Support program

Abstract

To provide a technique for suppressing execution of wasteful printing in an information processing apparatus with OS-standard general-purpose printing program.SOLUTION: An auxiliary program 42 can be executed by a CPU 11 of a PC 1 and receives settings as to whether to perform test printing. The auxiliary program 42 is configured to acquire, when a print instruction to cause a printer 2 to print multiple copies is issued to a general-purpose printing program 41 and settings are configured to perform test printing, intermediate data indicating an image to be printed, from the general-purpose printing program 41, and cause the printer 2 to print the first copy, in a print job corresponding to the print instruction. The auxiliary program 42 causes, on receipt of a continuance instruction, which can be received through a user IF 13 of the PC 1, to continue printing after the printing of the first copy is started, the printer 2 to print the second and subsequent copies in the print job.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technical field disclosed in this specification relates to a support program that supports control of a printer. [Background technology]

[0002] As a technology for controlling a printer from an information processing device such as a personal computer, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a configuration is disclosed in which a printer driver provided by the printer itself or a printer vendor makes it possible to execute a second printing process using print data required for the first printing process as a confirmation process prior to completion of the first printing process, and makes it possible to continue the first printing process after the second printing process is executed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-54285 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, a technology has been put into practical use that controls a printer using a general-purpose print program that is part of the operating system (OS) and does not use the printer driver provided by the printer vendor mentioned above. With this technology, when the OS detects a printer, it associates it with the general-purpose print program that is standard to the OS, and thereafter, when a print instruction is received for that printer, the general-purpose print program that is standard to the OS generates print data without using a printer driver provided by the printer vendor, making it possible to print using the general-purpose print program that is standard to the OS.

[0005] However, the above-mentioned OS standard general-purpose printing program does not have a test print function like the printer drivers provided by printer vendors. Therefore, there is a possibility that a large amount of unnecessary printing may be performed, and there is room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A support program devised for solving the above-mentioned problems is executable by a computer of an information processing device, and is a support program corresponding to a printer connected to the information processing device, the information processing device is equipped with an operating system having a general-purpose printing program, and causes the computer to execute a test print setting process for accepting a setting as to whether or not to perform test printing, and further causes the computer to execute a test print setting process for accepting a setting as to whether or not to perform test printing, when a print instruction output from an application program incorporated in the information processing device is included in the general-purpose printing program, the print instruction instructing the printer to print an image, the setting for performing the test printing is made, and the print job corresponding to the print instruction is set to print multiple copies, The computer is configured to execute an acquisition process that acquires intermediate data indicating an image to be printed of a print job for which printing has been set from the general-purpose printing program, and a first print process that causes the printer to print the first copy of the print job corresponding to the print instruction based on the intermediate data acquired in the acquisition process, and the computer is further configured to execute a confirmation process that accepts, after starting the first print process, a continue instruction to continue printing via a user interface of the information processing device, and if the continue instruction is accepted in the confirmation process, to execute a second print process that causes the printer to print the second and subsequent copies of the print job corresponding to the print instruction based on the intermediate data acquired in the acquisition process.

[0007] The support program disclosed in this specification causes an information processing device to accept a setting as to whether or not to perform a test print. Furthermore, when a print instruction for multiple copies is given to the general-purpose printing program and a setting is made to perform a test print, the support program starts a process to have the printer print the first copy, and then makes it possible to accept an instruction to continue. Then, when an instruction to continue is accepted, the support program causes the printer to print the second and subsequent copies. This allows the user to instruct the printer to continue printing after checking the printed matter of the first copy, so that it is highly likely that unnecessary printing of the second and subsequent copies can be avoided if the first printed matter does not have the content desired by the user.

[0008] An information processing device incorporating the above-mentioned support program, a computer-readable storage medium storing the support program, a control method for realizing the functions of the support program, and a printing system including the support program and a printer are also novel and useful. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The technology disclosed in this specification realizes a technology that can suppress unnecessary printing in an information processing apparatus in which a general-purpose printing program that is standard for the OS is installed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of a PC. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a print setting procedure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a detailed print setting screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a printing execution procedure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a complete printing procedure. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a test collate printing procedure. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a continuation confirmation screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a test anchoring printing procedure. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a printing execution procedure. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a test collate printing procedure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a "PC") using the support program of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. This specification discloses a support program executed on a PC.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the PC1 of this embodiment includes a controller 10 including a CPU 11 and a memory 12. The PC1 is an example of an information processing device. The CPU 11 is an example of a computer. The PC1 also includes a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "user IF") 13 and a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as "communication IF") 14, which are electrically connected to the controller 10. Note that the controller 10 in Fig. 1 is a collective term for hardware and software used to control the PC1, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware actually present in the PC1.

[0013] The CPU 11 of the PC 1 executes various processes according to the programs read from the memory 12 and based on the user's operation. The memory 12 stores various programs and various data. The memory 12 is also used as a work area when various processes are executed. The buffer provided in the CPU 11 is also an example of a memory. Note that an example of the memory 12 is not limited to a ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. built into the PC 1, but may be a storage medium that can be read and written by the CPU 11, such as a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

[0014] The user IF 13 includes a display 13a, which is hardware that displays a screen for notifying the user of information, and hardware that accepts operations by the user. The user IF 13 may be a combination of the display 13a capable of displaying information and a mouse, keyboard, or the like having an input acceptance function, or may be a touch panel having the function of the display 13a and the input acceptance function.

[0015] The communication IF 14 includes hardware for communicating with an external device such as the printer 2. The communication standards of the communication IF 14 include Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), USB, etc. The PC 1 may be connectable to the Internet via the communication IF 14. The PC 1 may include multiple communication IFs 14 compatible with multiple communication standards.

[0016] 1, the memory 12 of the PC 1 stores various programs and data including an operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") 21 including a general-purpose print program 41, an auxiliary program 42, and an editing application 43. The auxiliary program 42 is an example of a support program. The editing application 43 is an example of an application program.

[0017] The OS 21 is a multitasking OS that can process multiple tasks in parallel by managing and switching between multiple tasks. Examples of the OS 21 include Windows (registered trademark), macOS (registered trademark), Linux (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), and Android (registered trademark).

[0018] The OS 21 includes a generic printing program 41. The generic printing program 41 is a standard OS program prepared by the OS 21 vendor and provided as part of the OS 21. In other words, the PC 1 is equipped with the OS 21 having the generic printing program 41. The generic printing program 41 is not configured to use a printer driver specific to each printer.

[0019] The generic printing program 41 is a program that has the function of printing on multiple models of printers provided by multiple vendors based on user instructions. The generic printing program 41 supports generic functions that allow printing on many printers. Unlike printer drivers specific to each printer, the generic printing program 41 does not support functions specific to each printer or printer driver, particularly functions that require complex processing.

[0020] The general-purpose printing program 41 is a program including a function of receiving image data designated as a print target in a print instruction output from various applications based on a user instruction, and generating intermediate data based on the image data. The intermediate data is, for example, XPS data. The general-purpose printing program 41 further has a function of generating print data in a format that can be used for printing by various printers based on the intermediate data. The print data is, for example, PWGRaster data or PDF data. The general-purpose printing program 41 also has a function of transmitting the generated print data to a printer designated as a device to execute printing via a communication function of the OS 21.

[0021] The auxiliary program 42 is a program or a group of programs that executes processing based on instructions from the OS 21 in association with the processing of the general-purpose printing program 41, and is a program that supports the control of the target hardware. The auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment corresponds to the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1, and is provided, for example, by the vendor of the printer 2. The general-purpose printing program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2 when the printer 2 is selected as the device that will execute printing, when an instruction for detailed print settings is received while the printer 2 is selected, when an instruction to execute printing on the printer 2 is received, etc. The auxiliary program 42 is, for example, called a print support app (abbreviated as PSA) or a hardware support app (abbreviated as HSA).

[0022] The auxiliary program 42 may be a combination of multiple programs that each accept an execution command, or a single program that can execute different processes according to commands. The auxiliary program may also be a program prepared by a printer vendor for each printer type. For example, an auxiliary program for inkjet printers and an auxiliary program for laser printers may be prepared. There may be an auxiliary program prepared not only for each printer type, but also for each printer model or series of printer models.

[0023] For example, when a new printer is connected to the PC 1, the OS 21 of the PC 1 can download an appropriate auxiliary program according to the type and model of the connected printer from a server of the printer vendor or the like and install it in the PC 1. The OS 21 stores in the memory 12 the identification information of the installed auxiliary program in association with the printer information of the newly connected printer.

[0024] The editing application 43 is, for example, a program for creating and editing image data and document data. The editing application 43 may be, for example, Microsoft's Word (registered trademark) or PowerPoint (registered trademark), or may be a program provided by the vendor of the printer 2. The editing application 43 can receive, for example, a print execution instruction for causing the printer 2 to execute printing via the user IF 13. Note that the editing application 43 is not limited to a program for creating and editing data, and may be a program having a function of receiving a display instruction or a print instruction for various information such as map information and web pages in response to a user request.

[0025] In this embodiment, the PC1 is connected to the printer 2 via the communication IF 14 as shown in FIG. 1. The printer 2 is a device having at least a printing function and a communication function. For example, when the printer 2 receives print data from the PC1 or the like, it can execute printing based on the received print data. The printer 2 may be a device capable of color printing, or may be a device capable of only monochrome printing.

[0026] Next, the procedure for causing the printer 2 to print in the PC 1 of this embodiment will be described. Note that each process in this embodiment basically indicates processing by the CPU 11 according to commands written in a program such as the auxiliary program 42. Processing by the CPU 11 also includes control of hardware using the API of the OS 21. In this specification, the operation of each program will be described without a detailed description of the OS 21. Also, "obtain" is used as a concept that does not require a request.

[0027] As a procedure for printing, first, a print setting procedure for accepting print settings will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 2. The editing application 43 accepts creation and editing of text and images based on user instructions. When the user wants to print the text or image being displayed, the user selects print in the editing application 43 (A01). The user can select print from a menu of operation items provided in the editing application 43, for example.

[0028] When the editing application 43 accepts the selection of printing, it notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 of the OS 21 that it has accepted an instruction regarding printing (A02). Upon receiving the notification from the editing application 43, the general-purpose printing program 41 displays a print setting screen on the user IF 13 (A03). The print setting screen is a screen that accepts user instructions regarding various print settings that can be accepted by the general-purpose printing program 41. The print setting screen may be displayed by the editing application 43.

[0029] The general-purpose printing program 41 can receive an instruction to select a device to execute printing on the displayed print setting screen and an instruction to start detailed print setting. When the general-purpose printing program 41 receives an instruction to start detailed print setting with the printer 2 selected as the device to execute printing (A11), the general-purpose printing program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2 and passes an instruction to start accepting detailed print setting (A12).

[0030] When the auxiliary program 42 is started in response to the instruction of A12, it acquires the capability information of the printer 2. For example, the auxiliary program 42 requests the general-purpose printing program 41 to acquire the capability information (A13). The general-purpose printing program 41 sends a command requesting the capability information to the printer 2 and acquires the capability information from the printer 2 (A14). The general-purpose printing program 41 passes the acquired capability information to the auxiliary program 42 (A15). This allows the auxiliary program 42 to acquire the capability information of the printer 2.

[0031] The general-purpose printing program 41 communicates with the printer 2 in A14 via the OS 21, for example, by communication according to IPP (abbreviation of internet printing protocol). The auxiliary program 42 may obtain capability information directly from the printer 2, for example, by using MIB (abbreviation of Management Information Base), instead of making a request to the general-purpose printing program 41.

[0032] The capability information acquired from the printer 2 includes information on parameters that can be set as print settings. The capability information may further include, for example, information on remaining amounts of consumables, information on selectable trays, paper information on paper set in each tray, and information on available print resolutions. The printer 2 may also have a function of performing image processing based on a received print instruction and printing based on data after image processing, such as a function of performing aggregate printing such as Nin1, composite printing such as watermarks, and economical printing that saves on coloring materials. If the printer 2 has an image processing function that can be executed by the printer 2, the printer 2 may pass capability information including information on the function. The printer 2 may also pass capability information including information indicating its own status.

[0033] The auxiliary program 42 displays a detailed setting screen for accepting detailed print settings on the user IF 13 based on the acquired capability information (A17). For example, as shown in Fig. 3, a detailed setting screen 50 displayed by the auxiliary program 42 includes, as options, parameters that can be executed by the printer 2. The auxiliary program 42 can accept various print settings by user operations on the displayed detailed setting screen 50 (A21).

[0034] The detailed setting screen 50 includes, for example, an input field 51 for receiving input of the number of copies to be printed, radio buttons 52 for receiving a selection of whether to perform collate printing or uncollate printing when printing multiple copies, radio buttons 53 for receiving a setting of whether to perform test printing, and an OK button 54 for receiving an instruction to end the settings. The process of receiving an operation on the radio button 53 is an example of a test print setting process.

[0035] Note that "collate printing" and "anchored printing" are settings indicating a printing method when printing multiple copies of a multi-page image. "Collate printing" is a printing method in which printing of multiple pages of an image to be printed is considered as one copy, and printing one copy at a time is repeated a set number of times. "Anchored printing" is a printing method in which a set number of copies are continuously printed for each page of a multi-page image to be printed. For example, when printing three copies of a three-page image, the order of the pages to be printed is "123123123" in collate printing, and "111222333" in anchored printing. When the auxiliary program 42 accepts an operation on the OK button 54, the auxiliary program 42 includes information indicating the printing method selected by the radio button 52 in the print settings.

[0036] Furthermore, "test printing" is a print setting that causes printer 2 to first print all pages of the first copy of multiple copies, and then includes receiving a user instruction as to whether or not to continue printing the remaining copies. Radio button 53 is a button that receives a user instruction as to whether or not to perform test printing. Note that auxiliary program 42 can receive an instruction to perform test printing, whether for collated printing or uncollated printing. When auxiliary program 42 receives an operation on OK button 54, if it has received a selection to perform test printing with radio button 53, it includes information indicating that test printing is performed in the print setting. A print setting that includes information indicating that test printing is performed is an example of a setting for performing test printing.

[0037] Note that some of the setting items accepted on the detailed setting screen 50, such as the setting of the number of copies, may be accepted by the general-purpose printing program 41 or the editing application 43. When the setting of the number of copies is accepted by the general-purpose printing program 41 or the editing application 43, the general-purpose printing program 41 may pass the information on the number of copies as print setting information at A12 to the auxiliary program 42. Furthermore, when the auxiliary program 42 acquires the information on the number of copies from the general-purpose printing program 41, it may display the information on the number of copies in the input field 51 based on the information.

[0038] Note that when printing only one copy is set in input field 51, selecting a printing method or specifying test printing is meaningless. Auxiliary program 42 may enable operation of radio buttons 52 and 53 when two or more copies are selected in input field 51 for the number of copies to print. In this specification, a description of the case when printing only one copy is set is omitted. Also, since there are many print setting items that can be accepted on detailed setting screen 50, auxiliary program 42 may be able to accept an instruction to switch the items to be selected, for example, by using multiple tabs.

[0039] When an operation on the OK button 54 is accepted (A22), the auxiliary program 42 stores the accepted print settings (A23) and notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 of the end of acceptance of the detailed print settings (A25). Based on the notification from the auxiliary program 42, the general-purpose printing program 41 notifies the editing application 43 of the end of the print settings (A26). The auxiliary program 42 may also notify the editing application 43 of the end of acceptance of the print settings. The editing application 43 becomes available to accept user instructions, such as an instruction to execute printing or an instruction to cancel printing.

[0040] The print setting screen displayed in A03 by the general-purpose printing program 41 may include an information display field capable of displaying an image prepared by the auxiliary program 42. When the general-purpose printing program 41 receives an operation on the information display field, the program may pass information on the operation to the auxiliary program 42. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 may display a radio button in the information display field for receiving a setting of whether or not to perform a test print when printing multiple copies, and may receive a user operation.

[0041] Next, the print execution procedure will be described with reference to the sequence diagram in Fig. 4. After the user determines the image to be printed and the print settings, the user inputs an instruction to execute printing in the editing application 43 (B01). If the OS 21 includes a general-purpose printing program 41, the editing application 43 can receive an execution instruction to the general-purpose printing program 41 to cause the printer 2 to print the selected image.

[0042] The editing application 43 passes the received print instruction information to the general-purpose printing program 41 (B02). The general-purpose printing program 41 acquires, from the editing application 43, image data indicating an image to be printed and information indicating print settings as the print instruction information.

[0043] The general-purpose printing program 41 generates intermediate data representing the image to be printed by converting the format of the image data of the image to be printed into the format of intermediate data based on the information acquired from the editing application 43 (B03). The image data included in the editing application 43 is of various types, and the general-purpose printing program 41 converts the image data to be printed into intermediate data suitable for generating print data. Note that if the image data to be printed is suitable for generating print data, the generation of the intermediate data may be omitted and the intermediate data may be used as is.

[0044] Note that, before generating the intermediate data, the general-purpose printing program 41 may start an auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2, which is the designated device, and notify the printer 2 of the start of processing of a print job corresponding to a print instruction output from the editing application 43. When started from the general-purpose printing program 41, the auxiliary program 42 can pass information indicating various instructions used when generating the intermediate data to the general-purpose printing program 41 as necessary.

[0045] After generating the intermediate data, the general-purpose printing program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 and notifies it of the generation of the intermediate data (B05). The auxiliary program 42 can obtain the intermediate data generated by the general-purpose printing program 41 and information on print settings associated with the intermediate data, for example, by making a request to the general-purpose printing program 41 (B06). B06 is an example of the obtaining process.

[0046] Note that even if the print settings include a setting for multiple copies, the general-purpose print program 41 generates intermediate data including all pages of the first copy and passes it to the auxiliary program 42 together with the print settings including information indicating the number of copies. In other words, the intermediate data acquired by the auxiliary program 42 in B06 is the intermediate data for the first copy, and is also the intermediate data for the second copy and thereafter.

[0047] Then, the auxiliary program 42 checks the intermediate data and print setting information received from the general-purpose printing program 41 based on the accepted print settings (for example, the print settings stored in A23 of FIG. 2) and the capabilities of the printer 2. The auxiliary program 42 edits the intermediate data as necessary (B07).

[0048] 2 is not executed, such as when an instruction to execute printing is received without an instruction for print settings from the user, the procedure for acquiring the capability information of the printer 2 (A13 to A15 in FIG. 2) may not be executed. If the capability information of the printer 2 is not acquired, the auxiliary program 42 may, for example, receive a notification of B05 and request the general-purpose printing program 41 to acquire the capability information of the printer 2.

[0049] The auxiliary program 42 passes the intermediate data confirmed and edited in B07 to the general-purpose printing program 41, and requests the general-purpose printing program 41 to rasterize it (B11). The general-purpose printing program 41 rasterizes the intermediate data and generates raster data, which is bitmap data (B12). The general-purpose printing program 41 then passes the generated raster data to the auxiliary program 42 (B13). As a result, the auxiliary program 42 obtains the raster data.

[0050] Note that the auxiliary program 42 may perform rasterization instead of the general-purpose printing program 41. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 executes rasterization based on the intermediate data to generate raster data. Rasterization by the auxiliary program 42 allows greater freedom compared to rasterization by the general-purpose printing program 41, and is more likely to generate raster data suitable for printing by the printer 2. On the other hand, if rasterization is performed by the general-purpose printing program 41, the processing by the auxiliary program 42 is less, and the program size of the auxiliary program 42 can be reduced.

[0051] The auxiliary program 42 generates print data based on the raster data (B15). The print data generated in B15 may be, for example, PDL data, and may be data in a format that can be printed by the printer 2. The PDL data generated by the auxiliary program 42 may be data in a format that can be used for printing by a printer other than the model of the printer 2. As described above, even if the print settings include information on the number of copies, the intermediate data acquired by the auxiliary program 42 in B06 is intermediate data for all pages of the first copy, and therefore the print data generated in B15 is print data for all pages of the first copy.

[0052] The auxiliary program 42 determines whether the print settings include information indicating test printing, and if it determines that the print settings do not include information indicating test printing (alt: [no test printing]), executes all print procedures (B21). As described above, the auxiliary program 42 can accept a setting for whether or not test printing is performed on the detailed setting screen 50 shown in FIG. 3, for example.

[0053] The full printing procedure is a procedure for making the printer 2 print all copies in succession, even if the print setting is for multiple copies. The full printing procedure will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 5. In the full printing procedure, the auxiliary program 42 stores the print data generated in B15 of FIG. 4 in a storage area in the memory 12 that can be used by the auxiliary program 42 (C01). Then, the auxiliary program 42 determines whether collate printing or uncollate printing has been selected as the printing method.

[0054] If it is determined that collate printing has been selected (alt:[Collate printing]), the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data for all pages stored in C01 to the general-purpose printing program 41 and requests that it be sent to the printer 2 (C11). In response to the request from the auxiliary program 42, the general-purpose printing program 41 sends the print data for all pages to the printer 2 (C12). The printer 2 prints all pages based on the received print data (C13).

[0055] The auxiliary program 42 repeats the transmission request of C11 a number of times corresponding to the number of copies included in the print settings (loop:[1, number of copies]). The process of repeating C11 is an example of a full print process. As a result, the printer 2 repeats printing of all pages a number of times corresponding to the number of copies, and as a result, multiple copies of printed matter are output by collated printing. Note that the auxiliary program 42 may request transmission by passing the print data of all pages together to the general-purpose print program 41, one page at a time, from the first page to the last page.

[0056] When it is determined that anchor printing has been selected (alt:[anchored printing]), the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data for the first page out of all pages of print data stored in C01 to the general-purpose printing program 41, requesting transmission to the printer 2 (C21). In response to the request from the auxiliary program 42, the general-purpose printing program 41 transmits the print data for the first page to the printer 2 (C22). The printer 2 prints the first page based on the received print data (C23). The auxiliary program 42 repeats the transmission request of C21 a number of times corresponding to the number of copies included in the print settings (loop:[1, number of copies]). As a result, the printer 2 repeats printing of the first page a number of times corresponding to the number of copies, and multiple copies of the printed first page are output.

[0057] Furthermore, the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data for the next page to the general-purpose print program 41 and requests transmission (C21). The auxiliary program 42 repeats C21 to C23 from the first page to the last page (loop:[page 1, last page]), thereby repeating the transmission request for each page a number of times corresponding to the number of copies. The process of repeating C21 is an example of a full printing process. As a result, the printer 2 repeats printing of each page a number of times corresponding to the number of copies, and executes printing up to the last page. As a result, multiple copies of a printed matter are output by anchor printing.

[0058] When all the print data transmission requests have been completed, the auxiliary program 42 notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 of the end of this print job (C31). Furthermore, the auxiliary program 42 deletes the print data stored in C01 from the memory 12 (C32), and ends the entire printing procedure.

[0059] Returning to the explanation of the print execution procedure in Fig. 4, if it is determined that the print settings include information with test printing (alt: [with test printing]), the auxiliary program 42 determines whether collate printing or anchored printing is specified as the print method. Note that if the image to be printed is only one page, there is no distinction based on the print method. The auxiliary program 42 may determine that the print method for a print job in which the print data is only one page and the print settings for multiple copies are set is collate printing or anchored printing.

[0060] When the auxiliary program 42 determines that collate printing has been selected (alt:[collate printing]), it executes a test collate printing procedure (B31). The test collate printing procedure will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.

[0061] In the test collate printing procedure, the auxiliary program 42 stores the print data generated in B15 of FIG. 4 in a storage area in the memory 12 that can be used by the auxiliary program 42 (D01). The auxiliary program 42 also changes the print settings to settings for test printing (D02). Specifically, the auxiliary program 42 sets the output destination of the test print to a specific tray. The specific tray for test printing is a tray that allows the user to easily check the output result, and may be, for example, the topmost output tray. By outputting the first copy of the test print from a predetermined tray, the user can easily find the print.

[0062] The auxiliary program 42 passes the print data for all pages of the first copy and print settings for test printing to the general-purpose printing program 41, and requests transmission to the printer 2 (D03). Upon receiving the request from the auxiliary program 42, the general-purpose printing program 41 transmits the print data to the printer 2 (D04). The printer 2 prints all pages of the first copy based on the received print data (D05). D03 to D05 are an example of the first print process.

[0063] After making a transmission request in D03, the auxiliary program 42 causes the user IF 13 to display a continuation confirmation screen (D11). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the continuation confirmation screen 70 is a screen that includes a message indicating that a test print has been performed, a "Print" button 61, and a "Cancel Print" button 62, and accepts user operations. The "Print" button 61 is a button that accepts a continuation instruction to continue printing. The "Cancel Print" button 62 is a button that accepts an abort instruction not to continue printing. D11 is an example of a confirmation process.

[0064] The auxiliary program 42 may display the continuation confirmation screen 70 immediately after making the transmission request of D03, or may wait until the test print is completed before displaying the continuation confirmation screen 70. For example, the auxiliary program 42 may request the printer 2 to transmit status information, and execute D11 upon receiving information indicating that the print is complete. Furthermore, when the test print is to be discharged to a specific tray other than the tray specified in the print settings, the auxiliary program 42 may notify that effect on the continuation confirmation screen 70.

[0065] If the setting for test printing is accepted, the auxiliary program 42 outputs the first printed copy and then accepts a user instruction as to whether to continue printing the remaining copies. Since the user can continue printing after checking the outputted printed copy, it is possible to avoid unnecessary printing of the second and subsequent copies if the first printed copy does not meet the user's expectations.

[0066] On the other hand, when the setting of not performing test printing is accepted, the auxiliary program 42 continues to print all the pages without requiring user operation as described above. If test printing is performed every time a number of copies are printed, the user may find it annoying. When the setting of not performing test printing is selected, the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment does not accept a continuation instruction after printing the first copy, and prints continuously to the last copy without interruption, so that the user does not feel the inconvenience of accepting a continuation instruction and printing can be completed quickly.

[0067] If the user checks the test print result and wishes to print the remaining copies as is, the user operates the "Print" button 61 on the continuation confirmation screen 70 (D21). When the auxiliary program 42 receives a continuation instruction via D21 (alt: [Continue]), it performs collate printing of the remaining copies. Specifically, the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data of all pages to the general-purpose printing program 41 as in D02, and requests transmission to the printer 2 (D22). However, in D22, the auxiliary program 42 does not change the print settings to those for the test print, but leaves them as they were in the print settings for the original print job. For example, the paper output tray is the one specified by the user in the print instruction.

[0068] In response to the request of D22, the general-purpose printing program 41 sends the print data to the printer 2 (D23). The printer 2 executes printing of all pages based on the received print data in the same manner as the first copy (D24).

[0069] The auxiliary program 42 repeats D22 a number of times that is one less than the number of copies specified in the print settings (loop: [1, number of copies - 1]). As a result, the number of printed copies specified in the print settings, including the first copy of the test print, are output. The process of repeating D22 is an example of a second print process. After repeating D22, the auxiliary program 42 notifies the general-purpose print program 41 of the end of the print job processing (D25).

[0070] Instead of repeating the transmission request of D22, the auxiliary program 42 may copy and connect the print data of all pages (number of copies-1) times to generate a continuous piece of print data. Then, the auxiliary program 42 may pass the generated continuous piece of print data to the general-purpose print program 41 and issue a transmission request. However, if the number of copies or pages is large, the print data will be very long, which may increase the processing load of the printer 2.

[0071] On the other hand, if the user checks the results of the test print and decides to cancel printing the remaining copies, he or she operates the "Cancel Print" button 62 on the continuation confirmation screen 70 (D31). When the auxiliary program 42 receives a cancel instruction via D31 (alt:[Cancel]), it notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 that processing of the print job has ended (D32). In other words, the auxiliary program 42 cancels printing the remaining copies. D32 is an example of a cancel process.

[0072] The auxiliary program 42 can accept not only a continuation instruction but also a cancellation instruction on the continuation confirmation screen 70. When a cancellation instruction is accepted, the auxiliary program 42 immediately cancels the print job, so that unnecessary printing of the second and subsequent copies can be reliably avoided.

[0073] If the auxiliary program 42 does not accept a user operation even after a predetermined time has elapsed after displaying the continuation confirmation screen 70 (alt:[timeout]), it notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 of the end of the print job processing (D41), for example, in the same way as when a stop instruction is received. In other words, if a continuation instruction is not input even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the auxiliary program 42 stops printing because there was no instruction to continue printing, even though the printing was in a state where it could be continued. In this way, it is possible to avoid unnecessary printing of the second and subsequent copies, and also to avoid a state in which the processing of the print job is interrupted for a long time.

[0074] Alternatively, the auxiliary program 42 may cause the printer 2 to print the remaining copies if no user operation is received within a predetermined time after displaying the continuation confirmation screen 70. That is, in the case of a timeout, the auxiliary program 42 may execute D22 to D24. If no instruction is input within a predetermined time, the auxiliary program 42 may assume that it is okay to continue printing. That is, even though the printing could be stopped in a state where no instruction was given, the auxiliary program 42 continues printing the second and subsequent copies. In this way, the user who has confirmed the results of the test print on the printer 2 does not need to return to the PC 1, and a state in which the processing of the print job is interrupted for a long time can be avoided.

[0075] After notifying the end at D25, D32, or D41, the auxiliary program 42 deletes the print data stored at D01 from the memory 12 (D51), and ends the test collate printing procedure.

[0076] Returning to the description of the print execution procedure in Fig. 4, if it is determined that the setting is for test printing and anchored printing has been selected (alt:[anchored printing]), the auxiliary program 42 executes the test anchored printing procedure (B32). The test anchored printing procedure will be described with reference to the sequence diagram in Fig. 8. Note that the test anchored printing procedure differs from the test anchored printing procedure in Fig. 6 only in the procedure after a continuation instruction is accepted. In the following, steps common to the test anchored printing procedure are given the same reference numerals as the test anchored printing procedure in Fig. 6, and the description will be simplified.

[0077] In the test uncollate printing procedure, the auxiliary program 42 also stores the print data generated in B15 of Fig. 4 in a storage area in the memory 12 that can be used by the auxiliary program 42 (D01). The auxiliary program 42 also changes the print settings to settings for test printing (D02).

[0078] Then, the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data for all pages of the first copy and the print settings for the test print to the general-purpose printing program 41, and requests transmission to the printer 2 (D03). Upon receiving the request from the auxiliary program 42, the general-purpose printing program 41 transmits the print data to the printer 2 (D04). The printer 2 prints the first copy based on the received print data (D05). D03 to D05 are an example of the first print process.

[0079] After making the transmission request of D03, the auxiliary program 42 causes the user IF 13 to display a continuation confirmation screen (D11). D11 is an example of confirmation processing. If the user checks the result of the test print and wishes to continue printing all copies, the user operates the "Print" button 61 on the continuation confirmation screen 70 (D21). When the auxiliary program 42 receives a continuation instruction via D21 (alt: [Continue]), it performs uncollate printing of the remaining copies.

[0080] In anchor printing, the auxiliary program 42 first stores print data divided by page (D20). If the print data is stored in D01 as a usable configuration for each page, the auxiliary program 42 can skip D20. The auxiliary program 42 may perform D20 after accepting the operation of D21, or before displaying D11.

[0081] In the case of anchor printing, the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data of the first page stored in D20 to the general-purpose printing program 41 and requests transmission to the printer 2 (E01). In E01, the auxiliary program 42 does not change the print settings to those for test printing, but leaves them as they were in the original print job.

[0082] In response to the request of E01, the general-purpose printing program 41 sends the print data for the first page to the printer 2 (E02), and the printer 2 prints the first page based on the received print data (E03). The auxiliary program 42 repeats E01 a number of times that is one less than the number of copies specified in the print settings (loop: [1, number of copies - 1]). As a result, the first page of the printout is output in the number of copies specified in the print settings, including the first copy of the test print.

[0083] After the transmission request for the first page is completed, the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data stored in D20 to the general-purpose printing program 41 in turn for each remaining page, requesting transmission to the printer 2 (E01). That is, the auxiliary program 42 repeats the transmission request for each page from the second page onwards, as with the first page, a number of times that is one less than the number of copies specified in the print settings (loop: [1, number of copies - 1]). As a result, printed matter of each page in the number of copies specified in the print settings, including the first copy of the test print, is output.

[0084] Furthermore, the auxiliary program 42 repeats the transmission request of E01 until the last page of the print job (loop: [page 1, last page]). As a result, the printouts of all pages are output in the number of copies specified in the print settings, including the first copy of the test print. The process of repeating E01 is an example of the second print process.

[0085] On the other hand, if the user checks the results of the test print and decides to cancel printing, he or she operates the "Cancel Print" button 62 on the continuation confirmation screen 70 (D31). If the auxiliary program 42 receives a cancel instruction via D31 (alt:[Cancel]), it notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 that processing of the print job has ended (D32). In other words, the auxiliary program 42 cancels printing the remaining copies. D32 is an example of a cancel process.

[0086] If the auxiliary program 42 does not accept a user operation even after a predetermined time has elapsed after displaying the continuation confirmation screen 70 (alt: [timeout]), the auxiliary program 42 notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 of the end of the print job processing (D41), for example. Instead of D41, the auxiliary program 42 may cause the printer 2 to print the remaining number of copies.

[0087] After notifying the end at D25, D32, or D41, the auxiliary program 42 deletes the print data stored at D01 from the memory 12 (D51), and ends the test anchoring printing procedure.

[0088] In the trial uncollate printing procedure, all pages of only the first copy of the trial print are printed first. In this way, even if uncollate printing is selected, all pages of the first copy are printed first and the user's instructions are accepted, so the user can check the printed matter of all pages. Therefore, if the printed matter of any page does not have the content desired by the user, it is highly likely that the wasteful printing of the second and subsequent copies can be avoided.

[0089] On the other hand, if test printing is selected in this way, all pages of the first copy are printed first, so the first copy of the printout is not the discharged result of the anchored printing. Therefore, the auxiliary program 42 may not accept the selection of test printing when anchored printing is selected. For example, the auxiliary program 42 may not accept an operation on the radio button 53 when anchored printing is selected with the radio button 52 on the detailed settings screen 50 (FIG. 3).

[0090] Alternatively, even if test printing is set, if anchor printing is selected, the auxiliary program 42 may execute C21 to C23 of the full printing procedure shown in Fig. 5 without performing test printing. In this case, C21 to C23 of the full printing procedure is an example of a full anchor printing process. If anchor printing is set and anchor printing is performed for all the copies without performing test printing, all the printed matter will be anchored, and the paper discharge result desired by the user will be obtained.

[0091] In each of the above procedures, the print data is passed to the general-purpose print program 41, which then transmits it to the printer 2. Alternatively, the auxiliary program 42 may transmit a print command instructing printing to be performed and the print data to the printer 2. For example, when the print settings include settings related to image processing that can be performed by the printer 2, the auxiliary program 42 may generate a print command that also includes information on that processing. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 may notify the general-purpose print program 41 of completion information after completing transmission of the print data.

[0092] Returning to the explanation of the print execution procedure in Fig. 4, after the full print procedure B21 (Fig. 5), the test collate print procedure B31 (Fig. 6), or the test uncollate print procedure B32 (Fig. 8), the general-purpose print program 41, which has received a completion notification from the auxiliary program 42, notifies the editing application 43 of the completion of the print job (B41). The editing application 43 ends the processing of the print job accepted in B02.

[0093] Up to this point, the auxiliary program 42 has been described as generating print data for the first copy (B11 to B15 in FIG. 4) and passing the generated print data for the first copy to the general-purpose printing program 41 to cause the printer 2 to print the first copy (C11 and C21 in FIG. 5, D03 and D22 in FIG. 6, and D03 and E01 in FIG. 8). However, the auxiliary program 42 may cause the general-purpose printing program 41 to generate print data.

[0094] In this case, the auxiliary program 42 does not execute B11 to B15 in FIG. 4, but stores intermediate data in the memory 12, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 (F01). The intermediate data is data showing images to be printed on all pages of this print job. Then, based on the print settings, the auxiliary program 42 executes a full print procedure if there is no test print, and executes a test collate print procedure or a test ancollate print procedure if there is test print, depending on whether collate print or ancollate print is selected. However, if intermediate data is stored, the auxiliary program 42 passes the stored intermediate data and print settings to the general-purpose print program 41 in each procedure to issue a print instruction, thereby causing the printer 2 to perform processing to print.

[0095] The test collate printing procedure when intermediate data is stored will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 10. The procedure in Fig. 10 differs from the test collate printing procedure shown in Fig. 6 only in the procedure for instructing the general-purpose printing program 41 to execute printing, and the same steps as the test collate printing procedure shown in Fig. 6 are given the same reference numerals and the description will be simplified.

[0096] The auxiliary program 42 changes the print settings to settings for test printing (D02). In the print settings for test printing, the auxiliary program 42 sets the number of copies to one. Then, the auxiliary program 42 passes a print instruction including the intermediate data and the print settings indicating the test printing to the general-purpose printing program 41 (F11). The general-purpose printing program 41 performs rasterization based on the intermediate data (F12), generates print data (F13), and sends the generated print data to the printer 2 (F14). The printer 2 executes a test print indicating the image to be printed based on the received print data (F15).

[0097] After receiving the print instruction in F11, the auxiliary program 42 displays a continuation confirmation screen on the user IF 13 (D11) and accepts the user's operation. When the auxiliary program 42 accepts the continuation instruction through the user's operation (alt:[continue], D21), the auxiliary program 42 passes a print instruction to the general-purpose printing program 41, setting the print settings to those set in the original print job and the number of copies to 1 (F21). The general-purpose printing program 41 performs rasterization (F22), generates print data (F23), and sends the generated print data to the printer 2 (F24), in the same manner as in the test print. The printer 2 prints all pages (F25), in the same manner as in the first copy of the test print.

[0098] The auxiliary program 42 repeats the print instruction of F21 (number of copies-1) times (loop: [1, number of copies-1]). As a result, the number of printed copies specified in the print settings, including the first copy of the test print, are output. The process of repeating F21 is an example of a second print process. Then, the auxiliary program 42 notifies the general-purpose print program 41 of the end of the print job processing (D25).

[0099] When the auxiliary program 42 receives a cancel instruction (alt:[Cancel], D31), it notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 of the end of the print job processing (D32). Also, when no user operation is received even after a predetermined time has elapsed (alt:[Timeout]), the auxiliary program 42 notifies the general-purpose printing program 41 of the end of the print job processing (D41).

[0100] After notifying the end in either D25, D32, or D41, the auxiliary program 42 deletes the intermediate data stored in F01 (FIG. 9) from the memory 12 (F31), and ends the test collate printing procedure.

[0101] Similarly, for other procedures (full printing procedure and test anchoring printing procedure), the auxiliary program 42 can cause the printer 2 to print by passing a print instruction including intermediate data instead of passing print data to the general-purpose printing program 41 and issuing a transmission instruction. For example, when anchoring printing is selected, the auxiliary program 42 stores the intermediate data by dividing it into pages. Then, when an instruction to continue is received after test printing, the auxiliary program 42 may repeat the print instruction including the intermediate data for each page (number of copies - 1) times.

[0102] The auxiliary program 42 acquires intermediate data from the general-purpose print program 41, prints only the first copy using the intermediate data in the test print, and then, even if the second copy and subsequent copies are printed based on the intermediate data, the first copy and the second copy and subsequent copies can be printed by dividing the job into two.

[0103] On the other hand, if the auxiliary program 42 generates print data based on the intermediate data acquired from the general-purpose print program 41 and passes it to the general-purpose print program 41, there is no need to repeat the process of generating print data. Then, by storing the generated print data in the auxiliary program 42 and passing the print data to the general-purpose print program 41, even if the first copy and the second copy and subsequent copies are to be printed, the first copy and the second copy and subsequent copies can be printed as separate jobs.

[0104] As described above in detail, the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment can accept a setting for whether or not to perform test printing. When a print instruction for multiple copies is given to the general-purpose printing program 41, if test printing is set, the auxiliary program 42 can accept an instruction to continue after having the printer 2 print the first copy, and controls the printer 2 to start printing the second copy after the instruction to continue is given. Therefore, the user can continue printing after checking the printed matter of the first copy, which increases the possibility of avoiding unnecessary printing of the second and subsequent copies.

[0105] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples and do not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the technology disclosed in this specification can be naturally improved and modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technology. For example, the device connected to PC1 to execute printing is not limited to a printer with a single printing function, but may be a multifunction device, a copier, a fax machine, or any other device with a printing function. In addition, the number of printers connected to PC1 may be two or more.

[0106] Also, for example, on the continuation confirmation screen 60 (FIG. 7), it has been described that either a continuation instruction using the “Print” button 61 or a cancellation instruction using the “Cancel Printing” button 62 can be accepted, but it is not necessary to accept a cancellation instruction.

[0107] Also, for example, when the print settings include information indicating that it is a test print, the printer 2 may have a function of setting the paper output destination of the printout to a specific tray for the test print. In that case, the auxiliary program 42 may pass the print settings including the information indicating that it is a test print to the general-purpose print program 41 in response to the transmission request of D03, instead of changing the paper output destination of the print settings.

[0108] The printer 2 may also have a function capable of printing multiple copies by receiving print data for the first copy and print settings including information on the number of copies to be printed and the printing method. For example, the printer 2 may be a printer equipped with a finisher and capable of performing collate printing and uncollate printing using the finisher's functions. In this case, if the setting includes test printing, the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data for the first copy and a print instruction including information on the number of copies to the general-purpose print program 41 and requests transmission to the printer 2, and if an instruction to continue is received, passes the print data for the first copy and a print instruction for the remaining number of copies to the general-purpose print program 41 and requests transmission to the printer 2.

[0109] Furthermore, if the user operates the OS 21 to change the normally used printer from another printer to the printer 2 after the print setting screen is displayed by the general-purpose printing program 41, the general-purpose printing program 41 may also start the auxiliary program 42. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 may also display, for example, an information screen that can accept settings for test printing.

[0110] Furthermore, the auxiliary program 42 may be started not only when printing is selected, but also when, for example, printer 2 is selected as the device setting. Even in this case, the auxiliary program 42 may display a setting screen that can accept test print settings. When test print settings are accepted as the device setting, the auxiliary program 42 stores information indicating test print as the default print setting.

[0111] In the embodiment, only the printing operation is described in detail as the operation of the auxiliary program 42, but the auxiliary program 42 may have other roles. The program that executes the process of the present embodiment is not limited to the auxiliary program 42, but may be any program that receives instructions from the OS 21 or the general-purpose printing program 41 when printing is performed using the general-purpose printing program 41. For example, it may be a print workflow application (Print workflow) whose specifications have been published by Microsoft.

[0112] Furthermore, the execution timing of the auxiliary program 42 is not limited to that of the embodiment. For example, the auxiliary program 42 may be executed in response to a direct execution instruction from the OS 21, or the auxiliary program 42 may be resident. If the auxiliary program 42 is resident, it is sufficient that the auxiliary program 42 performs the above-mentioned operation upon receiving an execution command.

[0113] In addition, in any of the flowcharts disclosed in the embodiments, the order of execution of multiple processes in any of the steps can be arbitrarily changed or the processes can be executed in parallel as long as no contradiction occurs in the process content.

[0114] The processes disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by a single CPU, multiple CPUs, hardware such as ASIC, or a combination of these. The processes disclosed in the embodiments may be realized in various forms, such as a recording medium having a program for executing the processes recorded thereon, or a method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1 PC 2. Printer 11 CPU 13 User Interface

Claims

1. A support program executable by a computer of an information processing device and corresponding to a printer connected to the information processing device, the information processing device being equipped with an operating system having a general-purpose printing program; The computer includes: Executing a test print setting process for accepting a setting as to whether or not to perform test printing; The computer further comprises: When a print instruction is output from an application program installed in the information processing device, the print instruction is for causing the printer to print an image to the general-purpose print program, a setting is made to perform the test print, and printing of multiple copies is set for the print job corresponding to the print instruction, an acquisition process for acquiring intermediate data indicating an image to be printed for the print job in which printing of multiple copies is set from the general-purpose print program; a first printing process for causing the printer to print a first copy of the print job corresponding to the print instruction based on the intermediate data acquired in the acquisition process; Run the command, The computer further comprises: After starting the first printing process, a confirmation process can be executed to receive a continuation instruction to continue printing via a user interface of the information processing device, The computer further comprises: When the instruction to continue is accepted in the confirmation process, a second print process is executed to cause the printer to print the second and subsequent copies of the print job corresponding to the print instruction based on the intermediate data acquired in the acquisition process. A support program configured to:

2. 2. A support program as claimed in claim 1, In the confirmation process, the instruction to continue printing and an instruction to stop printing can be accepted via the user interface, The computer includes: When the instruction to continue is accepted in the confirmation process, the second printing process is executed; When the cancel instruction is received in the confirmation process, the second printing process is not executed, and a cancel process is executed to cancel the print job corresponding to the print instruction. A support program configured to:

3. A support program according to claim 2, The computer includes: when neither the instruction to continue nor the instruction to stop is accepted even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the execution of the confirmation process, the execution of the second printing process is started. A support program configured to:

4. 2. A support program as claimed in claim 1, The computer includes: when the instruction to continue is not accepted even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the execution of the confirmation process, a stop process is executed to stop the print job corresponding to the print instruction without executing the second print process. A support program configured to:

5. 2. A support program as claimed in claim 1, The computer includes: When the print instruction is given, the setting is made not to perform the test print, and the print job corresponding to the print instruction is set to print multiple copies, execute a full printing process in which the printer continuously prints the first copy to the final copy of the print job corresponding to the print instruction without executing the first printing process and the confirmation process. A support program configured to:

6. 2. A support program as claimed in claim 1, In the first printing process, generating print data for one copy based on the intermediate data acquired in the acquisition process, and causing the printer to print the first copy based on the generated print data for the first copy; In the second printing process, generating print data for the second and subsequent copies using the print data for the first copy generated in the first printing process, and causing the printer to print the second and subsequent copies based on the generated print data for the second and subsequent copies; A support program configured to:

7. 2. A support program as claimed in claim 1, In the first printing process, causing the printer to print one copy based on the intermediate data acquired in the acquisition process; In the second printing process, causing the printer to print the remaining copies from the second copy onward based on the intermediate data acquired in the acquisition process; A support program configured to:

8. 2. A support program as claimed in claim 1, The computer includes: When the print instruction is given, the setting for performing the test print is made, and the print job corresponding to the print instruction is set to print multiple copies, if collate printing is set as the printing method, execute the first printing process and the confirmation process for causing the printer to print the first copy, and then execute the second printing process for causing the printer to print the second and subsequent copies if the instruction to continue is received in the confirmation process; If the anchored printing is set as the printing method, the first printing process and the confirmation process are executed to cause the printer to print the first copy, and then, if the instruction to continue is received in the confirmation process, the second printing process is executed to cause the printer to perform the anchored printing of the second and subsequent copies. A support program configured to:

9. 2. A support program as claimed in claim 1, The computer includes: When the print instruction is given, the setting for performing the test print is made, and the print job corresponding to the print instruction is set to print multiple copies, if collate printing is set as the printing method, execute the first printing process and the confirmation process for causing the printer to print the first copy, and then execute the second printing process for causing the printer to print the second and subsequent copies if the instruction to continue is received in the confirmation process; If the anchor printing is set as the printing method, the first printing process and the confirmation process are not executed, and a full anchor printing process is executed in which the printer performs anchor printing from the first copy to the final copy. A support program configured to:

10. 2. A support program as claimed in claim 1, In the first printing process, causing the printer to print a first copy of the print job corresponding to the print instruction, and setting a paper output destination of the first copy of the print job to a specific tray determined in advance of the printer; A support program configured to:

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