Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program

Abstract

To solve such a problem that, when a post-processing mechanism is inserted into a sheet discharge part, a sheet discharge port becomes narrow, and sheet jams are likely to occur.SOLUTION: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention is an image processing apparatus that performs image processing for a printing apparatus to which a post-processing unit is attachable and detachable, and comprises: a setting unit that sets a printing mode when printing an image; and a generation unit that generates an image for presenting that there exists a second mode which is different from a first mode among a plurality of printing modes including the printing mode and in which an amount of ink used for printing the printing target image becomes smaller than that in the first mode when printing the same printing target image as the first mode in printing after the post-processing unit is mounted, and that the second mode can be selected as the printing mode set by the setting unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to image processing for a printing device with a detachable post-processing unit. [Background technology]

[0002] When using a printer in an office, post-printing processes can be time-consuming, such as sorting printed materials by number of copies when distributing meeting materials, proposals, and other printed materials, or stapling the sheets together.

[0003] Productivity can be improved by placing a mechanism equipped with a post-processing function in the paper discharge section of the printer and performing post-processing automatically.

[0004] On the other hand, if the mechanism is independent, it will take up a lot of space. Patent Document 1 proposes adding a post-processing mechanism without increasing the space by inserting a small post-processing mechanism into the paper discharge section of the printer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-70446 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when the post-processing mechanism is inserted into the paper discharge section, the paper discharge port becomes narrower, making paper jams (hereinafter also referred to as paper jams or jams) more likely to occur. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the image processing device of the present invention is an image processing device that performs image processing for a printing device to which a post-processing unit can be detachably attached, and is characterized by having a setting unit that sets a print mode when printing an image, and a generation unit that generates an image to present that there exists a second mode that is different from a first mode among a plurality of print modes including the first print mode, and that when printing the same image to be printed as in the first mode when printing after the post-processing unit is attached, the second mode uses less ink to print the image to be printed than the first mode, and that the second mode can be selected as the print mode to be set by the setting unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an appropriate printing operation while reducing paper jams before and after the installation of the post-processing mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image processing device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the flow of image processing. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of a printing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the paper discharge port of the printing device with a post-processing mechanism inserted. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a UI for print settings. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a UI for setting a post-processing function. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a curled state. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing ink ejection amount and curl. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between printing time and curl. [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart showing the overall processing of the first and second embodiments. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a printing operation table. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a curled state during double-sided printing. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the components described in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0011] (First embodiment) 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing system. An image processing device 101 is composed of a host PC, a tablet PC, or the like, and a CPU 102 executes various processes using a RAM 103 as a work area in accordance with programs stored in a HDD 104. For example, the CPU 102 generates image data that can be recorded by a printing device (recording device 108) in accordance with commands received from a keyboard / mouse or touch panel (not shown) via a keyboard / mouse I / F 106 and programs stored in the HDD 104. The CPU 102 then transfers the generated image data to the recording device 108.

[0012] The post-processing mechanism 116 (post-processing unit) is detachable from the recording device 108. Here, detachable means that it can be added to and installed in a recording device 108 that is capable of printing and paper discharge even without the post-processing mechanism 116. Note that when installing the post-processing mechanism 116, the paper discharge tray and its peripheral components that were used when the post-processing mechanism 116 was not installed may be removed to provide the space required for installing the post-processing mechanism 116. In other words, the post-processing mechanism 116 may be installed by not only adding components to the recording device 108 without reducing them, but also by replacing some of the components of the recording device 108. The opposite applies when removing the post-processing mechanism 116 to when installing the post-processing mechanism 116.

[0013] When the post-processing mechanism 116 is installed, it is connected to the recording device 108 and performs the desired post-processing in accordance with instructions from the control unit of the recording device. The post-processing here includes, for example, stapling to group multiple printed documents together, punching holes, and shift sorting.

[0014] Furthermore, the image processing device 101 performs predetermined processing on image data received from the recording device 108 via the data transfer I / F 107 in accordance with a program stored in the HDD 104. The processing results and various information are displayed on a display (not shown) via the display I / F 105.

[0015] Meanwhile, in the recording device 108, the CPU 111 executes various processes using the RAM 112 as a work area in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 113. The recording device 108 also includes an image processing accelerator 109 for performing high-speed image processing. The image processing accelerator 109 is hardware capable of executing image processing faster than the CPU 111. The image processing accelerator 109 is activated when the CPU 111 writes parameters and data required for image processing to a predetermined address in the RAM 112, and after reading the parameters and data, executes predetermined image processing on the data. From the above, the recording device 108 can also be considered an image processing device. In this case, the image processing device is included in the recording device 108 and becomes a part of the recording device 108. The CPU 111 and the image processing accelerator 109 are responsible for central control of the image processing device in the recording device 108. However, the image processing accelerator 109 is not an essential element, and equivalent processing can be executed by the CPU 111. The recording device 108 is a recording device using pigment inks of four colors, KCMY, and the ejection amount of each nozzle of the recording head 115 as a printing unit is set to 4 [pl].

[0016] <Image processing flow> 2 is a block diagram showing the flow of image data conversion processing in the printing system of this embodiment. The image data conversion processing of the recording device 108 will be described below.

[0017] The recording device 108 of this embodiment performs recording using four colors of ink: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The recording head 115 has nozzle rows that eject these four colors of ink. As shown in FIG. 2, each image processing in the printing system is performed by a personal computer (PC) as the image processing device 101 and the recording device 108.

[0018] Applications and printer drivers are programs that run on the operating system of the image processing apparatus 101. Examples of such applications include applications for creating documents and illustrations.

[0019] In application process J01, an application executes a process for generating image data corresponding to an image to be recorded (printed) by the recording device 108. The image data generated in application process J01 is passed to a printer driver. The printer driver of the image processing device 101 generates image data in a PDL (page-description language) format. Hereinafter, image data in the PDL format will be referred to as PDL data. PDL stands for page description language. An example of a PDL is Adobe's "PDF." PDL is widely used as an image format that can describe not only bitmaps but also vector data such as lines and characters.

[0020] The printer driver performs a process J02 for generating image data to be sent to the printer, which generates image data to be sent to the printer from the image data passed from the application. The image data to be sent to the printer is PDL data, and the printer driver generates the image data to be sent to the printer by adding a header section, such as setting information related to printing set through the user interface (UI) of the image processing device 101. The generated image data to be sent to the printer is sent from the I / F unit 202 of the image processing device 101 to the recording device 108 via the I / F unit 105 of the recording device 108, and is stored in the data buffer 106. Such image data in PDL format is sent from the image processing device 101 to the recording device 108.

[0021] The CPU 102 (image processing unit) of the recording device 108 performs image data analysis processing J03. In the image data analysis processing J03, image data in PDL format is sequentially read from the data buffer 106. Then, the CPU 102 (image processing unit) interprets the drawing commands included in the PDL data and converts the image data in PDL format (PDL data) into raster image data in a format similar to a bitmap. The converted raster image data is then stored in the data buffer 106. The CPU 102 (image processing unit) then performs image processing on the analyzed and converted raster image data.

[0022] The CPU 102 (image processing unit) performs color conversion processing J04 for matching colors between models, color separation processing J05, gamma correction processing J06, halftoning processing J07 which is binary quantization, and print data generation processing J08. Each process will now be briefly described.

[0023] In the ink separation process J05, color separation processing is performed to convert the 8-bit R, G, and B data obtained in the pre-processing J04 into color separation data (here, 8-bit C, M, Y, and K data) corresponding to the combination of inks that reproduces the color represented by this RGB data. Specifically, a conversion table (for example, a three-dimensional LUT (lookup table)) is used in which RGB data and CMYK data corresponding to the inks are associated one-to-one. The RGB data is converted into CMYK data by referencing this conversion table. For example, in a three-dimensional LUT, R, G, and B values, each expressed in 8 bits (0 to 255), are associated in advance with CMYK values, each expressed in 8 bits (0 to 255). Then, conversion from (R, G, B) = (0 to 255, 0 to 255, 0 to 255) to (C, M, Y, K) = (0 to 255, 0 to 255, 0 to 255, 0 to 255) is performed.

[0024] for example, If (R,G,B)=(0,0,0), Converted to (C,M,Y,K)=(0,0,0,255). If (R,G,B)=(255,255,255), then Converted to (C,M,Y,K)=(0,0,0,0). If (R,G,B)=(0,128,0), Converted to (C,M,Y,K)=(128,0,128,0).

[0025] In this embodiment, at least two types of such conversion tables (three-dimensional LUTs) are provided. The conversion table to be used is switched according to predetermined conditions. Details will be described later.

[0026] In the gamma correction process J06, tone value conversion is performed on each ink color data of the color separation data obtained in the color separation process J05. Specifically, by using a one-dimensional LUT corresponding to the tone characteristics of each color ink of the recording device 108, conversion is performed so that the color separation data linearly corresponds to the tone characteristics of the recording device 108.

[0027] In the halftoning process J07, a quantization process is performed to convert each of the 8-bit color separation data C, M, Y, and K into 1-bit data. In this embodiment, a binary dithering method is used to convert 256-level 8-bit data into 2-level 1-bit data. In the print data generation process J08, print data is generated by adding print control information to print image data containing 1-bit dot data. The generated print data is stored in the print buffer 102. The binary print data stored in the print buffer 102 is sequentially read by the CPU 102 and input to the head drive circuit, where drive process J09 is performed. In drive process J09, the 1-bit data for each color input to the head drive circuit is converted into drive pulses for the print head 103, which ejects ink at predetermined timing.

[0028] <Printing device details> The printing apparatus of this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0029] As an example of the recording device 108, the recording device 1 in FIG. 3 is a multifunction peripheral equipped with a printing unit 2 and a scanner unit 3. Various processes related to recording and reading operations can be performed by the printing unit 2 and the scanner unit 3 individually or in conjunction with each other. The scanner unit 3 is equipped with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) and an FBS (Flat Bed Scanner). Therefore, it is possible to read documents automatically fed by the ADF and to read (scan) documents placed on the platen of the FBS by the user. Note that although this embodiment is a multifunction peripheral equipped with both the printing unit 2 and the scanner unit 3, a configuration without the scanner unit 3 is also possible.

[0030] 3 shows the recording device 1 in a standby state, with neither recording nor reading operations being performed. In the printing unit 2, a first cassette 5A and a second cassette 5B for storing recording media (cut sheets) S are removably installed at the bottom vertically below the housing 4. The first cassette 5A stores relatively small recording media up to A4 size, while the second cassette 5B stores relatively large recording media up to A3 size, stacked flat. A first feeding unit 6A is provided near the first cassette 5A for separating and feeding the stored recording media one by one. Similarly, a second feeding unit 6B is provided near the second cassette 5B.

[0031] When a recording operation is performed, the recording medium S is selectively fed from one of the cassettes. The transport roller 7, discharge roller 12, pinch roller 7a, spur 7b, guide 18, inner guide 19, and flapper 11 form a transport mechanism for guiding the recording medium S in a predetermined direction. The transport rollers 7 are disposed upstream and downstream of the recording head 8 (platen 9) and are drive rollers driven by a transport motor. The pinch roller 7a is a driven roller that rotates together with the transport roller 7 while nipping the recording medium S. The discharge roller 12 is disposed downstream of the transport roller 7 and is a drive roller driven by a discharge motor. The spur 7b, together with the transport roller 7 and discharge roller 12 disposed downstream of the recording head 8 (platen 9), pinches and transports the recording medium S. The guide 18 is provided on the transport path of the recording medium S and guides the recording medium S in a predetermined direction. The inner guide 19 is a member extending in the y direction and has curved sides along which the recording medium S is guided. The flapper 11 is a member for switching the direction in which the recording medium S is conveyed during double-sided recording operation.

[0032] The discharge tray 13 included in the discharge section is a tray for stacking the recording medium S discharged by the discharge rollers 12 after the recording operation is completed.

[0033] The print head 8 of this embodiment is a full-line type color inkjet print head, and has a plurality of ejection ports that eject ink in accordance with print data, arranged in the y direction in FIG. 3, corresponding to the width of the print medium S. When the print head 8 is in the standby position, the ejection port surface 8a of the print head 8 faces vertically downward as shown in FIG. 3 and is capped by a cap unit 10. When performing a printing operation, a print controller 202, which will be described later, changes the orientation of the print head 8 so that the ejection port surface 8a faces a platen 9. The platen 9 is made up of a flat plate that extends in the y direction, and supports the rear surface of the print medium S on which the print head 8 performs the printing operation.

[0034] The ink tank unit 14 stores each of the four colors of ink to be supplied to the recording head 8. The ink supply unit 15 is provided in the middle of the flow path connecting the ink tank unit 14 and the recording head 8, and adjusts the pressure and flow rate of the ink inside the recording head 8 to an appropriate range. In this embodiment, a circulation type ink supply system is used, and the ink supply unit 15 adjusts the pressure of the ink supplied to the recording head 8 and the flow rate of the ink collected from the recording head 8 to an appropriate range. The maintenance unit 16 includes a cap unit 10 and a wiping unit 17, and operates these at predetermined times to perform maintenance operations on the recording head 8.

[0035] <About the after-treatment mechanism> The post-processing mechanism can be attached to the paper discharge section of the printing device. This makes it possible to use the post-processing function without increasing the footprint. Figure 7 is an excerpt of the paper discharge section of Figure 3. It also shows a post-processing mechanism 704 attached to the paper discharge section. The post-processing mechanism 704 is attached along the paper discharge tray 701, and a sensor 702 can determine whether it is attached or not.

[0036] Here, we will explain the post-processing mechanism. The post-processing mechanism has a shift sorting function, a punching function that performs punching, and a stapling function. Each will be explained briefly. The shift sorting function is a mechanism that shifts the stack of paper by the number of copies so that the stack can be separated by the number of copies after finishing. As will be explained in detail later, after printing, moisture is applied to the printed side of the media, which breaks the hydrogen bonds of the media and causes it to swell, causing the media to curl so that the printed side becomes convex. After ejection, the following media is ejected onto the preceding media, which is on the ejection tray in a curled state.

[0037] Without sorting, the left and right paper ejection positions are aligned, so media do not collide and cause paper jams. However, with shift sorting, the leading media is curled downward after ejection, and the following media enters it at the shifted position, causing the two media to collide. This collision makes jams more likely to occur.

[0038] The staple function automatically staples documents. When stapled documents are required for meetings, proposals, etc., the time required to create the documents can be significantly reduced. However, when stapling is applied, any misalignment in the stack is fixed in place, which results in an unattractive appearance, so higher alignment is required. In addition, the media must be clamped within the narrower opening of the stapler, making jams more likely to occur even with a small amount of curl.

[0039] The punch function punches holes in printed paper. The punched holes are generally bundled with rings or similar and then filed. If there is a large amount of misalignment, the alignment after filing will be poor, so a higher level of alignment is required. In addition, the media must be clamped within the puncher's narrow opening, making jams more likely to occur even with a small amount of curl.

[0040] <About print settings> As shown in Figure 4(a), the driver UI 401 for issuing print instructions to the printer allows the user to select from the following multiple print modes. For example, there is a print paper type selection 402, a print quality setting 403, a color mode 404, and a single-sided / double-sided setting 405. Here, print paper refers to, for example, plain paper, thin paper, or postcards. Furthermore, the print type refers to print settings with different print quality and speed, such as fine, standard, or draft. Furthermore, the color mode refers to color printing or monochrome printing settings, and the single-sided / double-sided setting allows the user to specify single-sided printing or double-sided printing.

[0041] <About post-processing settings> As shown in FIG. 4A, the driver UI 401, which is a UI image for instructing the printer to print, has a post-processing setting button 406. This setting can be selected only when the sensor 702 determines that a post-processing mechanism is installed. Specifically, if it is not determined that a post-processing mechanism is installed, the post-processing setting button 406 is not displayed and cannot be selected. Alternatively, the post-processing setting button 406 may be grayed out so that it cannot be selected.

[0042] When the post-processing setting button 406 is selected, a post-processing setting UI 407 such as that shown in Fig. 4(b) is displayed. The displayed UI includes a shift sort checkbox 408, a punch function checkbox 409, and a staple function checkbox 410. The user selects the desired post-processing step, and the post-processing mechanism executes the desired process in accordance with the instructions. Note that, although the above description has been given of an example in which the setting process shown in Fig. 4 is performed by the image processing device 101, it may also be performed by the recording device 108. In that case, the setting is performed via a panel input unit or the like connected to the recording device 108.

[0043] <The principle behind curling> Figure 5 shows the curl of a recording medium during single-sided printing. Inkjet printers often use water-based inks. Therefore, when an image is printed on only one side of the paper, water (the solvent component of the ink) penetrates the fibers of the paper, causing the surface of the paper to swell first. As a result, the surface curls and bulges. The water that has penetrated into the fibers of the paper then evaporates, causing the surface to shrink more than before printing. As a result, the paper curls with the printed side facing inward, as shown in Figure 5.

[0044] We will now explain in more detail the mechanism by which curl occurs. When moisture is applied to paper, the hydrogen bonds formed between the cellulose fibers in the paper are broken. In other words, the application of moisture causes the cellulose to swell and a chemical phenomenon to occur. At this time, the ink does not penetrate uniformly across the depth of the paper, with less ink being present in deeper areas. The part of the paper that has been used for ink, i.e., the fibers that have come into contact with water, swell, causing the paper to bend and curl in the opposite direction from the surface to which moisture has been applied, i.e., negative curl.

[0045] However, once the water in the cellulose has been absorbed, it gradually evaporates, and as the cellulose begins to shrink, the hydrogen bonds that were once broken begin to recombine. However, since the hydrogen bonds do not recombine at the same location as they were broken, but at a different location, the paper gradually bends and curls in the direction of the moisture-applied surface. In other words, a positive curl occurs.

[0046] Positive curl occurs when the reverse side curls toward the reverse side, creating a concave front side, while negative curl occurs when the reverse side curls toward the reverse side, creating a convex front side. Positive curl is particularly problematic when inkjet printing on plain paper. Positive curl can cause misalignment of the ejected printing medium or paper jams.

[0047] <Carl and Jam> Furthermore, a detailed description will be given of the phenomenon in which a paper jam occurs when a curled recording medium is ejected.

[0048] In inkjet printing, the amount of curl that occurs on the print medium varies depending on the print duty of the image or the amount of ink applied (amount applied). In particular, when a large amount of ink is applied, the curl of the print medium that occurs after printing tends to be large. Similarly, curling becomes large at low temperatures and low humidity.

[0049] Therefore, if the recording medium continues to be conveyed while it is still in a large curl and is discharged to the discharge tray of the recording device, the curl of the recording medium will increase because the curl will no longer be regulated in the conveyance path.Alternatively, if the recording medium is discharged to the discharge tray when its curl state is not stable, it may subsequently become significantly deformed.

[0050] Fig. 6(a) is a diagram showing the state of a recording medium discharged onto the discharge tray, and Fig. 6(b) is a diagram showing the state in which a subsequent recording medium is discharged while the recording medium previously placed on the discharge tray remains curled and raised.

[0051] In FIG. 6A, even if a recording medium is placed on the discharge tray, it will not come into contact with the subsequent recording medium discharged from the discharge outlet 603.

[0052] As is clear from Figure 6(b), when the preceding recording medium placed on the discharge tray is curled and raised, the following recording medium being discharged from the paper discharge port 603 rushes in and makes contact with it, causing the following recording medium to be pushed upward and deformed, resulting in a paper jam.

[0053] The curl of the preceding recording medium is reduced with the passage of time, and when the curl settles to a height lower than the position where the paper is discharged, the succeeding recording medium is discharged without coming into contact with the preceding recording medium, so that no paper jam occurs.

[0054] <Post-processing mechanism and paper jams> Here, we will use Figure 7 to explain paper jams when a post-processing mechanism is installed. H indicates the height from the paper discharge port 703 to the paper discharge tray 701 before the post-processing mechanism 704 is installed. Furthermore, H' indicates the height from the paper discharge port 703 to the paper discharge position of the post-processing mechanism 704 after the post-processing mechanism 704 is installed. As can be seen from Figure 7, installing the post-processing mechanism 704 narrows the stacking height of the paper discharge section. However, as mentioned above, curl occurs during printing. When the post-processing mechanism 704 is installed, the stacking height is narrowed, so the amount of curl must be reduced compared to when the post-processing mechanism 704 is not installed, making it less likely for paper jams to occur.

[0055] <Amount of ink and curl> The more moisture is applied per unit area of ​​the paper, the deeper the moisture penetrates into the paper. Hydrogen bonds are broken in the depth direction of the paper, and the number of fibers participating in the curl increases, so the degree of curl increases depending on the ink application amount. The relationship between ink application amount and curl amount is explained in detail below.

[0056] FIG. 8(a) is a diagram showing the directions in which paper tends to curl. As mentioned above, paper has a fiber direction (grain), and the paper used in this embodiment is configured with fibers flowing in the vertical direction. In this case, the paper tends to curl in the horizontal direction. In particular, when the ink amount is low (3.0 ng / dpi), the occurrence of vertical and horizontal curls is roughly the same, but when the ink amount is high (20.0 ng / dpi), horizontal curls occur more easily than vertical curls.

[0057] Figure 8(b) shows the results of investigating the relationship between the amount of ink applied and the amount of initial curl (curl) using the following method. Using an inkjet printer, solid printing was performed on plain paper with a constant amount of ink, and the amount of curl was measured immediately after the paper was ejected from the printer. For curl measurement, the time when printing was completed was set to time 0. After ejection, the paper was turned face down with the printed side down and the maximum height (H) of the curl above the edge of the paper (back curl) was measured at four points, and the average value was calculated for evaluation.

[0058] As is clear from the figure, in areas where the ink ejection amount is small, the amount of curl increases as the ink ejection amount increases.

[0059] The reason for this behavior is that curling is determined by the difference in stretch (tension) between the front and back of the paper, and when the amount of ink applied is small, the paper stretches a lot and curls more.When the amount of ink applied exceeds a certain amount, the amount of water that penetrates into the paper increases, reducing the difference in stretch (tension) between the front and back of the paper, and the curl no longer changes.

[0060] <Speed ​​and Curl> Figure 9(a) shows the relationship between the amount of curl and the time elapsed after printing. The horizontal axis of the figure shows the time elapsed since the ink was applied, and the vertical axis shows the amount of curl. The amount of curl was measured in the same way as described above, by printing a solid image on plain paper with a constant amount of ink, and measuring the amount of change from immediately after the paper was ejected from the printer.

[0061] As shown in the figure, there is a lot of initial curl immediately after the ink is applied, and the amount of curl decreases over time. However, it can be seen that the final amount of curl tends to increase over time. The reason for this curl behavior is that immediately after printing, the surface of the paper swells, causing the curl to rise on the surface. After that, the moisture that has penetrated into the paper evaporates, causing the surface to shrink more than before printing, and the paper curls with the printed side facing inward.

[0062] In response to this behavior, paper jams caused by contact with the following recording medium can be prevented by delaying the discharge of the preceding recording medium until the maximum amount of initial curl of the preceding recording medium is lower than the position corresponding to the height of the paper discharge outlet of the paper discharge tray inside the recording device.

[0063] 9(b) shows the relationship shown in FIG. 9(a) and the amount of curl that occurs when printing at print speeds equivalent to standard mode and draft mode in this embodiment. Standard mode has a slower print speed than draft mode, and in standard mode, the amount of initial curl exceeds the allowable curl amount.

[0064] For example, if printing continues in standard mode without changing the printing speed, depending on the amount of ink applied to the print sample, the succeeding recording medium may come into contact with the preceding recording medium, causing a paper jam.

[0065] The curl of the preceding recording medium decreases over time. If the curl settles to a height lower than the position where the paper is discharged, the succeeding recording medium is discharged without coming into contact with the preceding recording medium, so paper jams do not occur. In other words, by slowing down the printing speed, the time from the start of printing to paper discharge can be extended, and the amount of curl after discharge can be reduced.

[0066] Therefore, it is clear that it is preferable to set the printing speed based on the relationship between the printing speed and the curl amount described above.

[0067] <Printing operation when post-processing mechanism is installed> Based on the above, curl reduction in this embodiment will be described.

[0068] As mentioned above, the installation of the post-processing mechanism narrows the paper outlet, making paper jams more likely to occur. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the amount of curl after printing when the post-processing mechanism is installed compared to before the installation.

[0069] As mentioned above, one way to reduce the amount of curl is to slow down the printing speed, for example by adjusting the wait time during printing, the carriage scanning speed, or by increasing the number of printing passes.

[0070] Now, let's consider the print time when printing without a post-processing mechanism. If the print quality 403 is set to standard mode (first mode) in the print settings from the print setting UI as shown in Figure 4(a), printing will take t (seconds). Also, if a mode different from standard mode uses a relatively small amount of ink when printing the same image to be printed as in standard mode, such as draft mode (second mode), printing will take s (seconds).

[0071] Next, consider the printing time when printing after installing the post-processing mechanism. If the print quality 403 is set to standard mode in the print settings from the print setting UI, printing will take a print time of t' (seconds).

[0072] The relationship between the printing times is t'>t>s (seconds). That is, since it is necessary to reduce the amount of curl after printing after installing the post-processing mechanism compared to before installing it, t' is the longest printing time.

[0073] As mentioned above, if less ink is used during printing, the amount of curl will also be less, making paper jams less likely to occur. Modes that use less ink than standard mode include, for example, draft mode, rough sketch mode, and eco mode, which are modes for checking layouts and print with less ink to conserve ink consumption. Furthermore, as mentioned above, monochrome mode is also a mode that uses less ink.

[0074] In these modes that use a small amount of ink, the amount of curl is small, so there is no need to slow down the speed even when the post-processing mechanism is installed. Alternatively, the degree to which the speed is slowed down (the degree of speed reduction) can be controlled to be small. In other words, by changing the degree to which the speed is slowed down depending on the printing mode before and after installing the post-processing mechanism, it is possible to prevent a decrease in printing productivity.

[0075] Based on the above, the operation of the printing device (recording device 108) when the post-processing mechanism is installed will be described using Figure 10. Each step is executed or controlled by the CPU 111. Each process (step) in the flowchart is indicated by a reference number beginning with S. As mentioned above, each step may be executed or controlled by the CPU 102 of the image processing device 101, rather than the recording device 108.

[0076] In S101, the attachment of the post-processing mechanism is detected by a sensor. As shown in Fig. 7, when the post-processing mechanism is attached, a sensor 702 detects that the post-processing mechanism has been attached.

[0077] In S102, a signal is received from the sensor 702 to detect that the post-processing mechanism has been attached, and a post-processing attachment flag, which is held in the RAM 112 and indicates whether or not the post-processing mechanism is attached, is set to ON.

[0078] In S103, a print instruction is input from the print setting UI 401 by the user.

[0079] In S104, in accordance with the print instruction input in S103, the print operation table in ROM 113 is referenced, the corresponding print operation program is read out, and the program is loaded into RAM 103.

[0080] In S105, the printing time required when the print settings corresponding to the print instruction in S103 are used is estimated. The printing time is estimated by reading the printing time from the printing operation table described below. The read printing times are compared between modes as described below.

[0081] <Print settings and print time> Print settings and print time will be explained using Figure 11. The print operation table is a table like the one shown in Figure 11. In the table, a print operation number is set for each combination of print condition settings, such as whether a post-processing mechanism is installed or not, and the print mode. The desired print operation program is read out based on this print operation number. Note that although an example using a table has been described above, the table may be realized in a different way as long as each combination of print condition settings is linked to a corresponding print operation.

[0082] The correspondence between combinations of printing condition settings and printing operations is explained using an example. When the post-processing installation flag is OFF and standard mode is selected, print number A-00 is associated, and when draft mode is selected, print number A-01 is associated. When the post-processing installation flag is ON and standard mode is selected, print number B-00 is associated, and when draft mode is selected, print number B-01 is associated.

[0083] Here, the operating program is set so that A-00 prints in t seconds, A-01 prints in s seconds, B-00 prints in t' seconds, and B-01 prints in s' seconds. In this case, the relationship t' (seconds) > t (seconds) > s' (seconds) = s (seconds), and t' (seconds) is the longest printing time. Alternatively, the relationship s' (seconds) > s (seconds) is acceptable, as long as the rate of increase of s' (seconds) relative to s (seconds) is smaller than the rate of increase of t' (seconds) relative to t (seconds). In other words, the CPU 111, which is the control unit, controls printing so that the degree of speed reduction in printing after the post-processing unit is installed compared to before the post-processing unit is smaller in draft mode than in standard mode.

[0084] With this relationship, even if a post-processing mechanism is installed, in print modes that do not require jam prevention measures, the printing time does not increase or the increase in time can be suppressed, thereby preventing a decrease in printing productivity.

[0085] Here, the print time can be estimated by reading the print time associated with the print number from the table as described above, or by using a simple calculation formula, etc. If a simple calculation formula is used, the table capacity can be reduced, and memory can be saved.

[0086] Estimation of print time will be described using an example. The following describes a case where the print instruction in S103 is set to ON, print quality is standard, and no double-sided setting. In this case, the print number is B-00 in FIG. 11, and the estimated print time is t'. That is, as shown in the table in FIG. 11, depending on the print settings, the print time may be shorter than t'. Therefore, in this embodiment, in such a case, the obtained print mode is notified to the user by being presented on the UI as a print setting candidate that can shorten the print time. Then, by accepting a user instruction in response to the presentation, it is possible to switch to a faster print setting.

[0087] In S106, alternative print setting candidates (hereinafter also referred to as alternative print setting candidates) are determined and presented to the user by displaying them on the UI. According to Fig. 11, the print settings that can be selected when the post-processing installation flag remains ON are draft print quality, no double-sided setting, print number B-01, and printing with a print time of s' (seconds).

[0088] 13A shows an image for presenting a UI screen 1301 recommending a change to high-speed print settings as a UI. By displaying the UI screen 1301 and accepting a user's press of a change button 1302 (S107), the print settings can be reset to the alternative print setting candidates (S108). Note that the print setting UI 401 may be displayed with draft selected as the print quality so that the user can confirm the print settings.

[0089] Furthermore, if the "Do Not Change" button 1303 is pressed after the UI screen 1301 is displayed, the selection is made not to change to the alternative candidate, and the print settings of S104 are used as they are.

[0090] Based on the print settings set above, the CPU 102 or CPU 111 executes the operation program (S109).

[0091] In the above embodiment, the case of draft mode has been described as a recommended setting for changing to the high-speed print setting, but alternative print settings are not limited to draft mode, and include eco mode, draft mode, monochrome mode, etc. When printing the same image to be printed, if there is a second mode that uses less ink to print the image to be printed than the first mode and causes less curl, high-speed printing is possible and this can be an alternative print setting.

[0092] In addition, in the example of estimating the printing time in S105, the printing time estimate is read from a table or calculated using a formula, but if the printing time difference is clear without performing these steps, this estimation process itself can be skipped. For example, there is generally a clear difference in speed between standard and draft print quality, with draft printing being faster. In this case, if the print quality is set to standard, there is no need to estimate the printing time; simply assign draft, which has a higher printing speed, as an alternative candidate.

[0093] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, a print mode that uses a small amount of ink was described as an example of a print mode with a small amount of curl. In this embodiment, a case where double-sided printing is used as a print mode with a small amount of curl will be described. Below, the relationship between double-sided printing and curl will be described, and then the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0094] <Double-sided printing and curl> As explained above, when an image is printed on paper, the printing medium, water (the solvent component of the ink) penetrates the paper fibers and evaporates, causing the recording medium to curl. This curling occurs not only with single-sided printing but also with double-sided printing. However, with double-sided printing, the difference in the amount of ink applied to the front and back of the paper affects the degree of curling. If this difference is large, a difference in swelling and shrinkage rates occurs, causing the paper to curl.

[0095] Figure 12 shows the curl of a recording medium during double-sided printing. Figure 12(a) shows the curl when the difference in ink amount between the front and back sides is small, and Figure 12(b) shows the curl when the difference in ink amount between the front and back sides is large. Figure 12(c) is a diagram that schematically shows the relationship between the difference in ink amount between the front and back sides and the amount of curl.

[0096] As can be seen from the diagram, curling occurs when the difference in ink volume between the front and back sides is large. In other words, curling is less likely to occur when the difference in ink volume between the front and back sides is small. In single-sided printing, the ink volume is present on only one side, whereas in double-sided printing, the ink volume is present on both sides, so the difference in ink volume between the front and back sides is smaller in double-sided printing than in single-sided printing. Therefore, if double-sided printing is set, the amount of curling is less than in single-sided printing, making jams less likely to occur, and there is no need to slow down the speed compared to single-sided printing.

[0097] <Printing operation when post-processing mechanism is installed> The printing operation of this embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0098] The correspondence between combinations of printing condition settings, including those for double-sided printing, and printing operations will be explained using the example in Figure 11. When the post-processing installation flag is OFF and standard mode is selected, print number A-00 is associated, and when double-sided printing is selected even in standard mode (hereinafter also referred to as double-sided setting), print number A-10 is associated. When the post-processing installation flag is ON and standard mode is selected, print number B-00 is associated, and when double-sided setting is selected even in standard mode, print number B-10 is associated.

[0099] Here, the operation program is set so that A-00 prints in t (seconds), A-10 prints in u (seconds), B-00 prints in t' (seconds), and B-10 prints in u' (seconds). In this case, the relationship is t' (seconds) > t (seconds) > u' (seconds) = u (seconds), and t' (seconds) is the operation that will print in the longest time. The relationship can also be u' (seconds) > u (seconds), as long as the rate of increase of u' (seconds) relative to u (seconds) is smaller than the rate of increase of t' (seconds) relative to t (seconds).

[0100] With this relationship, even if a post-processing mechanism is installed, in print modes that do not require jam prevention measures, the print time does not increase or the increase in time can be suppressed, thereby preventing a decrease in printing productivity.

[0101] The estimation of the print time in S105 in this embodiment will be described using an example. The following describes a case where the post-processing installation flag is set to ON, the print quality is set to standard, and there is no double-sided setting as the print instruction in S103. In this case, the print number is B-00 as shown in FIG. 11, and the estimated print time is t'. In other words, depending on the print settings, the print time may be shorter than t'.

[0102] Therefore, in this embodiment, in such a case, in S106, print setting candidates that can shorten the printing time are presented to the user via the UI, and by accepting a user instruction in response to the presentation, it is possible to switch to faster print settings. Specifically, alternative print setting candidates (hereinafter also referred to as alternative print setting candidates) are determined and presented to the user by displaying them on the UI. According to FIG. 11, the print settings that can be selected with the post-processing installation flag left ON include standard print quality, double-sided setting, print number B-10, and printing in print time u' (seconds).

[0103] FIG. 13B shows a UI screen 1305 recommending a change to high-speed print settings. The UI screen 1305 is displayed, allowing the user to select an appropriate print setting from multiple candidate print settings. Selectable print setting candidates include draft mode 1306, monochrome mode 1307, and double-sided mode 1308. An example is shown in which the double-sided mode 1308 radio button is selected. The change is set by the user pressing an OK button 1310 (S107), and the setting can be reset as an alternative print setting (S108). If no change is desired, the "Do not change" radio button 1309 can be selected. In this case, the print settings of S103 are used as is. Based on the print settings set above, the CPU 102 executes an operating program (S109).

[0104] The alternative print setting candidates described above enable high-speed printing, but result in changes in image quality, such as a rough draft-level resolution, low ink volume and low density, or converting color documents to monochrome. Therefore, the UI format provides radio buttons along with text that clarifies the print quality, allowing users to select the setting, or to choose not to change the image quality. This allows users to understand the changes in image quality and achieve an acceptable image quality level while still achieving high-speed printing within that level. While text is used above, any text indicating a change in image quality can be used, such as an icon.

[0105] In this embodiment, double-sided printing has been described as a print mode with a small amount of curl, but the print time can also be set by combining double-sided printing with the low ink ejection mode of the first embodiment. Also, while standard mode and draft mode have been described as examples, high quality or fine mode (high ink ejection amount) and standard mode (low ink ejection amount) may be used as long as the ink ejection amount is different. Furthermore, because the ink ejection amount is reduced, an operating program with a short print time can be used when UCR (Under Color Remove) processing is ON.

[0106] Furthermore, although the above embodiment has been described using a serial head as an example, a line head may also be used. In the case of a line head, the amount of ink applied to the paper surface at one time is large, and therefore the amount of curl is expected to be large, and this embodiment can provide a significant effect.

[0107] This embodiment can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0108] The present disclosure also includes the following configurations and methods.

[0109] [Configuration 1] An image processing device that performs image processing for a printing device to which a post-processing unit is detachable, a setting unit for setting a print mode when printing an image; a generating unit that generates an image to indicate that there exists a second mode, which is different from a first mode among a plurality of printing modes including the printing mode, and in which, when the same image to be printed as in the first mode is to be printed in printing after the post-processing unit is attached, the amount of ink used to print the image to be printed is less than that in the first mode, and that the second mode is selectable as the printing mode to be set by the setting unit; 1. An image processing device comprising:

[0110] [Configuration 2] 2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second mode includes a plurality of modes.

[0111] [Configuration 3] 3. The image processing device according to configuration 2, wherein the generating unit generates an image for receiving an instruction to select one of the plurality of modes.

[0112] [Configuration 4] 4. The image processing device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the second mode allows printing in a shorter time than the first mode.

[0113] [Configuration 5] 5. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the image generated by the generation unit is an image including content indicating that the image quality will change when printed in the first mode.

[0114] [Configuration 6] 6. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the image generated by the generating unit is an image including a UI that allows a selection not to change the first mode.

[0115] [Configuration 7] 7. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the generation unit determines whether the second mode exists by estimating printing times required for the plurality of printing modes.

[0116] [Configuration 8] A program for causing a computer to function as each part of the image processing device according to any one of the first to seventh configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 108 Recording Device 109 Image Processing Accelerator 110 Data transfer interface 111 CPU 112 RAM 113 ROM

Claims

1. An image processing device that performs image processing for a printing device to which a post-processing unit is detachable, a setting unit for setting a print mode when printing an image; a generating unit that generates an image to indicate that there exists a second mode, which is different from a first mode among a plurality of printing modes including the printing mode, and in which, when the same image to be printed as in the first mode is to be printed in printing after the post-processing unit is attached, the amount of ink used to print the image to be printed is less than that in the first mode, and that the second mode is selectable as the printing mode to be set by the setting unit; 1. An image processing device comprising:

2. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the second mode includes a plurality of modes.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the generating unit generates an image for receiving an instruction to select one of the plurality of modes.

4. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second mode allows printing in a shorter time than the first mode.

5. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image generated by the generating unit is an image including a content indicating that image quality will change when printed in the first mode.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the image generated by the generating unit is an image including a UI that allows selection without changing the first mode.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the generation unit determines whether the second mode exists by estimating printing times required for the plurality of printing modes.

8. A program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An image processing method for performing image processing for a printing device to which a post-processing unit is detachable, comprising: a setting step of setting a print mode when printing an image; a generating step of generating an image for indicating that there exists a second mode, which is different from a first mode among a plurality of printing modes including the printing mode, and in which, when the same image to be printed as in the first mode is printed in printing after the installation of the post-processing unit, the amount of ink used to print the image to be printed is less than that in the first mode, and that the second mode is selectable as the printing mode to be set in the setting step; An image processing method comprising:

Images