having tabs and receiving tab print designation data including a heading character string to be printed on the tabs together with print data from the host device. Based on the tab area information and the tab print designation data, the size of the heading character string is enlarged or reduced according to the tab area. Therefore, the size of the heading character string to be printed on the tab can be printed in a size corresponding to the tab area.
[0061]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the headline character string is arranged based on the tab area information and the character arrangement method designated by the tab print designation data transmitted from the host device. Therefore, the tab heading character can be printed by the character arrangement method designated by the user from the host device.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall configuration of a printing system 100 according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the printer 1 of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a host device 2 of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tab print designation screen 2031.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a tab sheet reading process executed by a CPU 101 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of data storage in a tab information storage unit 1061 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating print data development processing executed by a CPU 101 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a character arrangement printed on a tab.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tab sheet of a type in which tabs overlap.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 printing system
1 Image forming apparatus
101 CPU
102 Operation display
103 Image reading unit
104 transfer unit
105 Transceiver
106 RAM
1061 Tab information storage unit
107 storage unit
108 Spool section
109 Image processing unit
109a Heading character processing unit
109b Image expansion processing unit
110 bus
2 Host device
201 CPU
202 Operation unit
203 Display
204 transceiver
205 RAM
206 storage unit
207 bus

Claims (4)

In a printing system in which a host device that transmits print data and an image forming device that receives the print data and prints it on transfer paper are connected via a communication network,
The image forming apparatus includes:
An image reading unit that reads transfer paper having tabs and obtains tab area information;
From the host device, a receiving unit that receives tab print designation data including a heading character string to be printed on a tab together with the print data,
A heading character processing unit that enlarges or reduces the size of the heading character string based on the acquired tab area information and tab print designation data according to the tab area,
The host device includes:
An operation unit for inputting the tab print designation data,
A printing system, comprising: a transmission unit that transmits the print data and the tab print designation data to the image forming apparatus. The tab print designation data includes information on a character arrangement method,
2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the heading character processing unit arranges the heading character string based on a character arrangement method designated by the acquired tab area information and the tab print designation data. . An image forming apparatus configured to be connectable to a host device that transmits print data via a communication network and prints print data received from the host device on transfer paper,
An image reading unit that reads transfer paper having tabs and obtains tab area information;
From the host device, a receiving unit that receives tab print designation data including a heading character string to be printed on a tab together with the print data,
A heading character processing unit that enlarges or reduces the size of the heading character string based on the acquired tab area information and tab print designation data according to the tab area;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The tab print designation data includes information on a character arrangement method,
4. The image according to claim 3, wherein the heading character processing unit arranges the heading character string based on the acquired tab area information and a character arrangement method specified by the tab print designation data. Forming equipment.

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