JP2003231300A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a printer capable of printing utilizing a background color by distinguishing white data and transparent color data. SOLUTION: In a printer for receiving image data from a personal computer 1 having a printer driver 11 capable of separately handling white image data and transparent color image data and outputting an image to recording paper, a photoconductor for white toner is provided. And a control unit 23 that controls printing of a white portion of the image data using white toner and prohibiting printing of the transparent portion.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer which receives image data from a personal computer having a printer driver capable of separately handling white image data and transparent color image data and outputs the image on a recording sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method for faithfully reproducing the color of an image regardless of the color of a recording paper, there is a method of using white ink as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2809163. This scans the recording paper and stores the three primary color data of the dot in the memory,
After comparing with the three primary colors of the color to be reproduced sent from the computer, as shown in FIG. 9, when none of the three primary colors of the dots on the recording paper exceed the three primary colors of the desired color, the three primary colors of the desired color to be reproduced Ink is printed according to the amount of the three primary colors obtained by subtracting the three primary color data of the dots on the recording paper from the data.
When any of the three primary colors of the dots on the recording paper exceeds the three primary colors of the color to be reproduced, the method is to fill the dots with white ink and then print the color to be reproduced.

[0003]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, with this method,
Since the white color of the image data sent from the computer to the printing machine is not distinguished from the transparent color, the background color of the created image and text is the background color on the computer. An example is shown in FIG. This is an example when printing on blue recording paper, but when you want to print only the image with white squares in the red circles on the screen on the recording paper, it is the technology shown above (a) As shown
Transparent part of background (white on computer display)
Will also be printed. Further, when it is desired to reuse a recording paper having some irregularity or stain-misprint, it is conceivable to use a method of recycling after disposal or applying the above-mentioned patent, and then displaying after painting in a desired color. However, this method requires you to specify the fill color from the computer,
If the background color of the recording paper cannot be specified accurately, the entire recording paper will be filled, and toner will be wasted, and printing using the background color of the recording paper will be difficult. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer capable of printing while making the most of the background color by distinguishing white color data from transparent color data.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 provides image data from a personal computer having a printer driver capable of separately handling white image data and transparent color image data. In a printer that receives and outputs an image on recording paper, an image forming engine unit having a photoconductor for white toner, and a control that prints a white portion of image data using white toner and prohibits printing of a transparent portion. A printer having a control means for performing the above is the most main feature. The invention according to claim 2 has a scanner unit for detecting the state of the color component of the recording paper near the paper feeding unit, and the control means occupies the largest area of the recording paper based on the reading result of the scanner unit. The printer is mainly characterized in that a color is recognized as a background color and portions having other colors are erased with the background color. The invention according to claim 3 is
A scanner that detects the state of the color components of the recording paper is provided near the paper feed unit, and the control unit recognizes the color that occupies the most area as the background color based on the reading result of the scanner unit, and the other colors. A main feature of the printer according to claim 1 is that the portion having a mark is judged to be dirty, and the image is printed simultaneously by erasing the background color and distinguishing between white and transparent.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a connection example of a printer and a computer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A printer body 2 is connected to a computer (personal computer) 1. The computer 1 includes a printer driver 11 capable of distinguishing and transmitting a white part and a transparent part in the image data created by itself. The printer main body 2 converts the three primary color RGB signal data of the color of the image data received from the planter driver 11 into the three primary color Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan) data at the time of printing, and performs other image processing. Image processing ASI
C21 and RAM 22 for recording image data during image processing
And a CPU (control means) 23 for performing overall sequence control
An image forming engine section 24 by an electrophotographic process in which a photoconductor drum for white toner is added in addition to the photoconductor drums for Y, M, C, and black, and a paper feed unit 25 for feeding a recording sheet.
And other commonly used printer components. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the first control example. The computer first creates an image using drawing software or the like. At this time, the drawing and document creation software uses transparent and white separately. Select the white mode when printing. When the recording paper is white, normal printing is performed, but when it is colored, the white use mode is selected.
Then, the printer driver 11 distinguishes between the white part of the image data and the transparent part of the background and recognizes it.
(Steps 1 to 5). For example, when the three primary color elements of color information are represented by 8 bits for one color as shown in step 4, each three primary color element of (red: green: blue) is transparent (FF:
FF: FF) Hexadecimal number, white is (FE: FE: FE) 16
Determines the promise with the printer body 2 like a base number (FF: transparent for black and white, FE: white). Based on this, the CPU 23 on the printer body 2 side discriminates between the image data to be printed in white and the image data not to be printed. Upon receiving this information, the image processing ASIC 21 does not print the transparent portion, calculates the amount of toner necessary to reproduce the image in the other portions, and converts it into the YMC signal. The image forming engine unit 24 has a normal photoconductor drum for both black and white and full color and a photoconductor drum for white only. Based on the information output from the image processing ASIC 21, white-color-
Images are sequentially formed in black, and then a normal fixing operation is performed (steps 11 to 26).

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Printer main body 2 of this embodiment
Is not connected to the computer 1 and is provided with a scanner unit 26 for scanning the recording paper near the paper supply unit 25. Figure 4
Is a flow chart of a second control example. When the recording paper to be soiled is put in the paper feeding unit 25 and an erasing start command is issued, the scanner unit 26 scans the recording paper, and the CPU 23 controls the scanning result to occupy the largest area of the recording paper. A background color is obtained, and image data (dirt image B) of a portion having a color other than the background color on the recording paper is created.
Then, the CPU 23 performs a calculation to make each dot of the dirty image B a background color by the above method, and calculates the YMC toner amount supplied to the dot. By printing the stain erasing image C calculated by this calculation, it is possible to erase the recording paper surface with the minimum amount of toner (step 3).
1-42). FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a stain-erased recording paper is used to create a print image in which stains are erased. The state of this work when the recording paper is colored is shown in FIGS. Further, as the most common example, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the recording paper is white, it is only necessary to put white toner on the soiled portion. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing a connection example of a printer and a computer according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. The printer body 2 of this embodiment has a scanner unit 26 as in the printer body 2 shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which printing is performed while making the best use of the background regardless of stains on the recording paper, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a third control example. First, similarly to the second embodiment, the stain image B is obtained, and the stain projection image D in which each dot is converted into the background color is created. The print target image F is created by superimposing the image data E on which the background is transparent. In order to reproduce this image in consideration of the background color of the recording paper, the amount of toner to be sent to each dot is calculated by the above-described method and a toner output image is created. By performing printing based on this, it is possible to perform printing that makes the best use of the background regardless of stains on the recording paper. According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 10B, the white color data and the transparent color data are distinguished from each other, whereby it is possible to perform printing that makes the best use of the background color.

[0007]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to display white even on colored recording paper, and perform printing with the background color of the recording paper as the background color. The toner can be saved. According to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to perform the erasing operation based on the background color of the recording paper,
It is possible to immediately reuse recycled paper or bleached recording paper that is less bleached. Also, the amount of toner used can be saved to a minimum. According to the invention of claim 3, the effects of the invention of claim 1 and the invention of claim 2 can be obtained together.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a connection example of a printer and a computer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a first control example.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second control example.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing how a print image is created by removing stains from a stain-free recording paper.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing a connection example of a printer and a computer according to the second embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which printing is performed while making the best use of the background regardless of stains on the recording paper.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a third control example.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a conventional printing method.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a comparison of printing results of a conventional example and the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 computer (personal computer) 11 Printer driver 2 Printer body 23 CPU (control means) 24 Imaging engine section 25 paper feeder

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printer for receiving image data from a personal computer having a printer driver capable of separately handling white image data and transparent color image data and outputting the image to recording paper, wherein a photoreceptor for white toner is used. A printer comprising: an image forming engine unit having the image forming unit; and a control unit that controls printing of a white portion of image data using white toner and prohibits printing of a transparent portion. 2. A scanner unit for detecting the state of the color components of the recording paper is provided near the paper feeding unit, and the control means selects the color occupying the largest area of the recording paper based on the reading result of the scanner unit. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein a portion which is recognized as a flesh color and which has a color other than that is erased with a flesh color. 3. A scanner for detecting the state of the color component of the recording paper is provided near the paper feed section, and the control means recognizes the color occupying the largest area as the background color based on the reading result of the scanner section. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the portion having a color other than that is judged to be stain, and the image is printed at the same time by erasing the background color and distinguishing between white and transparent.