Information processing device, information processing method

Abstract

To provide technology that facilitates color settings to ensure consistent color impressions across different content. [Solution] Print settings are configured to ensure consistent color appearance across multiple content items to be printed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to color settings.

Background Art

[0002] In order to create a world view such as a brand, a unified design may be deployed on a plurality of different items such as advertising media, promotional materials, and products. Such multiple commercial materials having the same design are called collateral. When creating collateral, printing on various media may be performed using multiple types of printers. At this time, aligning the color impression regardless of the printer or the media is one of the important quality items.

[0003] However, in a general printing method by a printer, in the printing systems provided by each printer manufacturer, the printing color is optimized according to the usage purpose of the printer and the media. Therefore, even when the range of colors that can be expressed as a printer device is the same, it is difficult to align the color impression. In a printing / display system that prints by combining multiple types of printers and various media, in order to align the color impression, it is necessary to appropriately perform various color settings according to each printing system and printing conditions each time. In the workflow from design production to printing, color-related settings exist in three places: the monitor, applications such as design production, and the printer. Furthermore, there are various color settings such as monitor display color settings, design work color space settings, device color settings to be simulated (color settings for calibration conditions), and printer printing color settings. In order to appropriately perform these color settings, high knowledge and skills are required for the color management system (hereinafter, CMS), the design production environment, and the printing system.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a printing setting program for facilitating appropriate color settings for reflecting the color adjustment of printer printing colors performed in the working color space of an application such as design production in the printer printing colors.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5690763 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, when printing various images using multiple types of printers and various media, it has been difficult to easily implement color settings to ensure consistent color appearance. This invention provides a technology to facilitate color settings for consistent color appearance across different content. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising setting means for performing print settings to ensure consistent color appearance among multiple contents to be printed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology for facilitating color settings to ensure consistent color impressions across different content. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing an example configuration of a color setting management system. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of a computer device hardware configuration. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a computer device. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example configuration of settings screen 4000. [Figure 5A] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the color settings management system. [Figure 5B] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the color settings management system. [Figure 6]A diagram showing a configuration example of a screen 6000 for setting detailed options. [Figure 7] A diagram showing a configuration example of a setting screen 4000. [Figure 8] A diagram showing a display example of a screen 8000. [Figure 9] A flowchart of the operation of a color setting management system. [Figure 10] A diagram showing a display example of a setting screen 10000. [Figure 11] A diagram showing a display example of a screen 11000. [Figure 12] A diagram showing a display example of a setting screen 12000. [Figure 13] A flowchart of the operation of a color setting management system. [Figure 14] A diagram showing a display example of a setting screen 14000. [Figure 15] A diagram showing a display example of a setting screen 15000. [Figure 16] A flowchart of the operation of a color setting management system. [Figure 17] A diagram showing a display example of a setting screen 17000. [Figure 18] A diagram showing a display example of a setting screen 18000. [Figure 19] An example of production kit product information. [Figure 20] A flowchart of the operation of a color setting management system.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0011] [First Embodiment] First, the terms used in this embodiment are defined as follows.

[0012] (Color gamut) The color gamut refers to the range of colors that can be reproduced in any given color space, and is also called the color range, color space, or gamut. The color gamut volume is an indicator of the size of the color gamut. The color gamut volume is the volume of the color gamut in any given color space. The chromaticity points that constitute the color gamut can be discrete. For example, a specific color gamut may be represented by 729 points on the CIE-L*a*b* matrix, and the points between them may be determined using known interpolation methods such as tetrahedron interpolation or cubic interpolation. In such cases, the color gamut volume of the color gamut can be calculated by determining and accumulating the volumes of the tetrahedrons or cubes on the CIE-L*a*b* matrix that constitute the color gamut, corresponding to the interpolation method used.

[0013] While the color gamut is not limited to a specific color space, in this embodiment, the color gamut in the CIE-L*a*b* space is used as an example. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the numerical value of the color gamut represents the volume calculated cumulatively in the CIE-L*a*b* space, assuming tetrahedral interpolation.

[0014] (Gamut mapping) Gamut mapping refers to the conversion between different color gamuts, such as mapping from an input color gamut to an output color gamut. Conversion within the same color gamut is not called gamut mapping. Common ICC profiles include Perceptual, Saturation, and Colorimetric. Mapping can be performed using a single 3DLUT. Alternatively, mapping can be performed after color space conversion to a standard color space. For example, if the input color space is sRGB, it can be converted to the CIE-L*a*b* color space. Then, the mapping process is performed to the output color gamut within the CIE-L*a*b* color space. Mapping can be performed using a 3DLUT, or it can be performed using a conversion formula. Conversion between the input and output color spaces can also be performed simultaneously. For example, the input color space may be sRGB, and the output may be converted to RGB or CMYK values ​​specific to the recording device.

[0015] (Production content) The content to be produced is the input digital data to be processed, and it can be a single page or a multi-page file. A single page can be stored as image data or represented as drawing commands. If it is represented as drawing commands, rendering may be performed to convert it to image data before processing. Image data is a two-dimensional array of pixels. Each pixel holds information representing color within a color space. This information can include RGB values, CMYK values, K values, CIE-L*a*b* values, LCH values, HSV values, and HLS values.

[0016] <Color Setting Management System> To ensure consistent color appearance across multiple content pieces using the same design, across different printing systems and conditions (applications, printers, media), it's necessary to apply appropriate color settings to each system and condition. In other words, such printing requires a high level of knowledge and skill regarding color and each printing system.

[0017] In view of these points, this embodiment describes a color setting management system that enables printing of multiple production contents of the same design with a consistent color impression, without requiring advanced knowledge or skills regarding colors or individual printing systems, and without complicated procedures.

[0018] Next, an example of the configuration of the color setting management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. In the color setting management system, the management device 100 and the base stations 170a, 170b, and 170c are connected via the network 160.

[0019] Network 160 can be, for example, a local area network (LAN), the internet, or an intranet. Network 160 may be a wired network, a wireless network, or a network that includes both wired and wireless networks.

[0020] Locations 170a to 170c correspond to the locations of company stores or printing companies where printers are installed. For example, a management device 100 is installed at the company headquarters, and each company branch (locations 170a to 170c) prints the production content using the printers installed in their respective stores, according to the production project management information specified at the headquarters. For example, location 170a corresponds to a printing location in Tokyo, location 170b to a printing location in Osaka, and location 170c to a printing location in Fukuoka.

[0021] Site 170a has a control device 110, a monitor 120, printers 130a to 130c, and a measuring instrument 150. In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that sites 170b and 170c also have a control device 110, a monitor 120, printers 130a to 130c, and a measuring instrument 150. However, the system configuration is not limited to all sites being the same; any system capable of performing processing such as printing based on jobs transmitted (issued) from the management device 100 may have different system configurations for each site. In the following explanation, site 170a will be used as an example, but this explanation is also applicable to sites 170b and 170c.

[0022] The management device 100 is connected to the control device 110 via the network 160 so that they can communicate with each other. The management device 100 sets print settings, including color settings and printing conditions, for each production content included in the production project, generates a print job including said print settings, and transmits the generated print job to the control device 110.

[0023] The management device 100 can generate and send jobs to locations, such as design creation jobs by applications, submission jobs to printing companies, monitor color proofing jobs to printing companies, and printing jobs to printers. The following describes a case in which the management device 100 generates a print job and sends it to the control device 110.

[0024] Alternatively, instead of the management device 100 sending design production jobs to other devices, the management device 100 may have its own design production function for the production content and manage the project settings for design production.

[0025] The control device 110 is connected to the measuring instrument 150 at site 170a via a communication network such as a USB cable or an intranet, enabling mutual communication. The control device 110 controls the operation of the measuring instrument 150 and acquires measurement data output from the measuring unit 150.

[0026] The monitor 120 is connected to the control unit 110. The monitor 120 has an LCD screen or a touch panel screen and can display various user interface screens (UI screens) generated by the control unit 110.

[0027] Furthermore, the control device 110 is connected to printers 130a to 130c via a communication network such as an intranet, enabling it to communicate with each other. It obtains device information for each printer and issues printing instructions for the created content to each printer. The device information for each printer includes information such as paper type and printer profile.

[0028] The control device 110 issues print instructions to printers 130a to 130c in accordance with the color settings (settings for the target color of the content being printed) included in the print settings included in the print job received from the management device 100, so that the color impression matches the target color.

[0029] Furthermore, the generation of color profiles to match the target color and color impression under each printing condition, and color processing using color profiles, may be performed by either the control device 110 or the printers 130a to 130c.

[0030] Printers 130a to 130c print images onto a printing medium such as paper, for example, using electrophotographic process technology, based on print instructions from the control device 110. Printers 130a, 130b, and 130c may be color printers or monochrome printers. Printers 130a, 130b, and 130c may also be printers based on other image formation technologies such as inkjet.

[0031] Note that printers 130a, 130b, and 130c are just examples of printing devices; a multifunction device that includes copying and faxing functions in addition to printing functions may also be used as the printing device.

[0032] The measuring instrument 150 is a spectrometer that measures the color value of an object based on the reflectance or transmittance of visible light having a wavelength of approximately 400 nm to 700 nm. The measuring instrument 150 measures each color patch on a printed medium on which a chart (including multiple color patches) has been printed by printers 130a, 130b, and 130c, for example, which are provided at each site. The measuring instrument 150 converts the wavelength obtained for each patch through this measurement into a value in, for example, the L*a*b* color space or the XYZ color space, and outputs the converted value data as measurement data.

[0033] Note that the color setting management system configuration shown in Figure 1 is just one example, and the number of locations and the configuration of equipment within each location can be changed as appropriate. For example, if the management device 100 is installed in each of locations 170a to 170c, the management device 100 can be directly connected to the printers and measuring instruments, and the management device 100 can issue jobs and print instructions to the printers without going through the control device 110.

[0034] Alternatively, the management device 100 may issue a job to the control device 110, and the control device 110, upon receiving the job, may set or change setting information such as printing conditions for the job. Alternatively, an information processing device equipped with the functions of both the management device 100 and the control device 110 may be provided at each location.

[0035] Thus, in this embodiment, the configuration allows for setting color-related parameters for a production project that includes multiple production contents. This configuration makes it easy to manage color settings to ensure consistent color appearance in a printing / display system that uses multiple types of printers and various media, without depending on the printing system of each individual printer.

[0036] Figure 3 shows a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a computer device applicable to the management device 100, the control device 110, and the printer. The functional units shown in Figure 3 may be implemented in hardware or in software (computer programs). In the latter case, a computer device capable of executing such software can be applied to the management device 100 and the control device 110. An example of the hardware configuration of such a computer device will be explained using the block diagram in Figure 2. Such a computer device can be, for example, a general-purpose notebook / desktop personal computer, a server terminal, a tablet terminal, etc.

[0037] The CPU 101 executes various processes using computer programs and data stored in the RAM 103. In doing so, the CPU 101 controls the operation of the entire computer system and also executes or controls various processes described as those performed by the management device 100 and control device 110 to which the computer system is applied.

[0038] ROM102 stores configuration data for the computer device, computer programs and data related to the startup of the computer device, computer programs and data related to the basic operation of the computer device, and so on.

[0039] RAM103 has areas for storing computer programs and data loaded from ROM102 and HDD104, and areas for storing computer programs and data received from external devices via network I / F107. Furthermore, RAM103 has areas for storing data received from external devices via external device I / F108, and a work area used by CPU101 when executing various processes. In this way, RAM103 can provide various areas as appropriate.

[0040] HDD104 is an example of a non-volatile large-capacity information storage device. HDD104 stores computer programs and data that cause the CPU101 to execute or control various processes, which are described as processes performed by the OS, management device 100, and control device 110.

[0041] The display unit 105 has an LCD screen or a touch panel screen and can display the processing results of the CPU 101 as images, text, etc. The display unit 105 may also be a projection device such as a projector that projects images and text.

[0042] The operation unit 106 is a user interface such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel screen, which allows the user to input various instructions to the computer device through operation.

[0043] Network I / F 107 is an interface for connecting the computer device to the network 160 described above, and the computer device communicates data with devices on the network 160 via Network I / F 107.

[0044] The external device interface 108 is an interface for connecting external devices such as the monitor 120, measuring instrument 150, and printers 130a to 130c to the computer device. The computer device communicates data with external devices such as the monitor 120, measuring instrument 150, and printers 130a to 130c via a communication bus such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) connected to the external device interface 108.

[0045] The CPU 101, ROM 102, RAM 103, HDD 104, display unit 105, control unit 106, network interface 107, and external device interface 108 are all connected to the system bus 109.

[0046] Note that the configuration shown in Figure 2 is an example of a hardware configuration for a computer device applicable to the management device 100, control device 110, and printer, and can be modified as appropriate. In the following, the functional unit in Figure 3 may be described as the main processing unit, but in reality, the function of the functional unit is realized by the CPU 101 executing the computer program corresponding to that functional unit.

[0047] Next, the operation of the color setting management system according to this embodiment will be explained according to the flowchart in Figure 5A(a).

[0048] In step S501, the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 displays the setting screen 4000, as illustrated in Figure 4, on the display unit 105 of the management device 100. The user operates the setting screen 4000 using the operation unit 106 to perform various operations related to the production project. As a result, the setting unit 304 performs settings related to the production project managed by the management unit 301.

[0049] From this point forward, the UI control unit 303 controls the display of screens on the display unit 105, including the settings screen 4000, and accepts user operations on the screen. The settings screen 4000 is the settings screen for an application used to manage production projects, and includes an area 4100 and a window 4200.

[0050] Area 4100 is an area for displaying a tree structure where each production project managed by the application is the parent node, and each production content included in that project is a child node.

[0051] Area 4100 displays a tree with icon 4110 as the parent node, corresponding to the production project for the 2024 sports day, and icon 4111, corresponding to the poster which is a production content included in the project, and icon 4112, corresponding to the flyer which is a production content included in the project, as child nodes. This tree display allows the user to see that the production project for the 2024 sports day includes a poster corresponding to icon 4111 and a flyer corresponding to icon 4112 as production content.

[0052] Furthermore, area 4100 displays a tree with icon 4120, which corresponds to the production project related to the 2023 sports day, as the parent node, and icons corresponding to posters and flyers, which are production contents included in the project, as child nodes. This tree display allows users to visually confirm that the production project related to the 2023 sports day includes posters and flyers as production contents. Note that the production contents are not limited to posters and flyers; for example, they could be single-sided / double-sided shop cards, or multi-page brochures or catalogs.

[0053] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 4101, the management unit 301 generates a new production project, and the UI control unit 303 displays an icon corresponding to the newly generated production project as a parent node in area 4100.

[0054] Buttons 4114a and 4114b correspond to the production projects related to the 2024 sports day, and are used to instruct the deletion or duplication of those production projects. Such buttons are provided for each production project, and when a production project is duplicated or deleted, the corresponding buttons are also duplicated or deleted. The explanation of button duplication / deletion is omitted below.

[0055] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 4114a, the management unit 301 deletes the production project related to the 2024 sports day, and the UI control unit 303 deletes icons 4110 to 4112 from area 4100.

[0056] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 4114b, the management unit 301 duplicates the production project (including settings) related to the 2024 sports day, and the UI control unit 303 duplicates icons 4110 to 4112 and displays them in area 4100.

[0057] Buttons 4115a and 4115b correspond to posters, which are production content included in the production project for the 2024 sports day. These buttons are used to instruct the deletion or duplication of the posters. Such buttons are provided for each production content, and when the production content is duplicated or deleted, the buttons are similarly duplicated or deleted. The explanation of button duplication / deletion is omitted below.

[0058] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 4115a, the management unit 301 deletes the poster, which is production content corresponding to the production project for the 2024 sports day, and the UI control unit 303 deletes the icon 4111 from area 4100.

[0059] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 4115b, the management unit 301 duplicates the poster (including settings), which is the production content corresponding to the production project for the 2024 sports day, as the production content for that production project. Then, the UI control unit 303 duplicates icon 4111 and displays it in area 4100 as a child node of icon 4110.

[0060] Button 4113 corresponds to the production project for the 2024 sports day and is used to instruct the addition of production content to that project. Such buttons are provided for each production project, and when a production project is duplicated or deleted, the button is similarly duplicated or deleted. The explanation regarding button duplication and deletion is omitted below.

[0061] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 4113, the management unit 301 adds production content to the production project related to the 2024 sports day. Then, the UI control unit 303 displays the icon corresponding to the added production content as a child node of icon 4110 in area 4100.

[0062] Window 4200 has areas 4300 and 4400, and is an area for displaying information related to the production project corresponding to the icon selected by the user using the operation unit 106 from among the production project icons displayed in area 4100. In Figure 4, icon 4110 is selected, so the information of the production project corresponding to icon 4110 is displayed in window 4200.

[0063] Area 4300 displays information 4301 for the production project corresponding to icon 4110, including the name of the production project corresponding to icon 4110, "2024 Sports Day," and a unique management ID issued for the production project by the management department 301. Area 4300 also displays a checkbox 4302 for enabling or disabling a setting to standardize the color impression among the production content included in the production project corresponding to icon 4110.

[0064] Area 4400 displays a window 4500 for managing the printing of posters, which are production content included in the production project corresponding to icon 4110, and a window 4600 for managing the printing of flyers, which are production content included in the same production project. Area 4400 also displays a button 4700 for instructing the user to update the print settings for the production project corresponding to icon 4110.

[0065] Both Window 4500 and Window 4600 are windows that, in response to user operations, allow users to set the printing purpose (target color of the content to be printed), print conditions, print instructions, and design settings for the corresponding production content.

[0066] Area 4510 of window 4500 displays the name of the produced content, "Poster," and a unique management ID issued by the management department 301 for that produced content.

[0067] Furthermore, window 4500 is provided with setting units 4521 to 4523 for setting the printing purpose and setting units 4531 to 4533 for setting the printing conditions. Additionally, window 4500 is provided with a button 4540 for instructing the printer to print the poster based on the printing purpose and printing conditions, and a button 4550 for instructing the printer to create a design for the poster.

[0068] The setting unit 4521 is a group of checkboxes for setting target colors corresponding to the printing purpose selected by the user. When the user operates the operation unit 106 and selects the "Prioritize Poster Color" checkbox, the setting unit 304 sets a highly saturated color that is desirable for posters, is eye-catching, and has a good advertising effect as the target color.

[0069] When the user operates the control unit 106 and selects the "Prioritize Document Color" checkbox, the setting unit 304 sets a target color that is close to the monitor display and impression, balancing the readability and discriminability of text, shapes, and graphs with the natural color tones of photographs.

[0070] For color experts, if there are specific printer print colors or target colors defined according to the usage scenario, the user can select the "Specify target color profile" checkbox by operating the control panel 106. When the "Specify target color profile" checkbox is selected, the setting buttons 4522 and 4523, which are menu buttons, become available.

[0071] When the user operates the control unit 106 to indicate the setting unit 4522, a list of selectable color profiles is displayed. When the user operates the control unit 106 to select one from this list, the setting unit 304 sets the selected color profile. The name of the selected color profile is displayed on the setting unit 4522.

[0072] When the user operates the control unit 106 to indicate the setting unit 4523, a list of color intents held by the color profile is displayed. When the user operates the control unit 106 to select one from this list, the setting unit 304 sets the selected color intent. The name of the selected color intent is displayed on the setting unit 4523.

[0073] The above selections may be made from preset settings or by selecting a profile imported from an external source. Furthermore, detailed settings such as paper white simulation and black point correction using known techniques may be made via unillustrated settings. Also, the color intent of the target color profile may be fixed to a specific value and cannot be changed. Since the [Specify Target Color Profile] setting is intended for color experts, the display and hiding of the setting items may be toggled via unillustrated settings.

[0074] The setting units 4531-4533 are a group of menu buttons that allow the user to set the printing conditions for the poster. When the user operates the control unit 106 and directs the setting unit 4531, a list of available printers is displayed. When the user operates the control unit 106 and selects one from this list, the setting unit 304 sets the selected printer as the printer to be used for printing. The name of the selected printer is displayed on the setting unit 4531.

[0075] When the user operates the control unit 106 to indicate the setting unit 4532, a list of available paper types (such as type and basis weight) is displayed. When the user operates the control unit 106 to select one from this list, the setting unit 304 sets the selected paper type as the paper type to be used for printing. The setting unit 4532 displays the name of the selected paper type.

[0076] When the user operates the control unit 106 to indicate the setting unit 4533, a list of available color intents is displayed. When the user operates the control unit 106 to select one from this list, the setting unit 304 sets the selected color intent as the color intent to be used for printing. The setting unit 4533 displays the name of the selected color intent.

[0077] The settings section for allowing the user to set the printing conditions for the poster is not limited to the above-mentioned settings sections 4531 to 4533. For example, additional settings sections for setting the paper size and setting the number of copies may be added.

[0078] Furthermore, since the selection of color intent is intended for color experts, it may be possible to make it so that it cannot always be fixed to a specific setting, or it may be determined according to the settings for the printing purpose. In addition, it may be possible to toggle the display or hiding of setting items using an unillustrated setting.

[0079] Furthermore, the paper type settings may be configured separately for paper type and basis weight. In addition, there may be a setting section (not shown) for detailed printing conditions, where settings affecting the print color gamut (such as dithering, ink coverage, maximum toner load limit, and number of print colors) can be configured.

[0080] The printers selectable from the setting unit 4531 can be selected regardless of the printer's ownership status or connection status with the management device 100 / control device 110. Furthermore, to facilitate easy selection from a large number of printers, the setting unit 4531 displays information based on connection history / usage history with the management device 100 / control device 110, connection status / in use status, and last used status. Such displays may include, for example, positioning the printer higher or lower in the list of printers displayed when the setting unit 4531 is activated, or changing the color of the icon or printer name text.

[0081] The paper types selectable from the settings unit 4532 will vary depending on the printer, as the types and weights of paper that can be printed on differ depending on the printer specifications.

[0082] Based on the above printing conditions (printer, paper type, color intent, etc.), the print color characteristics (printer profile) and the gamut mapping method in the printer profile will be determined.

[0083] Then, by determining the production content settings (printing purpose and printing conditions), the target color, printer profile, and gamut mapping method from the target color to the print profile are determined. In this embodiment, window 4500 selects the use of a large-format Inkjet printer capable of printing large posters such as A1 size as the printing condition.

[0084] Meanwhile, area 4610 of window 4600 displays the name of the produced content, "Flyer," and a unique management ID issued by the management department 301 for said produced content.

[0085] Additionally, because checkbox 4302 is checked in window 4600, icon 4621 is displayed, indicating that the printing purpose is the same as that of a poster.

[0086] Furthermore, window 4600 includes a group of menu buttons for the user to set the printing conditions for the flyer, buttons to instruct the printer to print based on the purpose and conditions of the flyer, and buttons to instruct the design creation of the flyer.

[0087] In Window 4600, an electrophotographic office printer capable of high-speed printing of large batches of flyers is selected as the printing condition. You can set up different printers depending on the content you are creating, or you can use only one printer and set it up so that you use different paper types, such as glossy paper for posters and plain paper for flyers.

[0088] Next, the above checkbox 4302 will be explained in more detail. When the user operates the control unit 106 to turn on checkbox 4302, the setting unit 304 enables the "setting for aligning the color impression among production content included in the production project corresponding to icon 4110". On the other hand, when the user operates the control unit 106 to turn off checkbox 4302, the setting unit 304 disables the "setting for aligning the color impression among production content included in the production project corresponding to icon 4110".

[0089] By checking checkbox 4302, one or more settings (printing purpose in Figure 4) that are important for maintaining a consistent color impression can be standardized across the production content included in the production project. This setting may be automatically enabled in response to design production control by the design production department 307, such as when the design production department 307 automatically creates derivative content with a consistent design.

[0090] In this embodiment, the first production content included in the production project and the second production content included in the production project (production content different from the first production content) share the same printing purpose (target color setting for printing). The setting unit 304 may determine the first and second production content from among the production content included in the production project in any way. For example, the setting unit 304 may designate the production content included in the production project earlier as the first production content and the other production content as the second production content. Alternatively, the setting unit 304 may designate the production content corresponding to the window specified by the user in area 4400 using the operation unit 106 as the first production content and the other production content as the second production content.

[0091] In the example in Figure 4, the poster is the first production content and the flyer is the second production content. In this case, the printing purpose (target color setting for printing) of the flyer, which is the second production content, is the same as the printing purpose of the poster, which is the first production content, and no setting is required for the printing purpose of the flyer. However, the UI control unit 303 displays the setting section for setting the printing purpose of the flyer in an inoperable state. In Figure 4, the UI control unit 303 displays the area surrounding the setting section for setting the printing purpose of the flyer (the area for setting the printing purpose) in gray, indicating that the setting section is inoperable. Furthermore, the UI control unit 303 displays an icon 4621 indicating that the setting section for setting the printing purpose of the flyer is inoperable.

[0092] However, this is not the only option; if the print conditions include a color intent setting, the color intent setting value may also be standardized across the production content within the production project. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, screen 6000, which is used to set detailed options for standardizing colors within the production project, may be used to select the settings that should be standardized from among the important settings for standardizing the color impression.

[0093] For example, when a user operates the control unit 106 to turn on checkbox 6001, the settings unit 304 enables the "setting for matching the color impression among production content included in the production project." On the other hand, when a user operates the control unit 106 to turn off checkbox 6001, the settings unit 304 disables the "setting for matching the color impression among production content included in the production project."

[0094] When the user operates the control unit 106 and turns on the checkbox 6002, the setting unit 304 enables the "setting to standardize printing conditions (printer) among the production content included in the production project."

[0095] When the user operates the control unit 106 and turns on the checkbox 6003, the setting unit 304 enables the "setting to standardize printing conditions (paper type) among production content included in the production project."

[0096] When the user operates the control unit 106 and turns on the checkbox 6004, the setting unit 304 enables the "setting to standardize print conditions (color intent) among the production content included in the production project."

[0097] There are three main factors that are important for ensuring consistent color perception across different production content. The first is to physically standardize the color gamut. By standardizing the materials used for printing (colorants and paper colors), the colors that can be mixed and produced can be standardized. Therefore, to ensure consistent color perception, it is necessary to standardize printing conditions across production content, such as the printer, paper type, and unillustrated printer settings that control the number of colors printed. However, printers and paper are often chosen based on priorities other than consistent color perception, so the use cases in which these settings can be standardized are limited. In typical use cases, production content often prioritizes other aspects such as paper size, paper texture, paper thickness, number of copies, and printing cost, rather than ensuring consistent color perception, and the appropriate printer and paper are chosen based on those other aspects.

[0098] The second point is to standardize the target print colors. The physically reproducible color gamut differs significantly between monitor display and printing. Therefore, generally, preferred color settings (target print colors) are provided according to the printing purpose (use), such as poster printing or document printing. Thus, in order to maintain a consistent color impression, it is important to standardize the target print colors across the created content.

[0099] The third point is to standardize the rules for gamut mapping from the target print color to the printer color gamut. The target print color and the printer color gamut fundamentally differ in their shape and size, requiring gamut mapping from the target color to the printer color gamut. In this process, multiple settings are generally available to specify preferred color compression rules depending on the application. Therefore, to ensure consistent color impressions, it is crucial to align color intent across different production contents.

[0100] The above explains the configuration for aligning the color impression across different content within a production project, using Figures 4 and 6. This configuration makes it possible to easily align the color impression of multiple content pieces within a production project without requiring advanced knowledge or skills regarding color or individual printing systems, and without repeatedly performing complex settings for each piece of content.

[0101] In other words, it makes it easier to manage color settings to ensure consistent color appearance in printing / display systems that combine multiple types of printers and various media, rather than relying on the printing system of individual printers.

[0102] In step S502, when the user uses the operation unit 106 to press button 4550 on the setting screen 4000, the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 displays an unshown design creation screen on the display unit 105 of the management device 100. When the user uses the operation unit 106 to perform user operations for production, including poster design, the design creation unit 307 creates and edits the design using figures, text, photographs, etc., in response to the user operations. The design creation unit 307 may also have a function to automatically create derivative content (flyers, shop cards, etc.) with a consistent design in the production project using known technology, taking design impression information and pre-produced content (posters, etc.) as input.

[0103] It is also possible to return to step S501 during or after content creation to update the settings of the production project. Furthermore, if content creation is already completed, the process in step S502 will be skipped.

[0104] In step S503, when the user presses button 4540 using the operation unit 106, the UI control unit 303 notifies the issuing unit 302 of the instruction, and the issuing unit 302 of the management device 100 generates a print job for the poster (content). The poster print job includes settings such as the printing purpose and printing conditions set in window 4500.

[0105] In addition, since the control device 110 (or printers 130a-130c) performs color conversion according to the printing purpose and conditions set in window 4500, color profiles such as target color profiles and printer profiles should be included in the print job, but this is not the only option. For example, color profiles required for various content creation conditions may be pre-installed on the control device 110 or printers 130a-130c, and the print job may only include information specifying the color profile to be used.

[0106] Furthermore, in order to enable each store (each location) to create and manage its own additional derivative content based on the production project settings and basic content prepared by headquarters, production project setting information may be included in the job information when headquarters issues a print job to a store. The issuing unit 302 then transmits the generated print job to the control device 110 via the network 160.

[0107] In step S504, the UI control unit 303 of the control device 110 receives a print job sent from the management device 100 and displays the print settings of the production content included in the received print job on the display unit 105 of the control device 110.

[0108] Figure 8 shows an example of the display of screen 8000, which allows the user of the control device 110 to confirm the poster printing settings set in window 4500. Screen 8000 displays some or all of the settings for the production project or production content set in settings screen 4000.

[0109] Area 8001 displays a message to allow the user of the control device 110 (printer) to confirm the printing purpose and printing conditions set in window 4500 for the poster, which is the content being produced.

[0110] This message indicates a print condition error (paper type error) because a different paper type has been specified than the paper currently loaded into the printer. You are prompted to either change the paper type on the printer and continue printing, or change the print conditions from window 4500 displayed on screen 8000.

[0111] Screen 8000 displays information 4301 about the poster, which is the content being produced. Additionally, to protect the on / off state of the checked checkbox 4302, which is currently selected, the checkbox 4302 and its description, "Match colors within the production project," are grayed out, and icon 8004 is displayed.

[0112] Additionally, window 4500 is displayed on screen 8000. As mentioned above, checkbox 4302 is checked, so settings sections 4521-4523 and 4533 are grayed out to protect the system and prevent it from being allowed to make changes.

[0113] The printer operator checks message 8001 and either replaces the paper loaded in the specified printer using the control unit 4531, or uses the control unit 106 of the control device 110 to operate the control unit 4532 and select the paper loaded in the printer.

[0114] The UI control unit 303 of the control device 110 receives the setting update, communicates with the target printer based on the updated information to confirm whether the print condition error has been resolved, and updates the information in message 8001.

[0115] Then, when the user uses the operation unit 106 to press button 8002, which is a "button for instructing to continue printing," the UI control unit 303 notifies the setting unit 304 of this instruction. Upon receiving this notification, the setting unit 304 confirms the settings for the production content included in the print job.

[0116] Furthermore, if the user uses the control unit 106 to press button 8003, which is the "cancel printing button," the UI control unit 303 will discard the print job, and the process according to the flowchart in Figure 5A(a) will end.

[0117] In step S505, the generation unit 305 of the control device 110 generates a color profile according to the print settings of the content being produced, or obtains a color profile specified in the print settings from a color profile that is stored in advance. For example, based on the printing purpose (target color) and printing conditions (settings related to the printer profile, such as printer and paper), the generation unit 305 generates a color profile that matches the target color and the impression of the color according to the target printing conditions, based on known technology.

[0118] The color conversion unit 306 of the control device 110 then performs color conversion of the production content to be printed using the color profile generated / acquired by the generation unit 305. For example, the color conversion unit 306 performs gamut mapping using a target color profile and printer profile generated by the generation unit 305 or prepared in advance, according to the conditions set by the setting unit 304. For example, the color conversion unit 306 performs gamut mapping to match the color gamut (target color) of the monitor 120 with the color gamut of the printer 130a. It is also possible to change the method of color gamut compression from the target color to the printer, such as perceptual or color difference minimization, according to the color intent settings. The color conversion unit 306 then issues a print command for the color-converted production content to the printer specified in the print job.

[0119] In step S506, the printer among printers 130a to 130c that has been instructed to print prints the production content to be printed onto paper or other media according to the print instruction. Note that the main entity of processing in each step of the process according to the flowchart in Figure 5A(a) is not limited to the above example. For example, if the management device 100 and the control device 110 are implemented in a single information processing device and this information processing device is placed at each location, the processing in steps S501 to S505 may be performed in this information processing device, as shown in Figure 5A(b).

[0120] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5B, a portion of the processing of the control device 110 (for example, step S505) may be performed by the printer. Alternatively, all of the processing of the control device 110 may be performed by the printer.

[0121] Furthermore, the CPU 101 of the control device 110 may communicate with the printer to inquire whether it has the capability to perform color conversion processing using the color profile included in the print job. If it does, it may perform processing according to the flowchart in Figure 5A(a) or Figure 5A(b); otherwise, it may perform processing according to the flowchart in Figure 5B.

[0122] This is because, depending on the processing configuration, performing color conversion using a color profile on the printer side, as shown in Figure 5B, can suppress the occurrence of quantization errors compared to performing color conversion in the management device 100 / control device 110. Note that the use of production project settings is not limited to print jobs; it may also be used for setting display colors on a monitor.

[0123] Thus, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to easily unify the color impression of multiple production contents within a production project without requiring high levels of knowledge or skills regarding colors or individual printing systems, and without repeatedly performing complex settings for each production content. Furthermore, the printing process can be performed by referring to content setting information that has common settings through the production project settings.

[0124] In other words, it makes it easier to manage color settings to ensure consistent color appearance in printing / display systems that combine multiple types of printers and various media, rather than relying on the printing system of individual printers.

[0125] Note that while Figure 4 shows a case where windows corresponding to each production content included in the production project corresponding to icon 4110 are displayed, the method for displaying windows corresponding to production content is not limited to a specific method.

[0126] For example, the window for the production content corresponding to the icon selected by the user from among icons 4111 and 4112 may be displayed in area 4400.

[0127] Furthermore, when the UI control unit 303 receives user input from buttons 4540 or 4550, the settings unit 304 may check if there have been any changes to the production project settings or production content settings. In this case, if the UI control unit 303 confirms that there have been changes to the settings, it may display a screen on the display unit 105 to prompt the user to approve the setting update before proceeding to print / design production.

[0128] Furthermore, even after user interaction with buttons 4540 or 4550, the production content settings may be changed later, unless the production content is being printed. Also, even after a job has been issued, it may be possible to update the settings before the job is completed.

[0129] [Second Embodiment] In the following embodiments, including this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and unless otherwise specified below, they will be the same as the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, a checkbox 4302 was provided for setting the colors of each production content included in the production project to be consistent, so that the color impression of each production content included in the production project can be set to be consistent without requiring high knowledge, skills, or complex procedures. In this embodiment, option settings that are useful for matching the color impression in application use cases will be described.

[0130] In this embodiment, we will describe a case in which the setting screen 4000 illustrated in Figure 7 is used instead of the setting screen 4000 in Figure 4. In Figure 7, the same elements as in Figure 4 are given the same reference numbers, and the explanation of these elements is omitted.

[0131] Checkbox 4302 is a checkbox for setting the color of each production content included in the production project to be consistent. When the user operates the operation unit 106 and turns on checkbox 4302, the UI control unit 303 displays list 4303. List 4303 is a list that displays candidate settings for setting the color to be consistent between production content in the production project corresponding to icon 4110. List 4303 includes "Standard setting," which is a pre-prepared setting, "Previous setting (2023 Sports Day)," which is the setting made for the production project related to the 2023 Sports Day, and other settings made for existing production projects.

[0132] When a user selects a setting using the operation unit 106, the setting unit 304 adjusts the setting for matching print colors across production content to match the selected setting. For example, if a user selects a setting for an existing production project from list 4303 using the operation unit 106, the management device 100 makes the same settings as that existing production project the target for commonization and refers to the commonized setting value at that time. For example, it enables the setting item to be commonized, such as the target print color, in accordance with the setting of the existing production project selected in response to the user operation. If the setting value of the target print color, which is the setting item to be commonized, is poster color priority, then poster color priority is also applied to the new production project.

[0133] Furthermore, List 4303 may include a setting section for each setting that allows adjustment of the setting value for that setting, or a setting section that allows transitioning to a screen where the setting value can be adjusted.

[0134] Checkboxes 4501 and 4601 become active when checkbox 4302 is checked. When the user checks checkbox 4501 using the control unit 106, the poster is set to be included in the "production content to match colors". On the other hand, when the user checks checkbox 4601 using the control unit 106, the flyer is set to be included in the "production content to match colors".

[0135] This setting section, which allows users to select which production content to include in "production content that matches the color scheme" based on their actions, is used when you want to manage production content collectively as a production project, but when it includes production content where matching the color scheme is not important.

[0136] Furthermore, if the user unchecks checkbox 4501 using the operation unit 106, window 4500 may be grayed out. Similarly, if the user unchecks checkbox 4601 using the operation unit 106, window 4600 may be grayed out. Through this process, settings for color synchronization between production contents can be applied only to the production contents selected by the user in response to their operation among the production contents included in the production content.

[0137] Checkboxes 4502 and 4602 become active when checkbox 4302 is checked. When the user checks checkbox 4502 using the control unit 106, the poster is set as the first production content (first priority content) and the flyer is set as the second production content. On the other hand, when the user checks checkbox 4602 using the control unit 106, the flyer is set as the first production content and the poster is set as the second production content.

[0138] In a production project, there may be a primary, main content item among multiple pieces of content. To ensure a consistent color impression, the settings for this primary content item should be prioritized. The settings for the primary, main content item can be standardized across all other content items in the project.

[0139] Next, let's explain checkbox 4304. As illustrated in the use cases in Figures 5A and 5B, the headquarters staff who set up the production project and create the designs may be different from the store staff who use printers to perform printing work at each store. Checkbox 4304 is used to protect settings related to the color consistency settings defined by the headquarters staff in the production project settings, preventing store staff (the printing side of the production content) from changing them during the printing process.

[0140] When the user turns on checkbox 4304 using the control unit 106, the setting protection is enabled; when the user turns off checkbox 4304, the setting protection is disabled.

[0141] Furthermore, it would be beneficial to allow protection settings for produced content as well. For example, content protection settings could be configured to prevent store workers from modifying or copying produced content created by headquarters staff, or to allow copying, use, or the addition of new content.

[0142] Thus, in this embodiment, by having the above-mentioned additional option settings for a production project or production content, settings for matching color impressions can be flexibly and easily configured according to the use case.

[0143] [Third Embodiment] In the first embodiment, a checkbox 4302 is provided for setting the color of each production content included in the production project to be consistent, thereby enabling the setting of consistent color impressions for each production content included in the production project without requiring high knowledge, skills, or complex procedures. In this embodiment, a configuration is described in which the setting control for consistent color impressions among production content is automatically performed when the design production of production content is automatically generated based on the concept and impression of the production project.

[0144] For example, the design production unit 307 receives input of completed content from the UI control unit 303, performs impression analysis of the completed content using known methods, and generates derivative content.

[0145] Upon receiving notification that derivative content has been generated from the completed content, the management unit 301 adds the derivative content to the production project to which the completed content belongs. Then, the settings unit 304 turns on the setting to match the color impression of the completed content and the derivative content within the production project.

[0146] Alternatively, the design production unit 307 receives input of impression information for the design to be created from the UI control unit 303 and automatically generates multiple production contents of the specified type using a known method.

[0147] The management unit 301 combines the generated production content into a single production project, and the settings unit 304 turns on the setting to match the color impression among the generated content.

[0148] The operation of the color setting management system according to this embodiment will be explained according to the flowchart in Figure 9. In step S901, the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 receives the production project settings entered by the user using the operation unit 106. When the UI control unit 303 receives the setting information to produce three types of production content (content types) - poster, flyer, and card - the setting unit 304 sets information indicating the specified types of production content in the production project setting information. In the example in Figure 9, the production project setting information, including the project name and content type, is managed by the management unit 301.

[0149] In step S902, the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 receives the setting of "impression information of the design to be created" entered by the user using the operation unit 106. The design impression setting may be specified by selection from a screen not shown, or, as shown in Figure 9, a completed content (poster) may be specified and the impression of the completed content may be used.

[0150] When the UI control unit 303 receives the design impression information for the content to be produced, the setting unit 304 sets the specified design impression information in the production project setting information. This production project setting information is managed by the management unit 301.

[0151] Then, when the UI control unit 303 receives the automatic design generation instruction entered by the user using the operation unit 106, the job issuing unit 302 issues an automatic design generation job, including production project setting information, to the design production unit 304.

[0152] In step S903, the design production unit 304 of the management device 100 receives an automatic design generation job issued by the job issuance unit 302 and, according to the production project setting information included in the automatic design generation job, generates the necessary types of production content (automatic content generation) using known technology. If impression information is specified in the produced content, the design production unit 307 performs impression analysis on the produced content using known technology to extract the impression information and uses it to generate the production content. The design production unit 307 then adds content information 910 representing the generated production content to the production project setting information.

[0153] In step S904, the setting unit 304 of the management device 100 receives information on the automatic generation of production content from the design production unit 307 in step S903. Upon receiving the information on the automatic generation of production content, the setting unit 304, having determined that the production content was automatically generated based on common impression information, updates the production project setting information to ensure consistent color impressions across the production content. Specifically, it enables the setting 980 for aligning colors across production projects in the production project setting information. Note that the settings updated in conjunction with the automatic generation of content are not limited to the setting 980 for aligning colors within a production project. Settings such as setting protection and settings related to aligning color impressions as described in other embodiments may also be updated. Furthermore, the setting unit 304 may set the printing purpose and printing conditions based on the production project setting information and the impression information extracted from the production content in step S903. For example, if the production content includes materials to be used for promotional purposes such as posters, or if the analyzed and extracted impression uses highly saturated colors that attract attention, the printing purpose setting may be set to prioritize poster colors. Furthermore, the control of the management unit 301 when it receives automatically generated content information may be switched using optional settings not shown. There may also be settings to always automatically update the production project settings or not, and settings to perform update checks.

[0154] Thus, in this embodiment, when the design of the production content is automatically generated based on the project's concept and impression, the system is characterized by an automatic control of settings to ensure consistent color impressions among the production content. This makes it possible to easily set consistent color impressions for production content within a production project without requiring high levels of knowledge or skills regarding color or individual printing systems, and without repeatedly performing complex settings for each production content.

[0155] [Fourth Embodiment] In the third embodiment, when the design of the production content is automatically generated based on the concept and impression of the production project, a configuration is shown in which settings control is automatically performed to match the color impression among the production content.

[0156] This embodiment describes the control of color management settings by initiating the creation of print content such as flyers and posters, and the creation of sets of multiple content including print content, rather than digital content for the web and social media.

[0157] Normally, when designing multiple pieces of content on a single display, the display device has only one color gamut, so the displayed colors of the same color signal usually remain the same even if the content is different. In contrast, when printing a design from a display using a printer, the colors will change because the color gamut and other characteristics differ between the display and the printer. However, if printing is done using the same printer and the same paper, the printed colors of the same color signal will be reproduced almost identically, excluding variations due to fluctuations in printer characteristics, unless the print settings are changed.

[0158] Therefore, typical users are unaware that changes in printing conditions such as printer, paper, and print settings can cause color gamut differences depending on the type of content being created, or that the printed color may change even with the same signal, until they actually print it.

[0159] As described above, with conventional color setting management systems, it was difficult for users to have the motivation to perform color management settings before printing, taking into account the changes in printed colors due to differences in printing conditions when creating print content.

[0160] Therefore, the following problems arise specifically. In content creation, there are two approaches: starting the production of multiple content items in a planned manner, and creating additional content after seeing market reaction to the initial production. If production is planned, it is possible to notice differences in print color before proceeding to large-scale mass printing by planning to do a test print of one copy once the digital data for multiple content items is complete. However, in many cases, by the time differences in print color between multiple content items are noticed, the large required number of copies of the first content item have already been printed. In other words, the print color of the first content item cannot be changed unless the first content item is reprinted at a cost.

[0161] Therefore, color management was required so that the print colors of the second content to be printed would closely match the print colors of the first content that had already been printed. However, color management in standard print settings is performed individually for each printer and each print job. As a result, it was difficult for the application to identify the printer and print job used when the first content was printed and to obtain information such as the target colors used when the first content was printed.

[0162] Thus, if the application does not manage the print colors of the first content, it is impossible to obtain information such as the target print colors for the first content when printing. This makes it difficult to manage the print colors of the second content to closely match those of the first content.

[0163] Therefore, this embodiment is characterized by providing a production menu for initiating the creation of print-ready content or content for sets that include print-ready items, and by controlling the color management settings for print colors.

[0164] The operation of the color setting management system according to this embodiment will be explained in accordance with the flowchart in Figure 20.

[0165] In step S2001, the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 displays the production project start wizard screen 10000, as illustrated in Figure 10, on the display unit 105 of the management device 100. The user operates the screen 10000 using the operation unit 106 to perform various operations related to the production project. As a result, the setting unit 304 configures the settings related to the production project managed by the management unit 301.

[0166] Figure 10 will be explained in detail. The Start Wizard screen 10000 has areas 10100, 10200, 10300, 10400, and 10500.

[0167] Area 10100 has buttons for narrowing down and specifying the type of content to be created. There is a button 10101 for narrowing down to content intended for printing, such as flyers and posters; a button 10102 for narrowing down to content for social media; and a button 10103 for narrowing down to marketing content, including web pages and display advertisements, without separating it into print and social media. However, it is not limited to these. In Figure 10, button 10101 is selected, and the UI control unit 303 displays buttons and other elements in area 10200 for narrowing down and specifying the type of print content to be created.

[0168] Area 10200 has a button 10201 for creating a set of printable content consisting of multiple items designed with a unified worldview based on a single theme. It also displays a production sample 10203 corresponding to the button to assist the user in visualizing the finished product before pressing the button. Figure 10 shows two types of set production samples: a three-piece set of a poster, flyer, and shop card, and a two-piece set of an envelope (front and back) and a flyer. However, these are not exhaustive and are merely sample displays. Area 10200 also has a button 10202 for single-item printable content such as flyers, posters, cards, envelopes, and others, and a production sample 10204 corresponding to the button. Multiple single-item content buttons 10202 can be selected simultaneously. If multiple single-item content items are selected simultaneously, the UI control unit 303 confirms with the user, via an unillustrated confirmation screen, whether they wish to create a set with a unified worldview based on a single theme. When button 10201 is selected from a screen not shown, the UI control unit 303 deselects button 102 for single-item content and switches to selecting button 10201. The UI control unit 303 also transfers the information of multiple single-item content items that were selected in area 10200 to the setting information of area 10300, which will be described later, and sets them to a selected state.

[0169] In Figure 10, button 10201 is selected, and the UI control unit 303 displays buttons and other elements in area 10300 for selecting the print content to be created as a set.

[0170] Area 10300 has buttons 10301 for flyers, posters, cards, envelopes, and others, and displays production samples 10302 corresponding to the buttons. In Figure 10, the flyer and envelope buttons 10301 are selected, and the UI control unit 303 displays button 10401 in area 10400 to narrow down the templates to be used for the design of the flyer and envelope to be produced. In addition, there is area 10410 for displaying templates in a workflow where one piece of content is produced first and then the set is produced by derivatives, and area 10420 for displaying templates in a workflow where the set is produced based on the impression of the set state. Area 10410 displays the respective templates 10411 and 10412 for the flyer and envelope selected in area 10300. Area 10420 displays template 10421 for the two-piece set of flyer and envelope selected in area 10300. Furthermore, the templates displayed in areas 10410 and 10420 will change in terms of content type and the number of items displayed together, depending on the type and number of selected content items in area 10300.

[0171] Furthermore, only one template can be selected from the two templates displayed in areas 10410 and 10420. In Figure 10, one of the set creation templates in area 10421 is selected.

[0172] Based on the above, the basic framework of the content to be produced is determined, and the UI control unit 303 activates (makes pressable) the button 10600 to start design production.

[0173] In this embodiment, in addition to individual content buttons that allow for the simultaneous selection of multiple items, the menu includes a set creation button that allows for the creation of a set of content items that form a world view based on a single theme. Furthermore, the set creation menu displays a production sample 10203 that evokes an image of creating a sense of unity across multiple content items. One of the features of this system is that, based on the selection of this set creation button, it is possible to confirm whether the user requests consistent print colors between content items before design creation or printing.

[0174] Furthermore, in set production, there are two workflows: one where a single piece of content is created and then a set is created from its derivatives (Area 10410), and another where a set is created based on the impression of the set state with multiple pieces of content (Area 10420). One of the features of these two workflows is that they enable flexible set production according to the use case. Even in set production where derivative content is created later, it is possible to manage and reference the color information of the source content during printing, anticipating that the print colors will be consistent between the contents, and perform user verification.

[0175] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses the button 10600 to start designing the target content, the settings unit 304 receives the various selection information from the start wizard screen 10000. The settings unit 304 then reflects the various selection information from the start wizard screen 10000 in the production project settings managed by the management unit 301.

[0176] Although not important for describing the features of this embodiment, a supplementary explanation of area 10500 is provided regarding screen 10000 of the start wizard. Area 10500 contains buttons for the management menu.

[0177] When the production project settings management button 10501 is pressed, the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 receives the button press and displays the settings screen 4000 described in the first embodiment on the display unit 105 of the management device 100. It is also possible to configure the production project from the settings screen 4000 without using the start wizard settings screen 10000.

[0178] When the print condition set setting management button 10502 is pressed, the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 receives the button press and displays a screen for managing multiple print conditions together on the display unit 105 of the management device 100. The management of print condition sets can be performed regardless of the type or design of the production content, and details will be described in the features of other embodiments described later, rather than in this embodiment.

[0179] Furthermore, access to the production project settings management and print condition set settings management is not limited to screen 10000 of the start wizard. It will be possible to access them from other times besides the start of a production project, such as via the unillustrated management menu button in the production project management application.

[0180] In step S2002, the UI control unit 303 verifies the production project settings from step S2001. If the production content includes printable content, the user confirms whether color management during printing is necessary in the management unit 301. By performing color management during printing in the management unit 301, the management unit 301 can retrieve information such as target colors from past prints even after the content has been printed. This makes it possible to refer to the printed content information when creating additional derivative content and to align the colors within the production project, including the printed content.

[0181] Specifically, if the content being created includes printable content, the UI control unit 303 displays the setting confirmation screen 11000, as exemplified in Figure 11(a), on the display unit 105 of the management device 100.

[0182] The settings confirmation screen 11000 has an area 11002, a button 11001 for selecting the color management method, and a button 4302 for setting the color alignment within the production project. Button 11001 allows the user to select whether to perform color management during printing (color management is performed on the application side) or not (color management is performed on the printer side) via the management unit 301. The UI control unit 303 can switch the display content of area 11002 according to the settings conditions of the production project. Furthermore, the UI control unit 303 can change the settings state at the time the screen is launched for the color management method selection and the setting for aligning colors within the production project, according to the settings conditions of the production project.

[0183] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, if the production project setting is a set production that includes at least one printable content, there is likely to be a strong need to match colors within the production project. Therefore, if the UI control unit 303 is a set production that includes at least one printable content, it displays the setting confirmation screen 11000, as exemplified in Figure 11(b), on the display unit 105 of the management device 100. At this time, the UI control unit 303 sets the color management method to be managed by the management unit 301 (color management is performed on the application side). It also enables the button 4302 for setting the color to match within the production project.

[0184] It is not mandatory to automatically change the settings according to the production project's requirements.

[0185] In this embodiment, one of its features is that, when the produced content is printable content or a set production, the user can confirm whether it is necessary to perform color management during printing in the management unit 301 in preparation for printing where the colors of multiple contents will be consistent.

[0186] Furthermore, when creating derivative content, such as adding content types, the color management settings and color consistency settings within the production project will be inherited from the original source. Alternatively, the user will be able to confirm the inheritance of settings via a screen not shown. This will help prevent setting errors in color consistency between additional derivative content.

[0187] Steps S502 and later are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation is omitted. Note that steps S2001 and S2002 are not limited to the management device 100, but may also be performed by the control device 110 or the printer.

[0188] In this embodiment, we have described a control system that has menus for creating print-ready content and creating set content that includes print-ready items, and that allows the user to confirm the color management settings for print colors before design creation or before printing. This makes it possible to manage colors to match between created content while suppressing reprinting, even when creating sets or additional derivative works later.

[0189] [Fifth Embodiment] In the fourth embodiment, control of color management settings by initiating the creation of print-ready content and the creation of set content including print-ready items was described.

[0190] This embodiment describes a control method that manages, registers, and shares multiple print conditions and other color management settings in sets, regardless of the type or design of the created content, and uses them during printer printing. Note that the use of registered print condition sets is not limited to printer printing; they may also be used to simulate print colors on a display.

[0191] In content creation, while using existing printers, the type of paper—including thickness, size, material, and texture—is often decided before the specific design is created, depending on the type of content and its intended use. In other words, when creating a set of multiple content items in a planned manner, the printer and paper to be used are often decided in advance.

[0192] However, because each printer has a different color gamut depending on the paper, individual color management may be implemented, and printing using a standard method resulted in a significant decrease in consistency between content when creating sets. Furthermore, even when printing with settings that match the target colors, it was difficult to prevent setting errors during printing as the process of designing and printing content was repeated multiple times.

[0193] Furthermore, in use cases involving printing by multiple people or at multiple locations, printing conditions become even more complex, making it difficult to prevent setting errors during printing. For example, when creating multiple pieces of content for a single theme, multiple designers may divide the content creation work, and each designer may print using their own printer and paper. Also, content printing may occur between designers, design approvers, design clients, and printing companies, or between franchise headquarters and franchisees, using the printers and paper at each location. In such use cases, the printing conditions vary, making it difficult for each printer to manage colors to ensure consistent settings and consistent color reproduction without setting errors during printing.

[0194] Therefore, this embodiment is characterized by managing, registering, and sharing multiple print conditions and other color management settings in sets, regardless of the type or design of the produced content, and using these settings for control during printer printing.

[0195] The operation of the color setting management system according to this embodiment will be explained according to the flowchart in Figure 13. Only the steps that differ from previous embodiments will be explained.

[0196] In step S1301, when the user uses the operation unit 106 to press the print condition set setting management button 10502, the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 displays the print condition set setting management screen 14000 shown in Figure 14 on the display unit 105 of the management device 100. The user then uses the operation unit 106 to operate the screen 14000 and perform various operations related to the print condition set. As a result, the setting unit 304 sets the print condition set managed by the management unit 301. Note that the registration of the print condition set in step S1301 does not necessarily have to be performed before step S2001, and may be performed during the production project setting in step S2001. Alternatively, it may be performed in step S1302, which will be described later.

[0197] Figure 14 will be explained in detail. The print condition set setting management screen 14000 has areas 14100 and 14200. Area 14100 displays a tree where the creation year or update year of the print condition set setting information is the parent node 14110, and the icons corresponding to the created or updated print condition sets are the child nodes 14111.

[0198] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 14101, the management unit 301 generates a new print condition set. The UI control unit 303 then displays the creation year corresponding to the newly generated print condition set as the parent node in area 14110. Furthermore, it displays the icon corresponding to the generated print condition set as a child node in area 14111.

[0199] When a user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 14102, the UI control unit 303 displays the settings screen 12000 shown in Figure 12 for reading and registering a print condition set based on product information. Then, the management unit 301 receives the setting information from the settings screen 12000 and generates a new print condition set. The UI control unit 303 displays the creation year corresponding to the newly generated print condition set as a parent node in area 14110. Furthermore, it displays the icon corresponding to the generated print condition set as a child node in area 14111. Details regarding the button 14102 for reading and registering from product information and the settings screen 12000 shown in Figure 12 will be explained in detail in another embodiment.

[0200] Button 14112 corresponds to the print condition set "○○ Production Project Case 2024.11" and is used to instruct the deletion of that print condition set. A similar button is provided for each print condition set, and when a deletion instruction is given for a print condition set, it is deleted accordingly.

[0201] Area 14200 is an area for displaying information related to the print condition set corresponding to the icon selected by the user using the control unit 106 from among the print condition set icons displayed in Area 14100. In Figure 14, icon 14111 is selected, so the information for the print condition set corresponding to icon 14111 is displayed in Area 14200.

[0202] Area 14200 allows you to configure settings related to the name of the print condition set (14201), settings related to the printing purpose (target color during printing) (4520), and settings related to multiple print conditions (print condition name, printer, paper, output size, etc.) (14210).

[0203] In Figure 14, the name setting 14201 for the print condition set displays the name of the print condition set, "○○ Production Project Case 2024.11," as information for the print condition set corresponding to icon 14111. Additionally, the unique management ID (14202) issued by the management unit 301 for this print condition set is displayed.

[0204] Setting 4520, which relates to the printing purpose, is a setting related to the target color during printing and is applied commonly to multiple printing conditions included in the printing condition set. In Figure 14, setting 4520, which relates to the printing purpose, allows for one selection from multiple options, but it is not necessary to have options. Since the purpose is to match colors across multiple printing conditions, setting 4520, which relates to the printing purpose, can be fixed to a single type without options, as long as it is common to multiple printing conditions.

[0205] In Figure 14, two print conditions, print condition 1 (14210) and print condition 2 (14220), are registered, and the setting 4520 related to the printing purpose is applied to both of these print conditions. Note that there are not limited to two print conditions; it is possible to add print conditions using the add print condition button 14230. In addition, registered print conditions can be deleted using the delete button (not shown). Details of the settings within the setting 4520 related to the printing purpose have been explained in other embodiments, so details are omitted here.

[0206] Area 14210 allows you to configure settings related to a single print condition, such as the name of the print condition (14211), printer (14212), paper type (14213), and output size (14214). The configurable conditions are not limited to these; information related to the printer's location and printer settings related to print quality may also be included.

[0207] In Figure 14, the information for Print Condition 1 (14210) shows that the name setting 14211 is set to "Designer's Home Printing Environment" and the printer setting 14212 is set to "Printer A". Additionally, the paper setting 14213 is set to "Media A" and the output size setting 14214 is set to "A4". Furthermore, the information for Print Condition 2 (14220) shows that the print conditions for the design office printing environment are set.

[0208] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 14302, the setting unit 304 registers or updates the setting information of the print condition set selected in area 14100, which is managed by the management unit 301, based on the setting information in area 14200.

[0209] When the user operates the control unit 106 and presses button 14301, the setting unit 304 cancels the registration and updating of the setting information of the print condition set selected in area 14100, which is managed by the management unit 301, based on the setting information in area 14200.

[0210] Furthermore, the print condition set settings do not necessarily have to be confined to a single user; they can be shared and used by multiple locations and members. For example, print condition 1 could be the recommended conditions of the franchise headquarters, print condition 2 could be the print conditions of franchise store A, and print condition 3 could be the print conditions of franchise store B, and these could be shared and used together. Sharing print conditions between the franchise headquarters and franchisees not only standardizes target color settings during printing, but also encourages the use of recommended print conditions, including printers and paper. In addition, by standardizing and unifying the print conditions of franchisees while still accommodating the actual printers and paper used by each franchisee, variations in print quality among franchisees can be suppressed.

[0211] Another use case is when multiple designers are working on multiple designs for the same theme. In such cases, printing conditions can be set as follows: Printing Condition 1 for the poster designer, Printing Condition 2 for the flyer designer, Printing Condition 3 for the ticket designer, and so on, allowing for shared use.

[0212] Furthermore, the information shared may include not only the printing conditions, but also parameters used for color conversion, such as target color profiles corresponding to the printing purpose settings, and printer profiles corresponding to printing conditions such as the printer and paper. By sharing various profiles, designers can use the profiles to simulate the printed output they intend and display it on their own screens. This makes it possible for members to check the approximate quality anytime, anywhere.

[0213] Steps S2001 to S502 are the same as in previous embodiments, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0214] Next, in step S1302, the user operates the operation unit 106 to configure settings for printing the design data created in step S502 and issues a print job. Upon receiving the print setting instruction from the operation unit 106, the UI control unit 303 displays the print setting screen 15000 for the production content, as exemplified in Figure 15, on the display unit 105 of the control device 110. The user uses the operation unit 106 to operate the screen 15000 and perform various operations related to print settings and print job issuance. As a result, the setting unit 304 sets the print conditions for the production content to be printed. The issuing unit 302 then issues a print job to the control device 110 according to the print conditions set by the setting unit 304.

[0215] In this embodiment, one of its features is that the print condition set registered in step S1301 is used to select one print condition from which to perform printing.

[0216] Figure 15 will be explained in detail. Screen 15000 has areas 15100, 15200, and 15300. Area 15100 is the area that displays a print preview of the production content for which a print job is issued.

[0217] Area 15200 is an area where the user sets specific printing conditions for the content to be printed using the control unit 106 and issues a print job using the print button 15302.

[0218] When setting print conditions, you can configure settings such as the use of a print condition set (15210), the printer to be used (15211), the paper feeding method in the printer (15212), the output paper size (output size) (15213), and the number of copies to print (15214). You can also return to the design creation screen in step S502 using the back button (15301). In Figure 15, the setting to use a print condition set (15210) is enabled. Therefore, the settings for the printer (15211) and output size (15213), which are referenced and displayed based on the information in the print condition set, are grayed out and cannot be directly specified.

[0219] Area 15300 is the detailed settings area for print conditions that appears when setting 15210, which uses a print condition set, is enabled. The user uses the operation unit 106 to select the name of the print condition set to use from list 15310. Then, from the print conditions included in the selected print condition set (for example, 14210, 14220), the user selects one print condition using radio button 15320.

[0220] Area 15300 is the detailed settings area for print conditions. To prevent errors caused by careless setting changes, the printing purpose and print condition settings included in the print condition set are locked and cannot be directly changed in Area 15300. If it is necessary to change the print condition set, select the print condition set from List 15310 and press the Edit button 15311 to launch the Print Condition Set Settings Management screen, for example, as shown in Figure 14, and make changes and updates. Also, even if a print condition set has not been registered in step S1301, in step S1302, pressing the New button 15312 will launch the Print Condition Set Settings Management screen, for example, as shown in Figure 14, and a new print condition set can be registered.

[0221] As described above, in step S1302, the user operates the operation unit 106 to specify the print conditions for areas 15200 and 15300. Then, upon receiving an instruction from the print button 15302, the setting unit 304 sets the print conditions selected for areas 15200 and 15300, and the issuing unit 302 issues a print job to the control device 110.

[0222] Steps S504 to S506 are the same as in the previous embodiments, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0223] Although steps S1301 and S1302 were described as being performed by the control device 100, they are not limited to this and may also be performed by the control device 110 or the printer.

[0224] In this embodiment, we have described a control method for managing, registering, and sharing multiple print conditions and other color management settings in sets, regardless of the type or design of the produced content, and for using these settings during printer printing. This helps to suppress setting errors by printer operators during printing and enables color management to ensure consistent colors.

[0225] [Sixth Embodiment] In the fifth embodiment, a control method was described for managing, registering, and sharing multiple print conditions and other color management settings in sets, regardless of the type or design of the produced content, and for using them when printing with a printer.

[0226] This embodiment describes a control mechanism that sets the printing conditions based on product information of a production kit consisting of a combination of multiple types of paper.

[0227] The type of paper used for production often varies depending on the content. However, the components that affect how colors appear—such as the whiteness and surface texture of the paper, the amount of fluorescent whitening agent, the amount of colorant that the printer can print, and the resulting color reproduction—change significantly depending on the paper. Therefore, choosing the right combination of paper to maintain consistent color impressions across different content is crucial and requires knowledge and skill. Furthermore, it was necessary to set print settings to ensure consistent color impressions across different content when printing each piece of content, making it difficult to work without errors.

[0228] Therefore, in this embodiment, a production kit sales system (not shown) provides a standard production kit consisting of a combination of multiple types of paper that takes into consideration the matching of color impressions between content.

[0229] The management device 100 is characterized by receiving production kit information, referring to the printer and paper information associated with the production kit information from a production kit information database (not shown), and registering individual print condition settings for the print condition set.

[0230] The operation of the color setting management system according to this embodiment will be explained using Figures 12 to 14 and Figure 19.

[0231] In the fifth embodiment, in step S1301, the setting registration of the print condition set was performed by setting area 14200 of the print condition set setting management screen 14000.

[0232] In this embodiment, when the user instructs the UI control unit 303 of the management device 100 to press button 14102 using the operation unit 106, the production kit usage registration screen 12000 shown in Figure 12 is displayed on the display unit 105 of the management device 100. Note that the production kit usage registration screen 12000 may be launched not only from the print condition set setting management screen 14000, but also directly from the settings menu.

[0233] Let's explain Figure 12 in detail. On the production kit user registration screen 12000, the setting unit 304 of the management device 100 can register the use of the production kit using three methods. The first is to register the use by reading the barcode attached to the production kit product using a reading device (not shown) in response to the instruction of the barcode reading button 12001 from the operation unit 106. The second is to input the unique ID attached to the production kit product into the production kit ID specification 12002. The third is to select from the list of standard production kit names 12003 registered in the production kit information database (not shown).

[0234] Figure 12 shows that "Standard Production Kit A for Office Printer 1 / Large Format Inkjet Printer 1" is selected from List 12003. Upon receiving the confirmation button 12005 from the operation unit 106, the management unit 301 retrieves the production kit information associated with the specified production kit name from the production kit information database (not shown). Then, based on the retrieved production kit information, it automatically reflects it as setting information corresponding to area 14200 of the print condition set setting. Upon receiving the instruction to press the back button 12004, the registration of use by the production kit is canceled and the user returns to the print condition set setting management screen 14000.

[0235] Figures 19(a) to (c) show examples of production kit information. Each production kit consists of multiple paper sets depending on the intended use (type of content). Figure 19(a) is a production kit for creating a set of flyers and envelopes. Figure 19(b) is a production kit for creating a set of flyers and shop cards. Figure 19(c) is a production kit for creating a set of flyers, shop cards, envelopes, and posters. Furthermore, the paper configuration can be customized according to the content to be created in sets, such as sets of flyers, tickets, and posters.

[0236] Furthermore, since each type of paper has different printing color gamuts in addition to being recommended / not recommended and usable / unavailable depending on the printer used, information about the printer used will be included as part of the paper information. Also, since multiple types of printers may be used depending on the size and type of content when creating a set, the production kit may consist of paper for multiple printers.

[0237] The production kit information stores information about each type of paper, including the production kit name and production kit ID, as well as the name of the printer used, printer ID, example use, paper name, paper ID, paper size, paper weight, paper surface properties, and paper color. It may also store printer profiles based on the printer and paper used, and print target color profile information specified in the production kit sales system (not shown) when using the production kit. In addition, it may store information such as the amount of fluorescent whitening agent, header information related to the color gamut, and print condition name and print condition set name. Furthermore, the production kit information may also store flag information indicating whether each type of paper has been purchased. In this embodiment, the production kit information is used as a combination of print conditions for color matching management, because it is not necessary to purchase all the papers included in the production kit each time.

[0238] The production kit information database is shared between the production kit sales system (not shown) and the management device 100 / control unit 110 / printer. Furthermore, various unique IDs held by the production kit information are generated by the production kit sales system (not shown) or the management device 100 / control unit 110 / printer. These IDs include a production kit ID, or a print color gamut ID (not shown) determined by the print color gamut, and other IDs determined by the combination of paper and printer used. Additionally, the production kit allows users to customize the combination of printer and paper used through the production kit sales system (not shown).

[0239] As described above, the management unit 301 of the management device 100 refers to the printer and paper information associated with the production kit information and automatically reflects it as individual print condition settings held by the print condition set settings explained using Figure 14 in the fifth embodiment. Note that print conditions are added for each printer and paper included in the production kit information. Specifically, in the production kit information in Figure 19(c), four types of print conditions are set. For print condition 1, "Office Printer 1" is set for printer 14212, and "Thin paper (60g / m²)" is set for paper 14213. 2 The settings for "Glossy paper" and output size 14214 are automatically set to "A4". Similarly, the settings for print conditions 2 to 4 are automatically reflected from the production kit information.

[0240] Furthermore, if the production kit information includes a target color profile for printing, the printing purpose setting in the print condition set settings (setting 4520 related to the printing purpose in Figure 14) will also reflect the setting information.

[0241] As described above, in this embodiment, a paper set suitable for maintaining consistent color impressions across production content is provided as a production kit, and the production kit information at the time of purchase is used for print settings. This eliminates the need for users to register print condition settings for each production content, making it easy and error-free to set print condition sets when creating a unified set under a single theme.

[0242] [Seventh Embodiment] The fifth and sixth embodiments describe a control method for managing, registering, and sharing multiple color management settings, such as printing conditions, in sets, regardless of the type or design of the produced content, and for using these settings during printer printing.

[0243] In this embodiment, the control for setting print conditions in the printer paper settings using the print condition set settings described above with reference to Figure 14 will be explained. The features of this embodiment are the same as those of the fifth and sixth embodiments, and are not dependent on the type or design of the content being produced.

[0244] Most applications do not support color management for print colors. Even if an application does support color management, generally, color management for print colors is left to the printer by default. In standard usage, the printer then optimizes color management individually according to the printer and paper type.

[0245] In short, while applications want the printer to handle color management, printers find it difficult to easily and accurately configure print settings to ensure consistent colors regardless of the printer or paper type.

[0246] However, in the production of print content, the type of paper is often changed depending on the type of content. Also, the printable color gamut often varies greatly depending on the paper. Therefore, in this embodiment, while the printer manages the print colors, as shown in Figure 18, when setting paper in the printer's paper feed section, one print condition is selected and used from the print condition set (list 15310) managed by the printer. This helps to suppress setting errors when printing with consistent colors across different content. Note that the print condition set setting information explained using Figure 14 may be shared and used across multiple printers. By sharing the print condition set setting information across multiple printers, it becomes possible to control settings to ensure consistent color impressions when using different printers and paper types, without having to perform color management for each printer on the design production side or in the application.

[0247] The operation of the color setting management system according to this embodiment will be explained according to the flowchart in Figure 16. Only the steps that differ from previous embodiments will be explained. In step S1601, when the printer receives a command from the printer's settings menu (not shown) to press the button for print condition set setting management, the print condition set setting management screen 14000 shown in Figure 14 is displayed on the printer's display unit 105. The user then uses the printer's operation unit 106 to operate the settings screen 14000 and perform various operations related to print condition set settings. Note that the registration of the print condition set in step S1601 may be performed by the management device 100 or control device 110, as described in the fifth embodiment, instead of the printer. Furthermore, the setting information of the print condition set may be shared between the management device 100 / control device 110 and the printer. The registration of the print condition set has been explained in previous embodiments, so details will be omitted here.

[0248] In step S1602, when the printer receives a command from the paper settings button in the settings menu (not shown), it displays the paper settings screen 18000 shown in Figure 18 on the printer's display unit 105. The user then uses the printer's control unit 106 to operate the screen 18000 and perform various operations related to paper settings. As a result, the printer's settings unit 304 configures the paper settings managed by the printer's management unit 301.

[0249] Figure 18 will be explained in detail. The paper settings screen 18000 allows for setting the paper type to be used for each paper feed section of the printer, and therefore has a paper feed section setting 18100 and a paper type setting 18200 for the paper feed section. It also has a setting 15210 for using print condition sets for the paper type.

[0250] In Figure 18, "Manual Feed" is selected as the paper feed unit, and the setting to use the print condition set is enabled, so the paper type setting 18200 is disabled and grayed out.

[0251] Area 15300 is the detailed settings area for print conditions, which is displayed when the setting to use print condition sets is enabled. The user uses the operation unit 106 to select the name of the print condition set to use from list 15310. Then, from the print conditions included in the selected print condition set (for example, 14210, 14220), the user selects one print condition using radio button 15320. Figure 18 shows an example of the paper settings screen for printer A. Print condition 2 is grayed out because the printer 14212 in the print condition is printer B (unsupported), so it is unavailable. Therefore, in Figure 18, only print condition 1 for printer A is available using radio button 15320.

[0252] Further details regarding area 15300 are omitted as they are described in the fifth embodiment. In step S1603, the user creates the design using the operation unit 106 of the management device 100 / control device 110.

[0253] In step S1604, the user operates the control unit 106 to configure settings for printing the design data created in step S1603 and issues a print job. Specifically, upon receiving print setting instructions from the control unit 106, the UI control unit 303 displays the print settings screen 17000 for the production content, as exemplified in Figure 17, on the display unit 105 of the management device 100 / control device 110.

[0254] The user uses the operation unit 106 to operate the print settings screen 17000 and perform various operations related to print settings and print job issuance. The setting unit 304 then sets the print conditions for the content to be printed. The issuance unit 302 then issues a print job to the printer according to the print conditions set by the setting unit 304.

[0255] Note that the print settings screen is not limited to print settings screen 17000. By sharing print condition set setting information and paper feeding method information between the printer and the management device 100 / control device 110, print settings screen 15000 with setting 15210 and area 15300 that utilize the print condition set may be displayed, similar to the fifth embodiment. Since color management is performed on the printer side, print settings screen 17000 is a partial display of the functions of print settings screen 15000, and the details are described above in the explanation of print settings screen 15000, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0256] In step S1605, the printer's management unit 301 receives a print job sent from the management device 100 / control device 110 and checks the print condition settings included in the received print job. If the print conditions are suitable for printing on the printer side, the printer performs color conversion in step S505 and outputs to paper in step S506.

[0257] Note that steps S1601 and S1602 are not limited to this order and may be performed at any time before the color conversion in step S505 begins. In this embodiment, we have described the control method for setting print conditions for the paper feed unit using the print condition set in the paper settings of the printer body. This allows for color management of print colors on the printer side as before, while suppressing setting errors by the printer operator during printing and enabling color management to match colors across content.

[0258] Furthermore, the configuration and operation methods of UI screens such as application screens used in the above embodiments are merely examples, and the system is not limited to any specific configuration or operation method as long as it can achieve similar functionality.

[0259] The numerical values, processing timing, processing order, processing entity, data (information) structure / acquisition method / destination / source / storage location, etc., used in the above embodiments and modifications are given as examples for the purpose of providing specific explanations and are not intended to limit the scope to such examples.

[0260] Furthermore, some or all of the embodiments and modifications described above may be used in appropriate combinations. Alternatively, some or all of the embodiments and modifications described above may be used selectively.

[0261] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0262] The inventions described herein include the following information processing devices, information processing methods, and computer programs. (Item 1) It includes a setting mechanism for configuring print settings to ensure consistent color appearance across multiple content items to be printed. An information processing device characterized by the following: (Item 2) The information processing device according to item 1, characterized in that the setting means displays the print settings of the content selected from the plurality of contents in response to user operation. (Item 3) The information processing device according to item 2, characterized in that when a setting is instructed to match the color impression between contents, the color setting is displayed in a state where it cannot be operated. (Item 4) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 3, characterized in that the setting means uses a color setting corresponding to the printing purpose selected in response to user operation as a setting for matching the color impression among the multiple contents. (Item 5) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the setting means uses printing conditions selected according to user operation as a setting for matching the color impression among the multiple contents. (Item 6) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 3, characterized in that when a setting is requested to match the color impression among the multiple contents, the setting means displays a list of candidate settings and performs the selected setting from the displayed list in response to user operation. (Item 7) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 3, 6, characterized in that the setting means performs settings to match the color impression among the content selected from the plurality of content in response to user operation. (Item 8) The setting means selects a first content from among the multiple content items in response to user operation, and sets the color settings of a second content item, which is different from the first content item, to be the same as the color settings of the first content item. An information processing device characterized by any one of items 1 to 3, 6, or 7. (Item 9) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 3, 6 to 8, characterized in that the setting means performs a setting to protect the setting made by the setting means from being changed on the printing side of the content. (Item 10) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that the content includes derived content generated from existing content. (Item 11) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 10, characterized in that the print settings include setting the target color of the content when printing. (Item 12) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 11, characterized in that the print settings include setting the printing conditions for the content. (Item 13) moreover, The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 12, characterized by comprising a transmission means for transmitting a print job including the aforementioned print settings. (Item 14) An information processing apparatus having a setting for starting production of content for printing or a set including the content for printing, and comprising confirmation means for performing confirmation setting related to a color management method for aligning printing colors among the content. (Item 15) The setting for set production has a production flow for either, or both, of set production by producing one and deriving set production, or set production from the impression in the set state. The information processing apparatus according to item 14, characterized by the above. (Item 16) Having setting means for holding settings related to target colors at the time of printing and a set of printing conditions consisting of a plurality of printing conditions, and selecting and using one printing condition from the set of printing conditions when printing the content. The information processing apparatus characterized by the above. (Item 17) An information processing apparatus having settings related to target colors at the time of printing and a set of printing conditions consisting of a plurality of printing conditions, and comprising setting means for selecting and using one printing condition from the set of printing conditions when setting the paper in the paper feeding unit. (Item 18) Part of the setting of the set of printing conditions is set by registering production kit information. The information processing apparatus according to item 16 or 17, characterized by the above. (Item 19) The production kit information includes at least information related to a plurality of printing condition settings that affect the reproduction of printing colors. The information processing apparatus according to item 18, characterized by the above. (Item 20) Having a setting step for performing printing settings for aligning color impressions among a plurality of contents to be printed. The information processing method characterized by the above. (Item 21) A computer program for causing a computer to function as each means of the information processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 19.

[0263] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0264] 301: Management Department 302: Issuance Department 303: UI Control Department 304: Settings Department 305: Generation Department 306: Color Conversion Department 307: Design Production Department

Claims

1. It includes a setting mechanism for configuring print settings to ensure consistent color appearance across multiple content items to be printed. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the setting means displays the print settings for the content selected from the plurality of contents in accordance with user operation.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that when a setting is instructed to align the color impression between contents, the setting means displays the color settings in a state where they cannot be operated.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting means uses a color setting corresponding to the printing purpose selected according to user operation as a setting for matching the color impression among the multiple contents.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting means uses printing conditions selected according to user operation as a setting for matching the color impression among the multiple contents.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that when a setting is requested to match the color impression among the multiple contents, the setting means displays a list of candidate settings and performs the selected setting from the displayed list in accordance with the user's operation.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting means performs settings to align the color impression among the content selected from the plurality of content in response to user operation.

8. The setting means selects a first content from among the multiple content items in response to user operation, and sets the color settings of a second content item, which is different from the first content item, to be the same as the color settings of the first content item. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting means performs a setting to protect the setting made by the setting means from being changed on the printing side of the content.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the content includes derived content generated from existing content.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the print settings include setting the target color of the content during printing.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the print settings include setting the printing conditions for the content.

13. moreover, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission means for transmitting a print job including the aforementioned print settings.

14. An information processing device characterized by having a setting to start the production of printable content or a set containing printable content, and having a confirmation means for confirming settings related to color management methods for ensuring consistent print colors between content.

15. The set creation process involves either creating one set and then creating derivative sets, or creating sets based on the impression of the current set, or a set creation flow that combines both. The information processing apparatus according to feature 14.

16. The system includes settings related to the target color during printing, and a set of printing conditions consisting of multiple printing conditions. It also includes a setting means for selecting and using one printing condition from the set when printing content. An information processing device characterized by the following:

17. An information processing device characterized by having a setting means that stores settings related to the target color during printing and a set of printing conditions consisting of multiple printing conditions, and selects and uses one printing condition from the set of printing conditions when setting the paper in the paper feed section.

18. The information processing device according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that some of the settings for the print condition set are set by registering production kit information.

19. The information processing device according to claim 18, characterized in that the production kit information includes at least information relating to multiple printing condition settings that affect the reproduction of printed colors.

20. The process includes a setting step for configuring print settings to ensure consistent color appearance across multiple content items to be printed. An information processing method characterized by the following:

21. A computer program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of an information processing apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

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