Printing system and printing method

Abstract

To achieve a printing system which can suppress deterioration of printing quality caused by the occurrence of waiting time in a post-processing machine even if a printer does not cope with acceleration / deceleration printing.SOLUTION: A printing system includes a dummy data insertion section 141 which inserts dummy data in printing data PD on the basis of waiting time occurring when post-processing is performed in a post processor (a collator, for instance). In printing sections 24a, 24b, a dummy page is printed on the basis of the dummy data. A dummy page removal section is provided between a printer and the post processor so as to remove the dummy page from a printed print sheet so that the dummy page is not supplied to the post processor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing system and a printing method, and more particularly to a printing system configured to consistently perform processes from printing to bookbinding and a printing method in the printing system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an apparatus for printing and binding books, etc., a printing apparatus that performs printing on a substrate (printing medium) and a post-processing machine (post-treatment apparatus) that performs a process called "post-processing" (hereinafter also referred to as "post-treatment") on the substrate after printing are known. In recent years, digital printing apparatuses (for example, inkjet printers) are often adopted as printing apparatuses. In a digital printing apparatus used for bookbinding, typically, a long strip-shaped printing paper (continuous paper) called roll paper is adopted as a substrate. As post-processing machines, there are known a sheet cutter machine (cutter) that cuts continuous paper after printing by a printing apparatus into a specified size, a folding machine that creates folds from the printed paper cut into a specified size, a gathering machine that gathers a plurality of folds, a binding machine that performs binding on the gathered group of folds, a three-way cutting machine that performs finishing cuts on the three directions (top, bottom, and fore-edge) of a book, etc. Note that the post-processing machines used differ depending on the type of the final product.

[0003] By the way, regarding printing and binding, in recent years, multi-variety and small-lot production has been increasingly carried out. When multi-variety and small-lot production is carried out, the frequency of requiring human work becomes higher than when mass production of a small number of varieties is carried out. When human work is required, the cost increases and the probability of occurrence of defective products, etc. caused by work mistakes also becomes higher. Therefore, in recent years, the in-line integration of processes from printing to binding has been progressing. According to an in-line integrated system, the processes from printing to binding can be automatically and consistently performed. For this reason, even when multi-variety and small-lot production is carried out, the occurrence of defective products, etc. caused by work mistakes can be suppressed. Also, it is possible to shorten the delivery time and reduce the cost compared to the conventional case.

[0004] In the process of performing post-processing for bookbinding based on continuous paper after printing, a waiting time (delay) may occur when the post-processing machine moves from processing one set (one book) to processing the next set (one book). Typically, in a group of post-processing machines (multiple post-processing machines) located downstream of the printing device, a waiting time occurs when switching between sets of printed paper (for convenience, referred to as a "book block creation machine") that creates book blocks by bundling cut printed paper into sets. When a configuration is adopted in which the printing device and the group of post-processing machines are directly connected (in-line configuration), the printed paper is supplied to the post-processing machine according to the printing speed (paper transport speed). For example, when printed paper for a book with a small number of pages is supplied to the post-processing machine, the processing in the post-processing machine may not be able to keep up with the paper supply speed. Therefore, in order to absorb the difference in processing speed between the printing device and the post-processing machine, as shown in Figure 20, a web buffer 91 for temporarily holding printed paper is provided between the group of post-processing machines 92, including the book block creation machine 93, and the printing device 90.

[0005] Here, with respect to the configuration shown in Figure 20, the transport speed of the printing paper in the printing device 90 is denoted as V1, and the transport speed of the printing paper (printed paper) in the post-processing machine group 92 is denoted as V2. When there is no waiting time in the book block creation machine 93, V2 is usually equal to V1. When there is waiting time in the book block creation machine 93, V2 becomes smaller than V1. At this time, the printed paper is gradually accumulated in the web buffer 91. After the waiting state is resolved, the state in which V2 is larger than V1 is maintained until the remaining amount of the web buffer 91 (hereinafter referred to as "buffer remaining amount") is full (in other words, until the consumption of the web buffer 91 becomes 0). In this way, the difference in processing speed between the printing device 90 and the post-processing machines (book block creation machine 93, etc.) is absorbed.

[0006] However, if the difference in processing speed between the printing device 90 and the post-processing machine can no longer be adequately absorbed (for example, when the remaining buffer amount falls below a predetermined threshold), the web buffer 91 sends an instruction (signal) to the printing device 90 requesting deceleration or stopping. In response to such an instruction, the printing device 90 changes the printing speed (paper transport speed V1).

[0007] Figure 21 illustrates an example of an operation when the printing speed is reduced in a conventional configuration. Part A of Figure 21 shows the change in buffer volume, and part B of Figure 21 shows the change in printing speed. At time t90, the buffer volume is L1 (full), and the printing speed is high speed VH. When a waiting time occurs in the post-processing machine at time t91, the buffer volume gradually decreases from time t91 onward. At this time, the printing speed is maintained at high speed VH. When the buffer volume reaches L2 at time t92, an instruction is sent from the web buffer 91 to the printing device 90 requesting a reduction in speed. As a result, the printing speed begins to decrease at time t92, and at time t93, the printing speed becomes low speed VL. Subsequently, although not shown in Figure 21, when the buffer volume increases sufficiently, the printing speed changes from low speed VL to high speed VH.

[0008] In connection with the present invention, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-237336 describes providing an intermediate buffer device between two printers to absorb the difference in paper feeding speed in a double-sided printing system using two printers. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-237336 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] To achieve the operation shown in Figure 21, the printing device must be configured to respond to instructions (signals) from the web buffer requesting deceleration or stopping. In other words, the printing device must support accelerated and decelerated printing, which limits the number of models that can achieve this. Furthermore, the incorporation of correction circuits and other components to maintain print quality even when acceleration and deceleration occur is necessary, resulting in high costs.

[0011] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 21, the printing speed (paper transport speed) fluctuates significantly during the operation of the printing device. In this regard, it is not always easy for the printing device to change the printing speed to the specified speed within the specified time. Large fluctuations in printing speed can also cause changes in the amount of ink ejected from the print head, uneven drying due to the drying heater's inability to keep up with the changes in printing speed, misalignment of ink droplets, and resonance of the servo motor used to control the printing speed. As a result, print quality deteriorates.

[0012] Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-237336 does not mention anything about absorbing waiting times in post-processing machines or differences in processing speed between the printing device and the post-processing machine.

[0013] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to realize a printing system that can suppress the deterioration of print quality caused by waiting time in post-processing equipment (post-treatment equipment), even if the printing device does not support acceleration and deceleration printing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The first invention is a printing system comprising a printing apparatus having a transport unit for transporting a printing medium and a printing unit for printing on the printing medium transported by the transport unit based on print data, and a post-processing device for performing post-processing on the printed medium that has been printed by the printing unit, A dummy data insertion unit inserts dummy data into the print data so that the printing unit prints dummy pages, based on the waiting time that occurs when post-processing is performed on the printed medium by the post-processing device, A dummy page removal unit is positioned between the printing device and the post-processing device to remove the dummy pages from the printed media so that the dummy pages are not supplied to the post-processing device. It is characterized by having the following features.

[0015] The second invention is, in the first invention, The printing system is further characterized by comprising a print media buffer provided between the printing device and the dummy page removal unit for temporarily holding the printed print media when a waiting time occurs in the post-processing device.

[0016] The third invention is, in the second invention, The dummy data insertion unit is characterized by determining whether or not to insert the dummy data into the print data, taking into consideration the amount of the print media buffer consumed.

[0017] The fourth invention is, in the third invention, The dummy data insertion unit is characterized by predicting the amount of the print media buffer consumed at the end of post-processing based on each job when printing based on each job by the printing unit is started, and inserting the dummy data into the print data if the predicted consumption is not less than 0 or a threshold near that threshold.

[0018] The fifth invention relates to the first or second invention, When the printing unit performs continuous printing based on multiple jobs, the dummy data insertion unit inserts the dummy data into the print data such that the dummy page is printed immediately after the last page of each job, excluding the last job to be printed, is printed.

[0019] The sixth invention is, in the second invention, When continuous printing based on a plurality of jobs is executed in the printing unit, the dummy data insertion unit inserts the dummy data into the print data so that the dummy page is printed each time printing is performed based on a plurality of jobs excluding the job that is finally printed.

[0020] The seventh invention is any one of the first to sixth inventions, The length of the dummy page corresponding to the dummy data inserted into the print data by the dummy data insertion unit according to one waiting time generated in the post-processing device is a length equal to or greater than the product of the speed at which the print medium is conveyed by the conveyance unit and the waiting time generated in the post-processing device.

[0021] The eighth invention is any one of the first to seventh inventions, The dummy page removal unit includes an image reading unit, A distinguishable mark is printed on the dummy page by the printing unit, The dummy page removal unit determines whether each page of the printed print medium is a dummy page based on the reading result of each page of the printed print medium by the image reading unit.

[0022] The ninth invention is any one of the first to eighth inventions, The printing system is A waste dummy page storage unit having a predetermined capacity for storing the dummy pages removed from the printed print medium by the dummy page removal unit, A remaining capacity sensor for detecting the remaining capacity of the waste dummy page storage unit, A warning notification unit that notifies a predetermined warning message when it is predicted that the remaining capacity of the waste dummy page storage unit will become less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value by inserting the dummy data into the print data based on the detection result of the remaining capacity of the waste dummy page storage unit by the remaining capacity sensor and further includes the following.

[0023] The tenth invention is, in any of the first to ninth inventions, The dummy data insertion unit is characterized by determining the waiting time to occur in the post-processing device based on job information, which is information about the job to be printed by the printing unit.

[0024] The eleventh invention relates to any of the first to tenth inventions, The dummy page is characterized in that a predetermined pattern used for maintenance of the printing unit is printed on it by the printing unit.

[0025] The twelfth invention relates to any of the first to eleventh inventions, The printing apparatus includes a control unit that controls the operation of the printing unit and the transport unit, The control unit includes the dummy data insertion unit, The dummy data insertion unit is characterized in that, when the control unit starts controlling the operation of the printing unit based on the data of each job that constitutes the print data, it decides whether or not to insert the dummy data into the print data.

[0026] The 13th invention relates to any of the first to 11th inventions, The printing system further comprises a rasterization processing device that generates the print data by applying a rasterization process to the submitted data. The rasterization processing device includes the dummy data insertion unit, The dummy data insertion unit is characterized by determining whether or not to insert the dummy page into the print data when the rasterization process is performed by the rasterization processing device.

[0027] The 14th invention relates to any of the 1st to 13th inventions, The printing system further comprises a cutting machine for cutting the printed media, The cutting machine includes the dummy page removal unit, As the post-processing device, a book block creation machine is provided that creates book blocks by bundling the printed media after cutting by the cutting machine into sets. The book block creation machine is characterized in that a waiting time occurs between the start of processing one set and the start of processing the next set.

[0028] The 15th invention is a printing method in a printing system that includes a printing apparatus having a transport unit for transporting a printing medium and a printing unit for printing on the printing medium transported by the transport unit based on print data, and a post-processing device for performing post-processing on the printed medium that has been printed by the printing unit, A dummy data insertion step involves inserting dummy data into the print data so that the printing unit prints dummy pages, based on the waiting time that occurs when post-processing is performed on the printed medium by the post-processing device, A dummy page removal step involves removing the dummy pages from the printed media so that the dummy pages are not supplied to the post-processing device. It is characterized by including. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the first invention described above, a printing system including a printing device and a post-processing device is provided with a dummy data insertion unit that inserts dummy data into the print data based on the waiting time that occurs in the post-processing device. When dummy data is inserted into the print data, the printing unit prints dummy pages. In addition, a dummy page removal unit is provided between the printing device and the post-processing device to remove dummy pages. With this configuration, if a waiting time occurs in the post-processing device, dummy pages that are not originally necessary are printed in proportion to the length of the waiting time. Therefore, even if a waiting time occurs in the post-processing device, there is no need to reduce the printing speed. Also, since dummy pages are removed without being supplied to the post-processing device, the difference in processing speed between the printing device and the post-processing device is absorbed. Thus, a printing system is realized that can suppress the deterioration of print quality caused by waiting times in the post-processing device, even if the printing device does not support accelerated or decelerated printing.

[0030] According to the second invention described above, even if a waiting time occurs in the post-processing device, it is not always necessary to print dummy pages if there is sufficient remaining capacity in the print media buffer. In other words, the increase in the amount of dummy pages printed can be suppressed. Consequently, the generation of paper waste is suppressed.

[0031] According to the third invention described above, the same effects as those of the second invention described above can be obtained.

[0032] According to the fourth invention described above, the same effects as those of the second invention described above can be obtained.

[0033] According to the fifth invention described above, the configuration of the printing system can be configured to include a small-capacity print media buffer or to omit a print media buffer. This makes it possible to reduce costs.

[0034] According to the sixth invention described above, the amount of dummy pages printed can be reduced compared to a configuration in which dummy pages are inserted for each job. This suppresses the generation of paper waste.

[0035] According to the seventh invention described above, the occurrence of a situation requiring a reduction in printing speed is reliably suppressed. This reliably suppresses the deterioration of print quality caused by waiting time in the post-processing equipment.

[0036] According to the eighth invention described above, it is possible to prevent dummy pages from being missed during removal or pages that are actually necessary from being mistakenly removed.

[0037] According to the ninth invention described above, it is prevented that the area around the dummy page removal section becomes cluttered with discarded dummy pages (waste paper).

[0038] According to the tenth invention described above, it becomes possible to accurately predict the length of the waiting time in the post-processing device before the waiting time actually occurs.

[0039] According to the 11th invention described above, printing dummy pages can contribute to the maintenance of the printing section.

[0040] According to the 12th invention described above, the same effects as those of the first invention described above can be obtained.

[0041] According to the 13th invention described above, the same effects as those of the first invention described above can be obtained.

[0042] According to the 14th invention described above, a printing system is realized that can suppress the deterioration of print quality caused by waiting time in the book block creation machine, even if the printing device does not support acceleration and deceleration printing.

[0043] According to the 15th invention described above, the same effects as those of the first invention described above can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0044] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a printing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing one example of the configuration of the printing apparatus in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the print control device in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the schematic functional configuration of the control unit in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the insertion of dummy data in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates how a two-dimensional code is printed on a dummy page in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the procedure for inserting dummy data in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 8] This figure schematically shows an example of print data in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 9] This is a diagram illustrating the dummy data insertion process in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 10] This figure schematically shows the printing result based on print data into which dummy data has been inserted, according to the first embodiment described above. [Figure 11] This is a diagram illustrating the change in the buffer amount in the first embodiment described above. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for inserting dummy data in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a diagram illustrating the dummy data insertion process in the second embodiment described above. [Figure 14] This figure schematically shows the printing result based on print data into which dummy data has been inserted, according to the second embodiment described above. [Figure 15] This is a diagram illustrating the change in the buffer amount in the second embodiment described above. [Figure 16] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the first modified example. [Figure 17] The overall configuration of the printing system in the second modified example is shown in the diagram. [Figure 18] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the third modified example. [Figure 19] This figure shows an example of a warning screen displayed on the display unit of the print control device in the third modified example described above. [Figure 20] This diagram illustrates a conventional example in which a web buffer is provided to temporarily hold printed paper. [Figure 21] This diagram illustrates an example of an operation that occurs when the printing speed is reduced in a conventional configuration. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0045] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0046] <1. First Embodiment> <1.1 Overall Structure> Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a printing system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This printing system 1 consists of a printing device 10, a printing workflow management device 30, a RIP server 40, a web buffer 50, and a group of post-processing machines 60. The group of post-processing machines 60 consists of a plurality of devices (post-processing machines) for performing post-processing (post-treatment) on printed paper (printed printing media).

[0047] The printing device 10, the printing workflow management device 30, and the RIP server 40 are connected via a network 7 such as a LAN. The data to be printed, which is the submitted data, is sent via this network 7 from a client computer (not shown).

[0048] The printing device 10 is generally composed of a printing press body and a print control device, which is its controller. In this embodiment, the printing device 10 is an inkjet printer. Continuous roll paper is used as the printing paper. In this printing device 10, printing is performed on the printing paper based on print data into which dummy data has been inserted to account for the waiting time that occurs in the post-processing machine. Therefore, the printed paper includes dummy pages in addition to pages with the desired images, etc. A detailed explanation of the insertion of dummy data into the print data will be given later.

[0049] The print workflow management device 30 manages a series of processes for printing using the print system 1 (i.e., manages the print workflow). In this regard, a computer such as a personal computer with application software for managing the print workflow (print workflow management system) installed functions as the print workflow management device 30.

[0050] The RIP server 40 performs RIP processing (rasterization) on the input data (vector format data) such as PDF files. The print data generated by this RIP processing is sent from the RIP server 40 to the printing device 10. In this embodiment, the RIP server 40 is the rasterization processing device.

[0051] As shown in Figure 1, the web buffer 50 is provided between the printing device 10 and the post-processing machine group 60. Printed paper is supplied from the printing device 10 to the sheet cutter (cutting machine) 61 included in the post-processing machine group 60 via the web buffer 50. The web buffer 50 temporarily holds the printed paper as needed to absorb the difference in processing speed between the printing device 10 and the post-processing machine group 60. In this embodiment, the web buffer 50 realizes a print media buffer.

[0052] The post-processing machine group 60 consists of a sheet cutter 61, a folding machine 62, a collating machine 63, a binding machine 64, and a three-sided trimmer 65. The sheet cutter 61 cuts the continuous paper printed by the printing device 10 to a specified size. The folding machine 62 creates folded signatures from the printed paper cut to the specified size. The collating machine 63 bundles multiple folded signatures together. The binding machine 64 performs binding on the collated folded signatures. The three-sided trimmer 65 performs finishing trims on the three sides (top, bottom, and fore-edge) of the book. Note that the configuration of the post-processing machine group 60 shown here is just one example and is not limited to this configuration.

[0053] Among the post-processing machine group 60, the collating machine 63 functions as a book block creation machine, which creates book blocks by bundling the printed paper after cutting by the sheet cutter machine 61 into sets. In this book block creation machine, a waiting time occurs between the end of processing one set and the start of processing the next set.

[0054] As mentioned above, pre-printed paper includes dummy pages in addition to pages with the desired images, etc. These dummy pages are essentially unnecessary. Therefore, in this embodiment, a dummy page removal unit 610 is provided in the sheet cutter 61 to remove dummy pages from the pre-printed paper so that they are not supplied to the collating machine 63.

[0055] <1.2 Printing Device Configuration> Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing one example of the configuration of the printing apparatus 10. As described above, this printing apparatus 10 consists of a printing press body 200 and a printing control device 100 which is its controller.

[0056] The printing press body 200 includes a paper delivery unit 21 that supplies printing paper (in this case, roll paper) PA, a first printing mechanism 20a that prints on the surface of the printing paper PA, a reversing unit 27 that reverses the front and back surfaces of the printing paper PA output from the first printing mechanism 20a, and a second printing mechanism 20b that prints on the back surface of the printing paper PA. The first printing mechanism 20a includes a first drive roller 22a for transporting the printing paper PA into the mechanism, a plurality of support rollers 23a for transporting the printing paper PA inside the first printing mechanism 20a, a printing unit 24a that ejects ink onto the printing paper PA to perform printing, a drying unit 25a for drying the printing paper PA after printing, and a second drive roller 26a for outputting the printing paper PA from inside the first printing mechanism 20a. The printing unit 24a consists of, for example, rows of inkjet heads for C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black) colors arranged in the direction of transport of the printing paper PA. Each row of inkjet heads consists of multiple inkjet heads (print heads) arranged in a staggered pattern. Each inkjet head contains a number of nozzles for ejecting ink. The configuration of the second printing mechanism 20b is the same as that of the first printing mechanism 20a, so its description is omitted. The components of the first printing mechanism 20a are denoted by the letter "a", and the components of the second printing mechanism 20b are denoted by the letter "b".

[0057] The print control device 100 controls the operation of the printing press body 200 having the configuration described above. When the print control device 100 is given a command to print output, the print control device 100 controls the operation of the printing press body 200 so that the printing paper PA is transported from the paper feeding unit 21 into the interior. Then, in the first printing mechanism 20a and the second printing mechanism 20b, printing is first performed on the printing paper PA by the printing units 24a and 24b, and then the printing paper PA is dried by the drying units 25a and 25b.

[0058] While this example illustrates the configuration of a color inkjet printer, the present invention can also be applied to inkjet printers that perform monochrome printing. Furthermore, while this example illustrates the configuration of an inkjet printer using water-based ink, the present invention can also be applied to printing devices that use UV ink (ultraviolet-curing ink), such as inkjet printers for label printing. Moreover, while this example illustrates an inkjet printer configuration consisting of a first printing mechanism 20a for front-side printing and a second printing mechanism 20b for back-side printing, the present invention can also be applied to inkjet printers that do not have a second printing mechanism 20b for back-side printing. Even further, if a configuration is adopted in which the printed paper is directly sent from the printing device to a post-processing machine, the present invention can also be applied to printing devices other than inkjet printers (e.g., laser printers). As described above, the type of printing device is not particularly limited.

[0059] <1.3 Hardware configuration of the print control device> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the print control device 100. As shown in Figure 3, the print control device 100 includes a main unit 110, an auxiliary storage device 121, an optical disc drive 122, a display unit 123, a keyboard 124, and a mouse 125. The main unit 110 includes a CPU 111, memory 112, a first disk interface unit 113, a second disk interface unit 114, a display control unit 115, an input interface unit 116, an output interface unit 117, and a network interface unit 118. The CPU 111, memory 112, first disk interface unit 113, second disk interface unit 114, display control unit 115, input interface unit 116, output interface unit 117, and network interface unit 118 are connected to each other via a system bus. The auxiliary storage device 121 is connected to the first disk interface unit 113. The optical disc drive 122 is connected to the second disk interface unit 114. The display unit (display device) 123 is connected to the display control unit 115. The input interface unit 116 is connected to a keyboard 124 and a mouse 125. The output interface unit 117 is connected to the printer body 200 via a communication cable. The network interface unit 118 is connected to the network 7. The auxiliary storage device 121 is a magnetic disk drive or the like. An optical disk 8, such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, is inserted into the optical disk drive 122. The display unit 123 is a liquid crystal display or the like. The display unit 123 is used to display information desired by the operator. The keyboard 124 and mouse 125 are used by the operator to input instructions to this print control device 100.

[0060] The auxiliary storage device 121 stores a print control program (a program for controlling the execution of printing processes by the printing press 200) P. The CPU 111 reads the print control program P stored in the auxiliary storage device 121 into the memory 112 and executes it to realize various functions of the print control device 100. The memory 112 includes RAM and ROM. The memory 112 functions as a work area for the CPU 111 to execute the print control program P stored in the auxiliary storage device 121. The print control program P is provided stored on the above-mentioned computer-readable recording medium (non-transient recording medium). That is, for example, the user purchases an optical disc 8 as the recording medium for the print control program P, inserts it into the optical disc drive 122, reads the print control program P from the optical disc 8 and installs it in the auxiliary storage device 121. Alternatively, the print control program P transmitted via the network 7 may be received by the network interface unit 118 and installed in the auxiliary storage device 121. Incidentally, the auxiliary storage device 121 or memory 112 also functions as a print queue, and the print queue holds print data for jobs waiting to be printed, as well as job information, which is information about those jobs (jobs that should be printed by the printing units 24a and 24b).

[0061] <1.4 Functional Configuration of Print Control Device> Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic functional configuration of the control unit 140, which is realized when the print control program P is executed in the print control device 100. The control unit 140 generally includes a dummy data insertion unit 141, a transport control unit 142, a print control unit 143, and a drying control unit 144. The control unit 140 reads the print data PD and job information JI from the print queue described above.

[0062] The dummy data insertion unit 141 inserts dummy data into the print data PD so that the print units 24a and 24b print dummy pages, based on the waiting time (more specifically, the expected waiting time) that occurs when post-processing (specifically, the process of creating book blocks) is performed on the printed paper by the collating machine 63 (see Figure 1) included in the post-processing machine group 60. At that time, the waiting time that occurs in the collating machine 63 is determined based on the job information JI.

[0063] The transport control unit 142 controls the speed at which the transport units 28a and 28b transport the printing paper PA (transport speed). In this embodiment, the transport unit 28a is realized by the paper feeding unit 21, the first drive roller 22a, a plurality of support rollers 23a, and the second drive roller 26a, and the transport unit 28b is realized by the first drive roller 22b, a plurality of support rollers 23b, and the second drive roller 26b (see Figure 2).

[0064] The print control unit 143 controls the ejection of ink from each nozzle in each inkjet head that constitutes the print units 24a and 24b. For example, it controls the ink ejection timing and the amount of ink ejected. In this embodiment, the print control unit 143 controls the operation of the print units 24a and 24b based on print data into which dummy data has been inserted, so the printed paper after printing by the print units 24a and 24b contains dummy pages.

[0065] The drying control unit 144 controls the temperature (drying temperature) at which the drying units 25a and 25b dry the printing paper PA.

[0066] <1.5 Inserting dummy data and removing dummy pages> In this embodiment, in order to absorb the difference in processing speed between the printing device 10 and the post-processing machine group 60, dummy data insertion unit 141 inserts dummy data, which will be the source of dummy pages in the printed material (printed paper), into the print data PD. Since the dummy data is inserted into the print data PD according to the waiting time that occurs in the collating machine 63, when a waiting time occurs in the collating machine 63, the printing units 24a and 24b print dummy pages having a print length corresponding to the length of that waiting time. The dummy pages are not supplied to the collating machine 63, but are removed by the dummy page removal unit 610 provided in the sheet cutter machine 61. As a result of these operations, when a waiting time actually occurs in the collating machine 63, the difference in processing speed between the printing device 10 and the post-processing machine group 60 is absorbed without reducing the printing speed (the transport speed of the printed paper PA within the printing device 10). The dummy data insertion step is realized by the dummy data insertion unit 141 inserting dummy data into the print data PD, and the dummy page removal step is realized by the dummy page removal unit 610 removing dummy pages from the printed paper.

[0067] Here, we will explain the required print length of the dummy page (length in the direction of paper transport) to adequately absorb the difference in processing speed between the printing device 10 and the post-processing machine group 60. If the waiting time generated in the collating machine 63 is denoted as Tw and the printing speed as V, then the distance the paper is transported during a period of Tw is expressed as "V × Tw". If the print length of the dummy page is shorter than "V × Tw", the web buffer 50 will be consumed (printed paper will be accumulated in the web buffer 50). In this case, the difference in processing speed between the printing device 10 and the post-processing machine group 60 cannot be adequately absorbed. Therefore, in this embodiment, dummy data is inserted into the print data PD such that the print length of the dummy page is "V × Tw".

[0068] For example, if you want to insert a dummy page between the last page of job Ja and the first page of job Jb, the dummy data will be inserted into the print data PD so that printing of the first page of job Jb begins after a period of the length Tw has elapsed from the end of printing of the last page of job Ja, as shown in Figure 5. In this case, the print length of the dummy page inserted between the last page of job Ja and the first page of job Jb will be "V × Tw". Note that in Figure 5, one page is schematically represented by one rectangle.

[0069] In the example above, the print length of the dummy page is "V × Tw", but the print length of the dummy page may be longer than "V × Tw". In other words, the length of the dummy page corresponding to the dummy data inserted into the print data PD by the dummy data insertion unit 141 in accordance with one waiting time that occurs in the collating machine 63 should be at least the length equivalent to the product of the printing speed (the speed at which the printing paper is transported by the transport units 28a and 28b) and the waiting time that occurs in the collating machine 63.

[0070] In this embodiment, a two-dimensional code for identifying dummy pages is printed on them. For example, if a dummy page is inserted between the last page of job Ja and the first page of job Jb, a two-dimensional code 71 is printed at a predetermined position on each inserted dummy page, as shown in Figure 6. The dummy page removal unit 610 (see Figure 1) has a two-dimensional code reader so that it can identify whether or not each page is a dummy page based on this two-dimensional code 71. When the printed paper is supplied to the sheet cutter 61, the dummy page removal unit 610 determines whether or not each page of the printed paper is a dummy page based on the reading result of each page of the printed paper by the two-dimensional code reader. Pages that are determined to be dummy pages are then removed by the dummy page removal unit 610. By identifying whether or not each page is a dummy page based on the two-dimensional code 71 in this way, it is possible to prevent omissions in the removal of dummy pages and the accidental removal of pages that are actually needed.

[0071] Incidentally, inkjet printers generally print test patterns to check for nozzle defects and flashing patterns to resolve ink ejection problems. Pages printed with such patterns (test patterns, flashing patterns) can also be reused as dummy pages. That is, predetermined patterns used for maintenance of printing units 24a and 24b may be printed on dummy pages by the printing units 24a and 24b. This makes it possible for the printing of dummy pages to contribute to the maintenance of printing units 24a and 24b.

[0072] Next, referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 7, the procedure for inserting dummy data into the print data PD (hereinafter referred to as the "dummy data insertion process") will be explained. This dummy data insertion process is performed by the dummy data insertion unit 141 (see Figure 4). Here, we will focus on the case where printing is performed based on the print data PD as schematically shown in Figure 8. Regarding the print data PD shown in Figure 8, jobs Ja, Jb, Jc, and Je have 200 pages, and job Jd has 100 pages. In Figure 8, one page is schematically represented by one rectangle, and the page number is indicated within the rectangle. Furthermore, we assume that the printing speed is 100 mpm (meters per minute).

[0073] After the dummy data insertion process begins, job information JI for the job to be processed is first obtained from the print queue (step S100). The job information JI contains information such as the number of pages in the job and the page length of each page that makes up the job.

[0074] Next, it is determined whether the job to be processed is the final job (step S110). If the result of the determination is that the job to be processed is the final job, this dummy data insertion process ends. On the other hand, if the job to be processed is not the final job, the process proceeds to step S120.

[0075] In step S120, the waiting time that occurs in the collating machine 63 is calculated based on the job information JI acquired in step S100. In this step S120, the waiting time that occurs in the collating machine 63 after the completion of processing of the job to be processed is calculated, for example, as shown in the column indicated by the arrow labeled 72 in Figure 9.

[0076] Next, the print length of the dummy page to be inserted (insertion page length) is calculated (step S130). As above, if the waiting time is denoted as Tw and the print speed as V, the insertion page length Ld can be calculated using the following equation (1). Note that a print speed of 100 mpm is 1.667 m per second. Ld = V × Tw ... (1)

[0077] For example, since the waiting time after the completion of job Ja is 2 seconds, the print length of the dummy page inserted immediately after the last page of job Ja will be 3.33m (see Figure 9). Also, for example, since the waiting time after the completion of job Jc is 3 seconds, the print length of the dummy page inserted immediately after the last page of job Jc will be 5.00m (see Figure 9).

[0078] After calculating the print length of the dummy page, dummy data is inserted into the print data PD so that a dummy page of the length based on the calculation result is inserted (step S140). Then, the process returns to step S100, and processing for the next job to be processed is carried out.

[0079] As described above, the insertion of dummy data into the print data PD is not performed after an actual waiting time occurs, but rather based on the job information JI. In other words, in this embodiment, the dummy data insertion unit 141 decides whether or not to insert dummy data into the print data PD when the control unit 140 (specifically the print control unit 143) starts controlling the operation of the print units 24a and 24b based on the data of each job that constitutes the print data PD.

[0080] The print result based on the print data with dummy data inserted as described above is shown in Figure 10. In Figure 10, the rectangular area labeled "DUM" is the dummy page (the same applies to Figure 14). 3.33m of dummy pages are inserted between the last page of Job Ja and the first page of Job Jb (the area labeled 74a), and between the last page of Job Jb and the first page of Job Jc (the area labeled 74b). Additionally, 5.00m of dummy pages are inserted between the last page of Job Jc and the first page of Job Jd (the area labeled 74c), and between the last page of Job Jd and the first page of Job Je (the area labeled 74d). No dummy pages are inserted after the last page of the final job, Job Je.

[0081] Here, referring to Figure 11, the change in the buffer amount in the above example will be explained. When the buffer amount drops to L2, an instruction is sent from the web buffer 50 to the printer 10 requesting deceleration. At time t10, the buffer amount is L1 (full). During the period from time t10 to time t11, the collator 63 processes job Ja. During this period, the collator 63 processes job Ja without any waiting time, so the buffer amount is maintained at L1. The period from time t11 to time t12 is a period during which the collator 63 experiences waiting time. During this period, although the collator 63 experiences waiting time, as described above, dummy pages are inserted according to the length of the waiting time, and the dummy pages are removed by the dummy page removal unit 610, so the buffer amount is maintained at L1. Similarly, during the period from time t12 onward, the buffer amount is maintained at L1. As described above, in this embodiment, a dummy page is printed each time the last page of each job is printed, except for the last job to be printed, and the dummy page is removed by the dummy page removal unit 610, so the buffer remains full. Therefore, even if there is a waiting time in the collating machine 63, there is no need to reduce the printing speed.

[0082] Furthermore, considering the capacity of the web buffer 50, dummy data may be inserted into the print data PD so that a dummy page is printed each time printing is performed based on multiple jobs, excluding the last job to be printed. In this case, a dummy page with a print length corresponding to the total waiting time that occurred multiple times will be printed.

[0083] <1.6 Effects> According to this embodiment, the control unit 140 that controls the operation of the printing press body 200 is provided with a dummy data insertion unit 141 that inserts dummy data into the print data PD based on the waiting time that occurs in the collating machine 63. When dummy data is inserted into the print data PD, the printing units 24a and 24b print dummy pages. In addition, the sheet cutter machine 61, which is located between the printing device 10 and the collating machine 63, is provided with a dummy page removal unit 610 that removes dummy pages from the printed paper. With this configuration, when a waiting time occurs in the collating machine 63, dummy pages that are not originally necessary are printed according to the length of the waiting time. Therefore, even if a waiting time occurs in the collating machine 63, it is not necessary to reduce the printing speed. In other words, the printing device 10 does not need to support accelerated or decelerated printing. Furthermore, a decrease in print quality is suppressed. Since dummy pages included in the printed paper are removed without being supplied to the collating machine 63, the difference in processing speed between the printing device 10 and the post-processing machine group 60 is absorbed. Since the difference in processing speed between the printing device 10 and the post-processing machine group 60 is absorbed in this way, there is no need to rearrange the execution order of jobs to account for the waiting time that occurs in the collating machine 63.

[0084] As described above, according to this embodiment, a printing system 1 is realized that can suppress the deterioration of print quality caused by waiting time in the collating machine 63, even if the printing device 10 does not support acceleration and deceleration printing.

[0085] <2. Second Embodiment> <2.1 Overview> The overall configuration of the printing system 1, the configuration of the printing device 10, the hardware configuration of the printing control device 100, and the functional configuration of the printing control device 100 are the same as in the first embodiment described above, so their explanation will be omitted (see Figures 1 to 4).

[0086] In the first embodiment described above, when continuous printing based on multiple jobs was performed, dummy data was inserted into the print data PD so that a dummy page was printed each time the last page of each job was printed, except for the last job to be printed. In contrast, in this embodiment, when printing based on each job is started, the buffer remaining amount at the end of post-processing for each job is predicted, and if the predicted buffer remaining amount is not full or close to a predetermined amount (in other words, if the predicted consumption of the web buffer 50 is not 0 or close to a threshold), dummy data is inserted into the print data PD.

[0087] <2.2 Inserting Dummy Data> The procedure for inserting dummy data in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 12. The processes in steps S200, S210, and S220 are the same as the processes in steps S100, S110, and S120 in Figure 7, respectively.

[0088] In step S230, the remaining buffer size at the end of post-processing for the job being processed is predicted (in other words, the buffer consumption is predicted). A detailed explanation of the buffer size prediction will be provided later.

[0089] Next, a determination is made in step S240 to determine whether the buffer remaining amount, as predicted in step S230, is full (in other words, whether the predicted consumption of the web buffer 50 is 0). If the determination shows that the buffer remaining amount is full, the process returns to step S200, and processing for the next job to be processed is carried out. That is, if the buffer remaining amount is full, dummy data corresponding to the job to be processed is not inserted. On the other hand, if the buffer remaining amount is not full, the process proceeds to step S250.

[0090] In step S250, the print length (insertion page length) of the dummy page is calculated in the same manner as in step S130 in Figure 7, and in step S260, the dummy data is inserted into the print data PD in the same manner as in step S140 in Figure 7. After that, the process returns to step S200, and processing for the next job to be processed is carried out.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the above procedure, dummy data is inserted into the print data PD when it is predicted that the buffer level will not recover to full after decreasing in proportion to the waiting time. However, it is also possible to configure the system so that dummy data is inserted into the print data PD only when it is predicted that the buffer level will decrease to the point where a reduction in printing speed is necessary (i.e., when it is predicted that the buffer level will fall below a predetermined threshold).

[0092] Here, we will focus on the case where printing is performed based on the print data PD shown in Figure 8, and explain how to determine the buffer remaining amount and how to insert dummy pages based on the buffer remaining amount prediction. Figure 13 shows the state of the web buffer 50 when post-processing (the process of creating book blocks in the collating machine 63) is being performed for each job. In this case, the page length is 0.61 m for all pages in all jobs. We also assume that the printing speed (the speed at which the printing paper is transported in the printing device 10) is 100 mpm and the post-processing speed (the speed at which the printed paper is transported to the collating machine 63 within the post-processing machine group 60) is 103 mpm.

[0093] Since Job Ja is the first job to be printed, the buffer remains full while post-processing is being performed on Job Ja. When the target of post-processing switches from Job Ja to Job Jb, a 2-second waiting time occurs. The decrease in buffer size due to this can be calculated using the same formula as in formula (1) above. The printing speed is 100 mpm (1.667 m / s) and the waiting time is 2 seconds, so the decrease in buffer size is 3.33 m. Therefore, at the start of post-processing for Job Jb, the buffer consumption is 3.33 m.

[0094] During the post-processing of job Jb, the post-processing speed (103 mpm) is higher than the print speed (100 mpm), so the buffer amount gradually recovers. If we denote the print speed as V1, the post-processing speed as V2, and the page length as L, the amount of buffer amount recovered Br during the processing of each page can be calculated using the following equation (2). Br = (V2 - V1) × (L / V1) ... (2) From equation (2) above, the amount of buffer remaining Br recovered during the processing of each page is approximately 0.02m.

[0095] The buffer consumption at the end of processing for each page is determined by subtracting the amount of buffer recovered during the processing period of that page from the buffer consumption at the end of processing for the previous page.

[0096] From the above, the buffer consumption at the end of post-processing for job Jb (the end of processing of the last page of job Jb) can be predicted in advance (step S230 in Figure 12). As shown in the part labeled 81 in Figure 13, the buffer consumption at the end of post-processing for job Jb is 0, so as shown in the part labeled 82 in Figure 13, no dummy page is inserted between the last page of job Ja and the first page of job Jb. Similarly, as shown in the part labeled 83 in Figure 13, the buffer consumption at the end of post-processing for job Jc is 0, so as shown in the part labeled 84 in Figure 13, no dummy page is inserted between the last page of job Jb and the first page of job Jc.

[0097] However, since jobs Jb and Jc have 200 pages, while job Jd has 100 pages, the buffer consumption at the end of post-processing for job Jd is 1.50, as shown in the part labeled 85 in Figure 13. Therefore, a dummy page of the length calculated by equation (1) above (3.33m) is inserted between the last page of job Jc and the first page of job Jd (see the part labeled 86 in Figure 13). However, in such cases, a dummy page of the length equal to the buffer consumption at the end of post-processing for each job (1.50m in the above example) may be inserted.

[0098] The result of printing based on the print data into which dummy data has been inserted through the above process is as shown in Figure 14. 3.33m of dummy pages are inserted only between the last page of job Jc and the first page of job Jd (the section labeled 76).

[0099] The change in buffer size will be explained with reference to Figure 15. In Figure 15, part A shows the change in buffer size when no dummy pages are inserted, and part B shows the change in buffer size in this embodiment.

[0100] First, let's focus on section A. When jobs switch, the buffer size decreases in proportion to the waiting time. At the end of the processing period for job Jb (time t23) and job Jc (time t25), the buffer size has recovered to full. However, since the number of pages in job Jd is less than that of jobs Jb and Jc, the buffer size has not recovered to full by the end of the processing period for job Jd (time t27) (see the section labeled 77 in Figure 15). From this, it is a concern that if the jobs to be printed include many jobs with a small number of pages, the buffer size may decrease to the point where a reduction in printing speed is necessary. As mentioned above, a reduction in printing speed leads to a decrease in print quality.

[0101] Next, let's focus on section B. When switching from job Ja to job Jb and from job Jb to job Jc, the buffer size decreases in accordance with the waiting time. At the end of the processing period for job Jb (time t23) and the end of the processing period for job Jc (time t25), the buffer size has recovered to full. When switching from job Jc to job Jd, a waiting time occurs, but as described above, a dummy page is inserted between the last page of job Jc and the first page of job Jd, so the buffer size remains full without decreasing (see the part labeled 78 in Figure 15). Subsequently, when switching from job Jd to job Je, the buffer size decreases in accordance with the waiting time, but at the end of the processing period for job Je (time t29), the buffer size has recovered to full. Thus, in this embodiment, a dummy page is not inserted with each job switch, but the buffer size does not decrease to the extent that a reduction in printing speed is necessary.

[0102] <2.3 Effects> According to this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, a printing system 1 is realized that can suppress the deterioration of print quality caused by waiting time in the collating machine 63, even if the printing device 10 does not support acceleration / deceleration printing. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, dummy data is inserted into the print data PD only when it is predicted that the buffer amount will not recover to a full state after waiting time occurs in the collating machine 63. As a result, the generation of paper waste is suppressed compared to the first embodiment.

[0103] <3. Variant> The following describes some variations.

[0104] <3.1 First variation> In each of the above embodiments, a dummy data insertion unit 141 was provided in the control unit 140 that controls the operation of each component included in the printing press body 200. However, the invention is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 16, the dummy data insertion unit 41 may be provided in the RIP server 40, which is a rasterization processing device. In this case, the dummy data insertion unit 41 decides whether or not to insert dummy pages into the print data when the RIP server 40 performs RIP processing on the submitted data. If dummy pages are to be inserted into the print data, the dummy data insertion unit 41 can calculate the waiting time and the print length of the dummy pages using the same procedure as in the first or second embodiment. In this modified example, the print data with the inserted dummy pages is sent from the RIP server 40 to the printing device 10. Therefore, the printing device 10 does not need to perform the dummy data insertion processing described above.

[0105] <3.2 Second variation> In the first embodiment described above, when continuous printing based on multiple jobs was performed, a dummy page was printed each time the last page of each job was printed, except for the last job to be printed. Therefore, during the execution of continuous printing, the buffer amount was maintained at full, as shown in Figure 11. Considering this, even without a web buffer 50, there is no need to reduce the printing speed when a waiting time occurs in the post-processing equipment (collating machine 63, etc.). Therefore, as shown in Figure 17, a configuration can be adopted in which a web buffer 50 is not provided between the printing device 10 and the post-processing equipment group 60. With such a configuration, costs are reduced compared to the conventional configuration.

[0106] <3.3 Third Modified Example> In each of the above embodiments, the dummy pages printed by the printing units 24a and 24b were removed by a dummy page removal unit 610 provided in the sheet cutter 61. In this regard, a box for collecting the dummy pages removed by the dummy page removal unit 610 (hereinafter referred to as the "waste paper collection box") may be provided, and a function may be provided to notify a warning message when it is predicted that the waste paper collection box will overflow with printed paper (waste paper). A configuration to realize this will be described below with reference to Figure 18.

[0107] In this modified example, a waste paper collection box 611 is provided near the sheet cutter 61 to store dummy pages (i.e., waste paper) removed from printed paper by the dummy page removal unit 610. The waste paper collection box 611 has a predetermined capacity. A remaining capacity sensor 612 is provided inside or outside the waste paper collection box 611 to detect the remaining capacity of the waste paper collection box 611. Furthermore, the control unit 140 of the print control device 100 is provided with a warning notification unit 146 that notifies a predetermined warning message when it is predicted that the remaining capacity of the waste paper collection box 611 will fall below a predetermined threshold by inserting dummy data into the print data PD. In this configuration, a detection signal S representing the remaining capacity detected by the remaining capacity sensor 612 is sent from the remaining capacity sensor 612 to the warning notification unit 146. Based on the detection signal S, the warning notification unit 146 predicts whether or not the remaining capacity of the waste paper collection box 611 will fall below a predetermined threshold. Then, when it is predicted that the remaining capacity of the waste paper collection box 611 will fall below a predetermined threshold, the warning notification unit 146 displays a warning screen 88, such as the one shown in Figure 19, on the display unit 123 (Figure 3) of the print control device 100. In this modified example, the waste paper collection box 611 is used to realize a waste dummy page storage unit.

[0108] According to this modified version, the area around the dummy page removal unit 610 is prevented from becoming cluttered with discarded dummy pages (waste paper).

[0109] <4. Others> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments (including modifications), and can be implemented in various modified forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiments, dummy data was inserted to prevent the buffer from becoming so small that it would be necessary to reduce the printing speed, but the present invention can also be applied to cases where an operation is adopted in which "reducing the printing speed is acceptable, but stopping printing is not."

[0110] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a two-dimensional code (two-dimensional barcode) was printed on the dummy page as a symbol for identifying the dummy page, but the symbol for identifying the dummy page is not limited to a two-dimensional code. For example, a mark that can be identified by size and density (for example, a rectangular mark with different lengths in the paper transport direction or paper width direction) may be printed on both the regular printed page and the dummy page. In this case, the dummy page removal unit can use an image-recognition-capable scanner (image reading unit) instead of a two-dimensional code reader to distinguish between the regular printed page and the dummy page. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1…Printing system 10…Printing device 24a,24b…Printing department 40…RIP server 50... Web buffer 60...Post-processing machine group 61…Sheet cutter (cutting machine) 63... Collating machine (book block making machine) 100…Printing control device 140... Control Unit 141... Dummy data insertion section 142... Conveyance Control Unit 143…Printing Control Unit 144... Drying Control Unit 200... Printing machine body 610... Dummy page removal section 611... Paper waste collection box 612...Remaining capacity sensor JI... Job Information PD…Print Data

Claims

1. A printing system including a printing device having a transport unit that transports a print medium and a printing unit that prints on the print medium transported by the transport unit based on print data, and a post-processing device that performs post-processing on the printed print medium on which printing has been performed by the printing unit, a dummy data insertion unit that inserts dummy data into the print data so that the printing unit prints a dummy page based on a waiting time that occurs when the post-processing device performs post-processing on the printed print medium; a dummy page removal unit disposed between the printing device and the post-processing device, which removes the dummy page from the printed print medium so that the dummy page is not supplied to the post-processing device; A printing system comprising:

2. 2. The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising a print medium buffer provided between the printing device and the dummy page removal unit for temporarily storing the printed print medium when a wait time occurs in the post-processing device.

3. 3. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the dummy data insertion unit determines whether or not to insert the dummy data into the print data in consideration of the amount of consumption of the print medium buffer.

4. The printing system of claim 3, wherein the dummy data insertion unit predicts the consumption of the printing medium buffer at the end of post-processing based on each job when printing based on each job by the printing unit begins, and inserts the dummy data into the print data if the predicted consumption is not less than 0 or a threshold value nearby.

5. 3. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein when continuous printing based on multiple jobs is performed in the printing unit, the dummy data insertion unit inserts the dummy data into the print data so that the dummy page is printed immediately after the final page of each job except for the job that is printed last is printed.

6. 3. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein when continuous printing based on multiple jobs is performed in the printing unit, the dummy data insertion unit inserts the dummy data into the print data so that the dummy page is printed each time printing based on multiple jobs is performed, except for the job that is printed last.

7. A printing system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the length of the dummy page corresponding to the dummy data inserted into the print data by the dummy data insertion unit in response to one waiting time occurring in the post-processing device is equal to or greater than the length corresponding to the product of the speed at which the printing medium is transported by the transport unit and the waiting time occurring in the post-processing device.

8. the dummy page removal unit includes an image reading unit, an identifiable mark is printed on the dummy page by the printing unit; 8. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the dummy page removal unit determines whether each page of the printed printing medium is a dummy page based on the results of reading each page of the printed printing medium by the image reading unit.

9. a discarded dummy page storage unit having a predetermined capacity for storing dummy pages removed by the dummy page removal unit from the printed print medium; a remaining capacity sensor for detecting a remaining capacity of the discarded dummy page storage section; a warning notification unit that notifies a predetermined warning message when it is predicted that the remaining capacity of the discard dummy page storage unit will become equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value due to the insertion of the dummy data into the print data, based on the result of detection of the remaining capacity of the discard dummy page storage unit by the remaining capacity sensor; 9. The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

10. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the dummy data insertion unit determines the waiting time that occurs in the post-processing device based on job information, which is information about a job to be printed by the printing unit.

11. 11. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined pattern used for maintenance of the printing unit is printed on the dummy page by the printing unit.

12. the printing device includes a control unit that controls operations of the printing unit and the transport unit; the control unit includes the dummy data insertion unit, A printing system as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the dummy data insertion unit determines whether or not to insert the dummy data into the print data when the control unit begins to control the operation of the printing unit based on the data of each job that constitutes the print data.

13. a rasterization processing device that generates the print data by performing a rasterization process on the input data; the rasterization processing device includes the dummy data insertion unit, 12. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the dummy data insertion unit determines whether or not to insert the dummy page into the print data when the rasterization processing is performed by the rasterization processing device.

14. Further, a cutting machine is provided to cut the printed medium. the cutting machine includes the dummy page removal unit, a book block creating machine that creates a book block by assembling the print media cut by the cutter into sets as the post-processing device; 14. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein a waiting time occurs from the start of one set of processing to the start of the next set of processing in the book block creating machine.

15. A printing method in a printing system including a printing device having a transport unit that transports a print medium and a printing unit that prints on the print medium transported by the transport unit based on print data, and a post-processing device that performs post-processing on the printed print medium on which printing has been performed by the printing unit, a dummy data insertion step of inserting dummy data into the print data so that a dummy page is printed by the printing unit based on a waiting time that occurs when post-processing is performed on the printed print medium by the post-processing device; a dummy page removing step of removing the dummy page from the printed print medium so that the dummy page is not fed to the post-processing device; A printing method comprising:

Images