JP2008021081A - Printer driver program, image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that data which is enlarged at a prescribed portion by zoom print cannot be generated in a printer driver program. <P>SOLUTION: Zoom print is enabled to all prints by giving a zoom function to the printer driver program, even if the image forming device does not have a zoom function or even if an application program does not have the zoom function by preparing a preview display step which displays a preview of printed image on the printer driver program; a scaling specification step to specify scaling of a prescribed range to a prescribed magnification on a preview display image; and a print data generation step to generate print data by performing scaling to the prescribed range for the prescribed magnification. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer driver program that enables zoom printing in a printer driver program that generates print data to an image forming apparatus on an information terminal, and an image forming system.

  Some image forming apparatuses have a zoom printing function. For example, the B5 plate can be enlarged to the A4 plate for printing. However, zoom printing cannot be performed with an image forming apparatus that does not have a zoom printing function.

  As a conventional technique, there has been a method of generating print data so that necessary information is not lost by activating an automatic reduction function with a printer driver on the client PC side (see Patent Document 1).

  However, in this method, when there is a print request on a paper having a size larger than the paper size held in the image forming apparatus, only the print image data is reduced by the printer driver. It was not possible to create print data that enlarged the part of the image or combined the original data with an enlarged part.

JP 2004-287496 A

  The problem to be solved is that it is not possible to generate print data in which a predetermined range is enlarged on the printer driver or print data in which the predetermined range is enlarged and synthesized with the original data.

  The printer driver program according to the present invention includes a preview display step for displaying a preview of a print image, an enlargement / reduction specifying step for specifying a predetermined range on a preview display image at a predetermined magnification, and an enlargement of the predetermined range to a predetermined magnification. Causing the computer to execute a print data generation step for generating scaled print data, and the print data generation step includes a portion obtained by enlarging and reducing the predetermined range to a predetermined magnification, and the predetermined range. The most important feature is to generate print data obtained by combining other parts.

  The printer driver program according to the present invention includes a preview display step for displaying a preview of a print image, an enlargement / reduction specifying step for specifying a predetermined range on a preview display image at a predetermined magnification, and an enlargement of the predetermined range to a predetermined magnification. Causing the computer to execute a print data generation step for generating scaled print data, and the print data generation step includes a portion obtained by enlarging and reducing the predetermined range to a predetermined magnification, and the predetermined range. Since the most important feature is to generate print data that combines with other parts, it is possible to create the print data by specifying the range you want to enlarge while viewing the preview image on the printer driver Print data that has been enlarged on the printer driver and the original data It has become possible to produce a synthesized print data.

  In the printer driver program, a preview display step for displaying a preview of a print image on the printer driver program for the problem that zoom printing is not possible, and an enlargement / reduction specifying step for specifying a predetermined range on the preview display image at a predetermined scale And a print data generation step for generating print data obtained by enlarging the predetermined range to a predetermined magnification.

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer driver program according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The printer driver program 101 includes the following functional configuration blocks. PDF conversion unit 111, print data creation unit 113, preview display unit 115, preview I / F unit 117.

  The PDF conversion unit 111 converts data to be printed on the application program into PDF (Portable Document Format). The converted data is displayed on the preview display unit 115 described later.

  The preview display unit 115 is a function for displaying the PDF data converted by the PDF conversion unit 111.

  A preview I / F (interface) unit 117 is an interface for performing zoom designation (magnification / magnification designation) of PDF data displayed on the preview display unit 115.

  The print data creation unit 113 uses the preview I / F unit 117 on the preview screen displayed by the preview display unit 115 to specify the zoom designation range and the zoom enlargement range and confirm the data that has been confirmed on the print data. Generate as

[flowchart]
The operation flow will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S51, a print job is printed from an application program on a PC (Personal Computer).

  In S53, the spooler is hooked to acquire page information of the print job, and the PDF conversion unit 111 converts it into PDF and saves it.

  In S55, the preview display unit 115 displays the PDF file converted in the previous step S53 (preview display step).

  In step S57, the preview I / F unit 117 designates an area to be zoomed on the preview screen by dragging with the mouse and the like, and designates how much to enlarge that part. At this time, it is also possible to zoom the designated area to the size of the paper to be printed, and the designated area is enlarged for the purpose of emphasis, for example, and the other areas are left as they are. It is also possible to combine them, and it is also possible to specify a plurality of areas and enlarge them at different zoom magnifications (enlargement / reduction specifying step).

  In S59, a preview with the area and magnification designated in the previous step is displayed.

  In S61, it is determined whether printing can be performed on the preview screen. If the determination is NO, the operation proceeds to S57 and the zoom area is designated again. If YES, the operation proceeds to S63.

  In step S63, the print data creation unit 113 generates print data for the screen displayed in the preview, and transmits the print data to the image forming apparatus (print data generation step).

  The series of operations is thus completed.

[Effect of Example]
According to the embodiment of the present invention, even if the image forming apparatus does not have a zoom function and the application program does not have a zoom function, the printer driver program can have a zoom function so that zoom printing can be performed for all printing. It has become possible.

[Others]
In the present embodiment, only enlargement in zoom has been described, but conversely zoom in reduction may be performed.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a printer driver program (Example 1). 5 is a flowchart of a printer driver (first embodiment).

Explanation of symbols

101 Printer Driver Program 113 Print Data Generation Unit (Print Data Generation Step)
115 Preview display section (Preview display step)
117 Preview I / F part (enlargement / reduction specification step)

Claims (6)

A preview display step for displaying a preview of the print image, an enlargement / reduction specifying step for specifying a predetermined range on the preview display image at a predetermined magnification, and generating print data obtained by enlarging the predetermined range at a predetermined magnification A printer driver program that causes a computer to execute a print data generation step. A printer driver program according to claim 1,
The printer driver program characterized in that the print data generation step generates print data by combining a portion obtained by enlarging and reducing the predetermined range to a predetermined magnification and a portion other than the predetermined range. A printer driver program according to claim 1 or 2,
The printer driver program characterized in that the preview display step converts a file to be printed into PDF (Portable Document Format) and displays a preview. A printer driver program according to claim 3,
The printer driver program characterized in that the print data generation step generates print data based on the PDF file converted in the preview display step. A printer driver program according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the enlargement / reduction specifying step, the predetermined range is specified by a mouse drag operation. A preview display means for displaying a preview of the print image, an enlargement / reduction specifying means for enlarging / reducing a predetermined range to a predetermined magnification on the preview display image, and generating print data obtained by enlarging the predetermined range to a predetermined magnification An image forming system comprising: an input unit including a print data generation unit configured to output; and an image forming apparatus that outputs the print data transmitted from the input unit.

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