Printing apparatus and print data generation program

Abstract

To solve the problem with the prior art in which the position of image data to be printed on an interleaving sheet is fixed, without taking usability into consideration.SOLUTION: A printing apparatus including a printing unit configured to perform printing on a medium comprises: an operation unit configured to accept various operation settings and including a display unit configured to display various types of information; and a printing control unit configured to cause the display unit to display a plurality of user interfaces, the printing control unit being configured to control the printing unit based on a printing condition acquired via the operation unit. When multiple media bundles that are bundles of printed media are ejected, the printing control unit can execute a cover installation mode of disposing a cover for each of the media bundles, where the cover installation mode can perform printing of a header on the cover. The printing control unit can accept, via the user interface, a setting of a printing position in the printing of the header on the cover, and performs printing of the header based on the printing position acquired.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing device that performs printing, and also to a print data generation program. [Background technology]

[0002] Techniques for inserting slip sheets between multiple printed materials have been well known. Patent Document 1 discloses a printing device that can place a slip sheet with image data printed on it on top of each of multiple printed materials discharged onto an output tray. Patent Document 1 also discloses that the image data printed on the slip sheet includes the group name, the names of absent members, the number of copies to be printed, and the date. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-182714 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the position of the image data printed on the slip sheet is fixed, and usability is not taken into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the printing device of the present invention is a printing device equipped with a printing unit that prints on media, an operation unit that has a display unit that displays various information and accepts various operation settings, and a printing control unit that displays multiple user interfaces on the display unit and controls the printing unit based on printing conditions acquired via the operation unit, wherein the printing control unit is capable of executing a cover placement mode in which a cover is placed for each media stack when multiple media stacks that are bundles of printed media are discharged, and the cover placement mode is capable of printing a heading on the cover, and the printing control unit is capable of accepting, via the user interface, settings of the printing position when printing the heading on the cover, and prints the heading based on the acquired printing position.

[0006] The print data generation program of the present invention is a print data generation program that generates print data based on acquired printing conditions, and is characterized in that it causes a computer to execute the following steps: displaying on a display device a user interface that accepts settings for the printing position of a heading when a cover is placed on a media bundle that is a stack of printed media and when a heading is printed on the cover; and generating print data by including the printing position acquired via the user interface in the printing conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a print control unit. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by a print control unit. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the UI displayed on the touch panel. [Figure 6] A diagram showing the UI displayed on the touch panel. [Figure 7] A diagram showing the UI displayed on the touch panel. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the UI displayed on the touch panel. [Figure 9] A diagram showing the UI displayed on the touch panel. [Figure 10] A diagram showing the UI displayed on the touch panel. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an output order of printed materials. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an output order of printed materials. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an output order of printed materials. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an output order of printed materials. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an output state of a printed material when shift printing is performed. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of an output state of the printing unit when the orientation of the cover is changed. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a computer capable of communicating with a printing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention will be briefly described below. A printing device according to a first aspect is a printing device having a printing unit that prints on media, an operation unit that has a display unit that displays various information and accepts various operation settings, and a printing control unit that displays multiple user interfaces on the display unit and controls the printing unit based on printing conditions acquired via the operation unit, wherein the printing control unit is capable of executing a cover placement mode in which a cover is placed for each media stack when multiple media stacks that are bundles of printed media are discharged, and the cover placement mode is capable of printing a heading on the cover, and the printing control unit is capable of accepting settings for the printing position when printing the heading on the cover via the user interface, and prints the heading based on the acquired printing position.

[0009] According to this aspect, the printing control unit can accept, via the user interface, the setting of the printing position when printing the heading on the cover, and prints the heading based on the acquired printing position, so that the heading can be printed in a position that is convenient for the user, thereby improving usability.

[0010] The second aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, characterized in that the printing control unit prints the heading on the surface that will become the top surface of the cover when the cover is placed on the stack of media.

[0011] According to this aspect, the printing control unit prints the heading on the surface that will become the top surface of the cover when the cover is placed on the stack of media, making the heading easily visible. In addition, the state in which the cover is placed on top of the media stack does not necessarily mean the state in which the media stack is ejected first and the cover is ejected on top of the media stack, but also means the state in which the cover is ejected before the media stack, and the media stack is placed on top of the cover, and then the media stack is turned over together with the cover.

[0012] A third aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the heading characters can be written vertically or horizontally via the user interface. According to this aspect, the vertical and horizontal writing of the characters in the heading can be set via the user interface, which further improves usability. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to the second aspect.

[0013] A fourth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the font size of the heading can be set via the user interface. According to this aspect, the font size of the heading can be set via the user interface, which further improves usability. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to the second or third aspect.

[0014] A fifth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the font of the characters of the heading can be set via the user interface. According to this aspect, the font of the characters in the heading can be set via the user interface, which further improves usability. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to any of the second to fourth aspects.

[0015] A sixth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, and is characterized in that a plurality of the print positions can be set via the user interface. According to this aspect, since a plurality of the print positions can be set via the user interface, usability can be further improved. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to any of the second to fifth aspects.

[0016] The seventh aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the cover arrangement mode is capable of shift discharge, which alternately shifts the discharge position of the media stack, and the printing control unit is capable of accepting the area shifted by the shift discharge as the printing position via the user interface.

[0017] According to this aspect, the heading is printed in the area displaced by the shift ejection, making the heading easier to see, and further improving usability. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to any of the second to sixth aspects.

[0018] The eighth aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, and includes a first media cassette that stores the media with the short side direction aligned with the feed direction, and a second media cassette that stores the media with the long side direction aligned with the feed direction, and the cover placement mode is characterized in that by selectively using the first media cassette and the second media cassette, the cover and the media stack can be discharged in different orientations, and the printing control unit is capable of accepting, via the user interface, an area on the cover that does not overlap with the media stack as the printing position.

[0019] According to this aspect, the heading is printed in an area of the cover that does not overlap with the medium stack, making the heading easier to see and further improving usability. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to any of the second to sixth aspects.

[0020] A ninth aspect is an aspect dependent on any of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the printing control unit is capable of accepting settings of multiple main groups, multiple subgroups belonging to one of the main groups, and the number of copies of printed materials to be associated with one of the subgroups via the user interface, and when one of the multiple main groups is selected and a printing execution command is received in the cover placement mode, the printing control unit treats a stack of printed materials belonging to one of the subgroups as the media stack and places a cover on the media stack.

[0021] According to this aspect, when one of the multiple main groups is selected and printing is performed using the cover placement mode, the bundle of printed materials belonging to one of the subgroups is treated as the media bundle, and a cover is placed on top of the media bundle, thereby further improving usability.

[0022] The print data generation program of the tenth aspect is a print data generation program that generates print data based on acquired printing conditions, and is characterized in that it causes a computer to execute the steps of: displaying on a display device a user interface that accepts settings for the printing position of a heading when a cover is placed on a media bundle that is a stack of printed media and when a heading is printed on the cover; and generating print data by including the printing position acquired via the user interface in the printing conditions.

[0023] According to this aspect, the print position of the heading can be set, so that the heading can be printed at a position that is convenient for the user, thereby improving usability.

[0024] The present invention will be specifically described below. A printing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In each figure, the X-axis direction is the depth direction of the printing device 1. The +X direction, which is the direction of the arrow in the X-axis direction, is the direction from the back of the device to the front of the device, and the -X direction is the direction from the front of the device to the back of the device. The X-axis direction is also an example of the width direction of the medium. The Y axis direction is the width direction of the printing device 1, and the +Y direction, which is the direction of the arrow in the Y axis direction, is the left direction when viewed from a user facing the front of the device, and the -Y direction is the right direction. The Z axis direction is the device height direction of the printing device 1, and is a vertical direction, and the +Z direction, which is the direction in which the arrow points, is vertically upward, and the -Z direction is vertically downward. In the following explanation, the +Z direction may be simply referred to as upward, and the -Z direction may be simply referred to as downward. In FIG. 1, the +A direction is a normal direction to the loading surface of the main tray 33 described later and includes a +Z direction component, and the +B direction is a direction parallel to the loading surface of the main tray 33 and includes a +Z direction component.

[0025] In the following embodiment, the printing device 1 is installed in a school staff room and used by school staff, including teachers, to print materials to be distributed to students, but the use of the printing device 1 is not limited to this. For example, the printing device 1 may be installed in homes, businesses, home offices, public facilities, stores, and other locations and used for various purposes.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 includes a printing unit 10 and a post-processing unit 30. The printing unit 10 according to this embodiment is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink, an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as printing paper, and includes a line head 18, an example of a printing section. Note that the term "printing" can also be replaced with "recording." The printing unit 10 is also a so-called multifunction device that includes a scanner section 12 on top of the device, and the scanner section 12 is used to realize functions such as a copy function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function. When the printing device 1 realizes a copy function in particular, a printing operation by the printing unit 10 is performed. However, the printing unit 10 is not limited to an inkjet printer, and may be configured to print using other methods, such as a laser printer, a thermal transfer printer, or a dot impact printer.

[0027] The printing unit 10 includes a main body 14, a medium storage section 16 that stores the medium, a medium transport section (not shown) that transports the medium, a line head 18, an in-body discharge section 22 where the medium is discharged, and a relay unit 24 that transports the medium to the post-processing unit 30. The printing unit 10 also includes a print control section 20 that controls the entire printing device 1, and an operation panel 2 that serves as an operation section that accepts various setting operations and displays various information.

[0028] The medium storage unit 16 includes, from top to bottom, a first medium cassette 17A, a second medium cassette 17B, a third medium cassette 17C, and a fourth medium cassette 17D. The first medium cassette 17A contains a first medium P1a, which is, for example, an A4-sized sheet of paper, stored with its short side aligned with the feeding direction. The second medium cassette 17B contains a first medium P1b, which is, for example, an A4-sized sheet of paper, stored with its long side aligned with the feeding direction.

[0029] The third medium cassette 17C contains a second medium P2. The second medium P2 is, for example, A4-sized paper, and is contained with its long side aligned with the feeding direction. The second medium P2 is, for example, a different type of medium from the first medium P1b; specifically, it has a different color from the first medium P1b, and when placed between printed materials, it can serve to indicate the boundary between the printed materials. The second medium P2 is primarily used as a cover or slip sheet, as described below.

[0030] The fourth medium cassette 17D contains a third medium P3. The third medium P3 is, for example, A4-sized paper, and is contained with its long side aligned with the feeding direction. The third medium P3 is, for example, a different type of medium from the first medium P1b and the second medium P2. Specifically, the third medium P3 has a different color from both the first medium P1b and the second medium P2, and when placed between printed materials, it can indicate the boundary between the printed materials. The third medium P3 is primarily used as a cover or slip sheet, as described below.

[0031] Of course, either the first medium P1a or the first medium P1b may be used as a cover or an inserting sheet, which will be described later. Also, either the first medium P1a or the first medium P1b may be used as a printed matter other than a cover or an inserting sheet. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of medium cassettes, as long as they contain at least the first medium P1a or the first medium P1b for printing.

[0032] A transport path for transporting media is provided inside the main body 14. Reference symbol T1 indicates a feed path along which media sent out from each media cassette is fed to a position opposite the line head 18, which will be described later. Reference symbol T2 indicates an ejection path along which media that has been recorded on is ejected. Reference symbol T3 is a path along which media is fed when recording on both sides of the media, and is a switchback path for switching back the media. Reference symbol T4 is a path along which media is fed from switchback path T3, and is a reversing path for reversing the media.

[0033] The line head 18 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles (not shown) arranged to correspond to the entire area in the X-axis direction, i.e., the width direction, of the medium. The line head 18 prints on the medium by ejecting ink supplied from an ink tank (not shown) from the plurality of ink ejection nozzles toward the medium.

[0034] The medium printed by the printing unit 10 is discharged to the relay unit 24 via discharge path T2, and is then sent to the post-processing unit 30 via the relay unit 24. The post-processing unit 30 includes a device main body 32. The device main body 32 includes a processing tray 36, a stapler 34 which is an example of a post-processing section, a discharge section (not shown) that discharges the post-processed medium to the main tray 33, and the main tray 33 which is provided on the outside of the device main body 32. The main tray 33 is an example of a discharge tray that receives the discharged medium. The printing device 1 according to this embodiment is configured such that the relay unit 24 is provided in the internal discharge section 22, and the media is sent to the post-processing unit 30. However, the relay unit 24 and the post-processing unit 30 may be omitted, and the media may be stacked on the internal discharge tray 23 provided in the internal discharge section 22.

[0035] The medium delivered from the relay unit 24 to the device main body 32 is transported along a transport path T5 inside the device main body 32 and sent to the processing tray . The media are temporarily stacked on the processing tray 36, and if post-processing is required, the necessary post-processing is performed, and then the media are discharged onto the main tray 33 by a discharge unit (not shown). The post-processing unit 30 is provided with a rear end alignment section (not shown), which aligns the rear end (rear end in the +Y direction) of the media on the processing tray 36. Side cursors (not shown) are also provided on the processing tray 36, which align the side edges in the width direction (X-axis direction) on the processing tray 36. The side cursors also enable shift ejection, which alternately shifts the width direction position when ejecting media onto the main tray 33. Main tray 33 is movable in the vertical direction, and moves down as media is loaded onto it.

[0036] The print control unit 20 controls the entire printing device 1, including the line head 18, based on the printing conditions acquired via the operation panel 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the print control unit 20 includes a CPU 40, a RAM 41, an I / F 42, and a non-volatile memory 43, which is an example of a storage medium. The CPU 40 loads various control programs 44 stored in the nonvolatile memory 43 and a print data generation program 45 (described later) into the volatile memory RAM 41 and executes them. The various control programs 44 include various programs for controlling the printing unit 10 and the post-processing unit 30. The nonvolatile memory 43 also stores print setting information 46 input via the operation panel 2. In view of the above functions, the print control unit 20 can also be called an information processing device or a computer.

[0037] The CPU 40 executes the various control programs 44, thereby realizing various functions of the printing device 1. Furthermore, the CPU 40 executes the print data generation program 45 to generate print data for printing by the print unit 10. For example, when the copy function of the printing device 1 is used, this print data is generated based on image data generated by scanning an original with the scanner unit 12 and print setting information 46. The I / F 42 is a communication interface for connecting the printing device 1 to a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0038] Next, the operation panel 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The operation panel 2 is an example of an operation unit that has a touch panel 3 that is a display unit that displays various information and that accepts various operation settings. The operation panel 2 is mounted on the main body 14 of the printing unit 10 via a rotation shaft 2a so that the tilt angle can be adjusted by rotating around the rotation shaft 2a. In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 2a is configured as a free-stop hinge, so that any tilt angle can be maintained.

[0039] The operation panel 2 has a surface made of cover glass, with a touch panel 3 underneath and a liquid crystal display unit (not shown) underneath that. Known touch panel 3 types include capacitance, resistive film, optical, and electromagnetic induction, but this embodiment uses a capacitance type. In this embodiment, user operations on the operation panel 2 are basically performed by touching the touch panel 3. The operation panel 2 has an outer shell formed by a housing 2b, and a power button 4 for turning the power of the printing device 1 on and off is disposed below the touch panel 3 in the housing 2b.

[0040] A user interface is realized on the touch panel 3 under the control of the print control unit 20. For convenience, the term user interface will be referred to as "UI" hereinafter. The various control programs 44 (see FIG. 2) include programs for realizing the various UIs. Hereinafter, when describing the processing and operation of the printing device 1 based on the various UIs, it is assumed that the processing and operation are realized by the print control unit 20 executing the various control programs 44 and a print data generation program 45, which will be described later. In particular, the cover arrangement mode, which will be described later, is realized by the print control unit 20 executing the print data generation program 45. The UI shown in Figure 3 is the home screen, which displays icons with names such as "Copy," "Scan," and "Fax," and the user touches one of the icons depending on the operation they wish to perform.

[0041] Next, the process performed by the print control unit 20 will be outlined with reference to FIG. The print control unit 20 displays various UIs on the touch panel 3 (step S101). When the user inputs information via the various UIs (Yes in step S102), the print control unit 20 updates the print setting information 46 (step S103). When print control unit 20 receives a print execution command (Yes in step S104), it reads print setting information 46 (step S105), generates print data based on print setting information 46 (step S106), and executes printing (step S107).

[0042] Below, we will explain the transition of the UI using the example of when "Copy" is selected on the home screen in Figure 3. When the copy function is selected, the print control unit 20 displays a UI 61 including a basic settings tab 72 and an application settings tab 73, as shown in Fig. 5. The UI 61 displays the basic settings tab 72 as a default, but Fig. 5 shows a state in which the application settings tab 73 is selected. Note that although the contents of the basic settings tab 72 are not shown, the basic settings tab 72 allows basic copy settings such as selecting color or monochrome printing, setting print density, paper settings, and print magnification. An execute button 71 for executing copying, i.e., scanning an original and printing, is displayed at the bottom right of the UI 61. Tapping the execute button 71 corresponds to the print execution command shown in step S104 of FIG.

[0043] The application settings tab 73 allows the user to set items other than those that can be set in the basic settings tab 72. For example, it displays an icon 74 for setting group printing and an icon 80 for setting the slip sheet and cover. Note that the icon 80 may be displayed in a separate UI that is displayed by tapping the icon 74. In addition, in the application setting tab 73, although not shown in FIG. 5, icons for binding processing using the post-processing unit 30 and saving data read by the scanner section 12 are displayed.

[0044] Icon 74 is an icon for proceeding to group printing settings, and shows the name of the currently selected main group from among multiple main groups, which will be explained later. In the example of Figure 5, "First Grade" is displayed as an example of the selected main group. In this state, tapping the execute button 71 will execute group printing with the settings for "freshman," which will be described later. If none of the multiple main groups is selected, "Off" will be displayed instead of "freshman," and the group printing function will be turned off.

[0045] Tapping icon 74 transitions to UI62 shown in Fig. 6. In UI62, multiple main groups are displayed in a registration list, and in the example of Fig. 6, four main groups are registered: "First Graders," "Second Graders," "Third Graders," and "All Grades." Pressing and holding the icon of each main group transitions to a name input UI (not shown), where the name of the main group can be entered or changed. Also, by briefly tapping on an icon in each main group, the icon can be placed in a selected state. Also, by briefly tapping on a selected icon, the icon can be placed in an unselected state. Only one icon from multiple main groups can be placed in a selected state.

[0046] In the example of Fig. 6, icon 75 representing the main group "First Grade" is in a selected state. When an icon of each main group is in a selected state, it changes from a light color to a dark color, so that it can be distinguished from other unselected icons. Furthermore, you can set each main group to an "unregistered" state by tapping the "Delete" icon. Also, if you select one of multiple main groups and tap the "Register / Overwrite" icon, you will be taken to UI63 shown in Figure 7. Also, in Figure 6, if you select one of the multiple main groups and tap the "Delete" icon, the settings for the selected main group will be deleted and it will be displayed as "Not registered." Also, if you tap the "OK" icon in Fig. 6, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) will be updated with the content that has been set up to that point, and you will return to UI61 in Fig. 5. Also, if you tap the "Cancel" icon in Fig. 6, the content that has been set up to that point will be discarded, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) will not be updated, and you will return to UI61 in Fig. 5.

[0047] To the right of the registration list in Figure 6, the settings for the selected main group are displayed, specifically the subgroups described below and the number of copies and sets to be printed associated with each subgroup. In addition, the total number of copies for the selected main group is displayed. In this state, the number of copies and sets to be printed are grayed out, but you can directly edit the number of copies and sets by tapping the "Edit Directly" icon. An execute button 71 is also displayed in the UI 62 of FIG. 6, and when the execute button 71 is tapped, group printing is executed with the currently selected settings for "first graders."

[0048] The UI 63 in FIG. 7 displays a number of copies setting tab 76 and a finishing tab 77, with the number of copies setting tab 76 being displayed by default. The number of copies setting tab 76 displays multiple subgroups and the number of copies and sets to be printed associated with each subgroup. When a number indicating the number of copies to be printed is tapped, the number indicating the number of copies to be selected, and the number of copies to be printed can be set using the numeric keypad (not shown). Similarly, when a number indicating the number of sets to be printed is tapped, the number indicating the number of sets to be printed is selected, and the number of sets to be printed can be set using the numeric keypad (not shown). As with the name of the main group, the name of the subgroup may be set to any name by pressing and holding the name of the subgroup to transition to a name input UI (not shown).

[0049] Here, we will explain the number of copies and the number of sets to be printed. For example, if the number of sets to be printed is set to "1" for the number of copies to be "30," one set of "30" copies will be printed. Alternatively, if the number of sets to be printed is set to "2" for the number of copies to be "30," two sets of 30 copies will be printed, i.e., 60 copies will be printed for the selected subgroup. In this embodiment, the specified number of copies printed for the specified number of sets will become a "medium stack" on which a cover can be placed. Hereinafter, when the term "medium stack" is used, it refers to a group of printed materials on which a cover can be placed. For example, if the number of sets to be printed is set to "1" for the number of copies to be "30" and printing is performed using the cover placement mode described below, one cover will be placed on a media stack on which one set of "30" copies will be printed. In this embodiment, when the main group is "first graders," each subgroup can be considered as a class that makes up the first graders, which makes it easier to understand intuitively.

[0050] When the "OK" icon in Fig. 7 is tapped, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) is updated with the settings made up to that point, and the display returns to the UI 62 in Fig. 6. When the "Cancel" icon in Fig. 7 is tapped, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) is not updated, and the display returns to the UI 62 in Fig. 6.

[0051] Next, FIG. 8 shows a state in which the finishing tab 77 is selected in the UI 63. In the Finishing tab 77, one of the following radio buttons can be selected: "No slip sheet / cover," "With slip sheet," or "Without cover." If "No slip sheet / cover" is selected, neither slip sheets nor covers will be placed. If "With slip sheet" is selected, slip sheets will be placed between multiple media bundles. In other words, the print control unit 20 executes a slip sheet placement mode in which slip sheets are placed between multiple media bundles. When "with cover" is selected, a cover is placed for each of a plurality of medium bundles. That is, the print control unit 20 executes a cover placement mode in which a cover is placed for each of a plurality of medium bundles. Furthermore, a pull-down menu may be displayed so that the user can select from which of the first media cassette 17A, second media cassette 17B, third media cassette 17C, and fourth media cassette 17D shown in Figure 1 the interleaf or cover will be fed.

[0052] Furthermore, in the Finishing tab 77, if you select "With cover," you can select either "Without heading printing" or "With heading printing" using the radio buttons. If "With cover" is not selected, the "Without heading printing" and "With heading printing" displays and the respective radio buttons are grayed out and cannot be selected. In addition, the presence or absence of shift paper ejection can be selected using a check box in the finishing tab 77. If shift paper ejection is checked, shift paper ejection, which will be described later, is performed.

[0053] In addition, in the finishing tab 77, pressing the binding setting button transitions to a UI (not shown) where binding settings can be made. The binding settings here include whether or not to perform binding processing using the post-processing unit 30 (FIG. 1) and the setting of the binding position. In addition, in the finishing tab 77, pressing the heading print setting button transitions to the UI 64 shown in FIG. 9, where heading print settings can be made. If the "OK" icon in Fig. 8 is tapped, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) is updated with the settings made up to that point, and the screen returns to UI 62 in Fig. 6. If the "Cancel" icon in Fig. 8 is tapped, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) is not updated, and the screen returns to UI 62 in Fig. 6.

[0054] In the UI 64 shown in Fig. 9, whether or not to print a heading can be selected using a check box. If the heading printing option is checked, heading printing, which will be described later, is performed. In addition, UI64 allows you to select the text orientation when printing headings from either "horizontal" or "vertical" using a drop-down list. Also, in UI64, you can select the text size when printing headings from a drop-down list. Also, in UI64, you can select the text font when printing headings from a drop-down list. In addition, in UI64, when shift output is selected, printing in the overflow area can be selected using a check box. If this check box is checked, a header will be printed in the overflow area, which will be described later.

[0055] UI64 also displays an image of the cover as indicated by the symbol Gu, and also displays an area showing the printing position of the header on the cover. The printing position area displays are located at the top, bottom, center, right side, and left side of the cover, and can be selected by a short tap. As an example, the direction from the bottom to the top of the display is the paper ejection direction. The area selected by tapping is displayed in a dark color, and in the example of Figure 9, the area on the right is selected as indicated by the symbol As. Furthermore, tapping each area for a longer period will transition to UI65 shown in Figure 10. If you select shift output and check the box for printing in the overflow area, the cover image will be grayed out and you will not be able to select the print area. In this case, the print area will be set automatically. If the "OK" icon in Fig. 9 is tapped, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) is updated with the settings made up to that point, and the screen returns to UI63 in Fig. 8. If the "Cancel" icon in Fig. 9 is tapped, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) is not updated, and the screen returns to UI63 in Fig. 8.

[0056] UI65 allows you to set the heading print content. For example, you can select the main group name, subgroup name, number of copies, date, or optional by checking the checkboxes. The selected item will be printed as the heading. Also, if you check the "optional" checkbox and press and hold the text input box to the right of it, a text input UI (not shown) will appear and you can enter any text. The text entered here will also be printed as the heading. In UI65, a preview button is displayed, and you can preview the heading print by tapping the preview button. If the "OK" icon in Fig. 10 is tapped, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) is updated with the settings made up to that point, and the screen returns to UI 64 in Fig. 9. If the "Cancel" icon in Fig. 10 is tapped, the print setting information 46 (see Fig. 2) is not updated, and the screen returns to UI 65 in Fig. 9.

[0057] FIG. 11 shows the case where the covers are ejected onto the main tray 33 with the printed side down, i.e., the case where the covers are ejected face-down. The symbols Pa1, Pa2, Pa3, and Pa4 indicate covers. The symbols Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, and Pt4 indicate media bundles. Media bundle Pt1 is, for example, the printed matter of "subgroup 01" shown in FIG. 7, i.e., 30 copies of printed matter, and the same applies to media bundles Pt2, Pt3, and Pt4. The cover Pa1 is the cover placed for the media bundle Pt1, and the same applies to covers Pa2, Pa3, and Pa4.

[0058] In the case shown in Figure 11, the cover corresponding to the media stack is discharged before the media stack. When each media stack and each cover are discharged as shown in Figure 11, the entire stack on main tray 33 is turned over so that the printed side of cover Pa1, i.e., the heading, faces up. Note that in the state shown in Figure 11, the nearest printed side of each media stack is on the bottom, just like each cover, but it can also be on the top. FIG. 12 shows the case of shift ejection.

[0059] Figure 13 shows the case where the covers are ejected onto the main tray 33 with the printed side facing up, i.e., the covers are ejected face up. In the case shown in Figure 13, the covers corresponding to the media stack are ejected after the media stack. In the case shown in Figure 13, the printed side of each cover is facing up, so the printed side of each cover, i.e., the heading, can be seen without turning over the entire stack on the main tray 33. In the state shown in Figure 12, the nearest printed side in each media stack is on the top side, just like each cover, but it can also be on the bottom side. FIG. 14 shows the case of shift ejection.

[0060] It may be possible to specify via the UI whether to use the loading order of the cover and medium bundle as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 or the loading order of the cover and medium bundle as shown in FIGS. The UI may also be able to specify which side to print the heading on when printing it on each cover, and the UI may also be able to specify that the heading is printed on both sides of the cover, not just one side.

[0061] If the checkbox for printing in the overhanging area when shift ejection is selected (see Figure 9) is checked, the heading will be printed in the area shifted by the shift ejection. In Figures 12 and 14, the symbol Wa indicates the area shifted by the shift ejection, i.e., the overhanging area. The overhanging area Wa is the area that will not be hidden by another media stack when that media stack is placed on top of the cover. FIG. 15 shows the cover Pa4, medium bundle Pt4, cover Pa3, and medium bundle Pt3 of the printed matter shown in FIG. 14, and as shown in the figure, the heading is printed in the protruding area Wa.

[0062] Note that instead of printing in the overhanging area caused by shift ejection, the cover and the media bundle can be ejected in different orientations, as shown in Fig. 16, and printing can be done in an area on the cover that does not overlap with the media bundle. Fig. 16 shows a media bundle Pt4 and a cover Pa4 as an example, and the symbol Wa is the area on the cover Pa4 that does not overlap with the media bundle Pt4. When shift ejection is not used, the area Wa on the cover Pa4 that does not overlap with the media bundle Pt4 is an area that will not be hidden by another media bundle even if that media bundle is stacked on top of it.

[0063] As described above, the printing device 1 has a touch panel 3 that is a display unit that displays various information, and an operation panel 2 that is an operation unit that accepts various operation settings. The printing device 1 also has a print control unit 20 that displays multiple UIs on the touch panel 3 and controls the printing unit based on printing conditions acquired via the operation panel 2. When discharging a plurality of medium bundles, which are bundles of printed media, the print control unit 20 can execute a cover arrangement mode in which a cover is arranged for each medium bundle. In the cover arrangement mode, a heading can be printed on the cover, and the print control unit 20 can accept, via the UI, the setting of the print position when printing a heading on the cover, and prints the heading based on the acquired print position. In addition, the print data generation program 45, which generates print data based on the acquired printing conditions, causes the print control unit 20 to execute the following steps: displaying on the touch panel 3 a UI (see FIG. 9) that accepts settings for the printing position of a heading when a cover is placed on a media bundle that is a stack of printed media and when a heading is printed on the cover (step S101 in FIG. 4); and generating print data by including the printing position acquired via the UI in the printing conditions (step S106 in FIG. 4). This allows the heading to be printed at a position convenient for the user, improving usability.

[0064] Furthermore, the print control unit 20 prints the title on the surface that will become the top surface of the cover when the cover is placed on the media stack, so that the title can be easily seen. In addition, the state in which the cover is placed on top of the media stack does not necessarily mean the state in which the media stack is ejected first and the cover is ejected on top of the media stack, but also means the state in which the cover is ejected before the media stack, the media stack is placed on top of the cover, and then the media stack is turned over together with the cover.

[0065] In this embodiment, the heading characters can be written either vertically or horizontally via the UI (see FIG. 9). In this embodiment, the font size of the heading can be set via the UI (see FIG. 9). In this embodiment, the font of the characters in the heading can be set via the UI (see FIG. 9). In this embodiment, multiple print positions can be set via the UI (see FIG. 9). As described above, according to this embodiment, usability can be further improved.

[0066] Furthermore, the print control unit 20 is capable of shifting the discharge position of the medium stack alternately in the cover arrangement mode, and can accept the shifted area due to shifting the discharge as the print position via the UI (see FIG. 9). This allows the heading to be printed in an area that has been shifted by the shift discharge, making the heading easier to see and further improving usability.

[0067] The printing device 1 according to this embodiment includes a first medium cassette 17A that stores media with their short sides aligned with the feeding direction, and a second medium cassette 17B that stores media with their long sides aligned with the feeding direction. In cover placement mode, the print control unit 20 selectively uses the first medium cassette 17A and the second medium cassette 17B to eject the cover and the stack of media in different orientations. The print control unit 20 can then accept, via the UI, the area of the cover that does not overlap with the stack of media (the protruding area Wa in FIG. 16) as the printing position. This allows the heading to be printed in an area of the cover that does not overlap with the media stack, making the heading easier to see and further improving usability.

[0068] The print control unit 20 according to this embodiment can also accept, via the UI, settings for multiple main groups, multiple subgroups belonging to a main group, and the number of copies of printed materials associated with a subgroup. When a print execution command is received in cover placement mode after a main group is selected from among the multiple main groups, the print control unit 20 places a cover on a stack of printed materials belonging to the subgroup as a media stack. This further improves usability.

[0069] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the copy function was executed via the operation panel 2 of the printing device 1, but functions equivalent to the above-described print data generation program 45 can also be realized in a computer 50 (see Figure 17) that has access to the printing device 1.

[0070] In FIG. 17, a computer 100 includes an operation unit 101, a display unit 102, a CPU 104, a RAM 1010, a ROM 106, a storage 108, and an I / F 107. The storage 108 is configured with an HDD (hard disk drive), an SSD (solid state drive), etc. The storage 108 stores an operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") 109, an application program 110, a printer driver 111, and print setting information 112.

[0071] The CPU 104 loads various programs stored in the ROM 106 and storage 108 into the RAM 105, which is a volatile memory, and executes them. The operation unit 101 is composed of a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse or a touchpad. The display unit 102 is configured by a liquid crystal display, etc. On this display unit 102, various UIs are realized by an OS 109, an application program 110, a printer driver 111, etc. The I / F 107 is a communication interface for connecting the computer 100 to a communication network, such as a local area network.

[0072] The application program 110 is a program that runs under the OS 109, and examples of which include word processing software. The printer driver 111 is a program that realizes functions equivalent to the print data generation program 45 described above, and is an example of a print data generation program. The printer driver 111 generates print data that can be sent to the printing device 1 according to the data generated by the application program 110 and print setting information 112.

[0073] The UI realized on the display unit 102 by the printer driver 111 can be the same as each UI shown in FIGS. That is, the printer driver 111, which generates print data based on the acquired printing conditions, causes the computer 100 to execute the following steps: a step of displaying on the display unit 102 a UI (see FIG. 9) that accepts settings for the printing position of a heading when a cover is placed on a media bundle that is a stack of printed media and when a heading is printed on the cover (step S101 in FIG. 4); and a step of generating print data by including the printing position acquired via the UI in the printing conditions (step S106 in FIG. 4). As a result, the user of the computer 100 can print the heading in a convenient position, thereby improving usability.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...printing device, 2...operation panel, 2a...rotating shaft, 3...touch panel, 4...power button, 10...printing unit, 12...scanner section, 14...main body section, 16...media storage section, 17A...first media cassette, 17B...second media cassette, 17C...third media cassette, 17D...fourth media cassette, 18...line head, 20...printing control section, 22...inner discharge section, 23...inner discharge tray, 24...relay unit, 30...post-processing unit, 32...device main body, 33...main tray, 34...stapler, 36...processing tray, 40...CPU, 41...RAM, 42...I / F, 43...non-volatile memory, 44...various control programs, 45...print data generation program, 46...print setting information, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 ...UI, 71...Execute button, 72...Basic settings tab, 73...Application settings tab, 74, 75...Icon, 76...Number of copies setting tab, 77...Finishing tab, 80...Icon, 100...Computer, 101...Operation unit, 102...Display unit, 103...Information processing unit, 104...CPU, 105...RAM, 106...ROM, 107...I / F, 108...Storage, 109...OS, 110...Application program, 111...Printer driver, 112...Print setting information, P1a, P1b...First medium, P2...Second medium, P3...Third medium, Pa1, Pa2, Pa3, Pa4...Cover, Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, Pt4...Media stack

Claims

1. A printing device having a printing unit that prints on a medium, an operation unit having a display unit for displaying various information and accepting various operation settings; a print control unit that displays a plurality of user interfaces on the display unit, and controls the print unit based on print conditions acquired via the operation unit; Equipped with the print control unit is capable of executing a cover arrangement mode in which, when discharging a plurality of medium bundles that are bundles of printed media, a cover is arranged for each medium bundle; The cover arrangement mode allows printing of a header on the cover, the print control unit is capable of receiving, via the user interface, a setting of a print position when printing the heading on the cover, and prints the heading based on the acquired print position; A printing device characterized by:

2. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, the print control unit prints the title on a surface that will become an upper surface of the cover when the cover is placed on the medium bundle; A printing device characterized by:

3. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, The user interface allows selection of whether the heading characters are written vertically or horizontally. A printing device characterized by:

4. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, the font size of the heading is configurable via the user interface; A printing device characterized by:

5. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, the font of the text in the heading is configurable via the user interface; A printing device characterized by:

6. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, A plurality of the printing positions can be set via the user interface. A printing device characterized by:

7. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, The cover arrangement mode allows for shift discharge in which the discharge position of the medium bundle is alternately shifted, the print control unit is capable of accepting, via the user interface, the area shifted by the shift ejection as the print position; A printing device characterized by:

8. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, a first medium cassette that accommodates the medium with the short side direction aligned with the feeding direction; a second medium cassette that accommodates the medium with the long side direction aligned with the feeding direction, In the cover arrangement mode, the cover and the medium bundle can be discharged in different orientations by selectively using the first medium cassette and the second medium cassette, the print control unit is capable of accepting, via the user interface, an area of the cover that does not overlap with the medium bundle as the print position; A printing device characterized by:

9. 9. The printing device according to claim 1, the print control unit is capable of accepting, via the user interface, settings of a plurality of main groups, a plurality of subgroups belonging to one of the main groups, and the number of copies of printed materials associated with one of the subgroups; When one of the main groups is selected and a print execution command in the cover arrangement mode is received, the print control unit sets a bundle of the printed materials belonging to one of the subgroups as the medium bundle and arranges a cover on the medium bundle. A printing device characterized by:

10. A print data generation program that generates print data based on the acquired print conditions, a step of displaying on a display device a user interface for accepting setting of a print position of a headline when a cover is to be placed on a medium bundle that is a bundle of printed mediums and when a headline is to be printed on the cover; generating print data by including the print position acquired via the user interface in the print conditions; Have the computer run A print data generating program comprising:

Images