Computer program, and printing data generation device

Abstract

To appropriately generate print data based on vector data generated by an application.SOLUTION: A computer program realizes a function to determine a generation condition for first bitmap data so that the number of pixels in a specific direction of a bitmap image becomes equal to or less than a specific number, a function to acquire the first bitmap data by using the generation condition, a function to determine an enlargement condition on the basis of condition information indicating a print condition, and a second acquisition function to acquire second bitmap data by using the enlargement condition. The first bitmap data is data that is generated on the basis of the vector data generated by an application program. The second bitmap data is data that is generated by enlarging the first bitmap data on the basis of the enlargement condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to a technique for controlling a printing execution unit.

Background Art

[0002] In an inkjet serial printer that performs printing by executing the main scanning of a print head a plurality of times, there is known a technique for performing printing using a sheet having a length in the conveyance direction during printing that is longer than that of standard sheets such as A4, B5, and L size (also referred to as a long sheet). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer that performs printing without creating margins on a roll sheet (so-called borderless printing on a long sheet).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to perform printing using a long sheet, the size of the bitmap data used for generating print data can also become large. For this reason, when an application does not assume that bitmap data of a size corresponding to a long sheet is generated, in the process of generating print data, the process of generating bitmap data using vector data generated by the application may not operate properly. In this case, there may be a possibility that print data based on the vector data cannot be generated appropriately.

[0005] This specification discloses a technique for appropriately generating print data based on vector data generated by an application.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized as the following application examples.

[0007] [Application Example 1] A computer program, An information acquisition function for acquiring condition information indicating printing conditions, wherein the condition information includes length information indicating the length in a specific direction of either a print image to be printed or a printing medium on which the print image is printed, the information acquisition function, using the length information, For a bitmap image, the A generation condition determination function for determining generation conditions of first bitmap data indicating the bitmap image such that the number of pixels in a specific direction is equal to or less than a specific number; A first acquisition function for acquiring the first bitmap data that satisfies the generation conditions using the generation conditions, wherein the acquired first bitmap data is data generated based on vector data generated by an application program; the first acquisition function; the including the length information An enlargement condition determination function for determining an enlargement condition for enlarging the first bitmap data based on condition information; A second acquisition function for acquiring second bitmap data using the enlargement condition, wherein the acquired second bitmap data is data generated by enlarging the first bitmap data based on the enlargement condition; the second acquisition function; A generation function for generating print data using the second bitmap data; A computer program that causes a computer to implement the above.

[0008] When generating bitmap data indicating an image in which the number of pixels in a specific direction is greater than a specific number based on vector data generated by an application program, problems such as missing parts of the image may occur. According to the above configuration, since generation conditions are determined such that the number of pixels in a specific direction becomes equal to or less than a specific number, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of such problems. And since print data is generated using second bitmap data generated by enlarging first bitmap data, it is possible to appropriately generate print data based on vector data generated by an application.

[0009] Note that the technology disclosed in this specification can be implemented in various forms, for example, an image processing method and an image processing apparatus, a printing method and a printing apparatus, a computer program for realizing the functions of those methods or apparatuses, a recording medium (for example, a non-transitory recording medium) on which the computer program is recorded, and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] A. First Embodiment: A-1: Configuration of Printing System 1000 Next, the embodiments will be described based on examples. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printing system 1000 of the example.

[0012] The printing system 1000 includes a printer 200 and a terminal device 300 as the image processing device of this example. The printer 200 and the terminal device 300 are communicably connected via a wired or wireless network NW.

[0013] The terminal device 300 is a computer used by the user of the printer 200, for example, a personal computer or a smartphone. The terminal device 300 includes a CPU 310 as a controller of the terminal device 300, a non-volatile storage device 320 such as a hard disk drive, a volatile storage device 330 such as a RAM, an operation unit 360 such as a mouse and a keyboard, a display unit 370 such as a liquid crystal display, and a communication unit 380. The communication unit 380 includes a wired or wireless interface for connecting to the network NW.

[0014] The volatile storage device 330 provides a buffer area 331 for the CPU 310. The non-volatile storage device 320 stores a plurality of computer programs, specifically, an application program AP, a printer driver program DP, a rasterization program RP, and an OS program OP.

[0015] The application program AP is a program that causes the CPU 310 to realize the function of processing image data, for example, a program that realizes a document creation function or a program that realizes a document viewing function. The application program AP includes a program that realizes the function of starting the printer driver program DP and instructing the printer driver program DP to print an image indicated by the image data handled by the application. Hereinafter, the function realized by the CPU 310 by executing the application program AP is also referred to as an "application". The application program AP is provided by the manufacturer of the application program AP in a form downloaded from a server or in a form stored in a DVD-ROM or the like.

[0016] The printer driver program DP is a program that causes the CPU 310 to realize the function of causing the printer 200 to print an image using the image data acquired from the application in accordance with the instruction of the application. Hereinafter, the function realized by the CPU 310 by executing the printer driver program DP is also referred to as a "printer driver". The printer driver program DP is provided by the manufacturer of the printer 200 in a form downloaded from a server or in a form stored in a DVD-ROM or the like.

[0017] The OS program OP is a program that causes the CPU 310 to realize the function as an operating system (OS). The OS is Windows (registered trademark) in this embodiment. The OS program may be other programs such as Android (registered trademark) and iOS (registered trademark).

[0018] The rasterization program RP is a program that causes the CPU 310 to realize a function of executing a process (rasterization) of converting image data (also called vector data) described by a predetermined description language into bitmap data such as RGB image data. Vector data is a set of drawing commands. In this embodiment, the rasterization program RP is GDI (Graphic Device Interface) provided as a component of the Windows OS. The rasterization program RP may be a program corresponding to other OS programs. Hereinafter, the function realized by the CPU 310 by executing the rasterization program RP is also referred to as a "rasterizer". The OS program OP and the rasterization program RP are provided by the manufacturer of the OS program OP in a form installed in the non-volatile storage device 220, for example, at the time of manufacturing the terminal device 300. The OS program OP and the rasterization program RP may be provided in a form downloaded from a server or in a form stored in a DVD-ROM or the like.

[0019] The printer 200 includes, for example, a printing mechanism 100 as a printing execution unit, a CPU 210 as a control device for the printing mechanism 100, a non-volatile storage device 220 such as a hard disk drive, a volatile storage device 230 such as a hard disk or a flash memory, an operation unit 260 such as buttons or a touch panel for acquiring operations by a user, a display unit 270 such as a liquid crystal display, and a communication unit 280. The printer 200 is communicably connected to an external device, for example, a user's terminal device (not shown), via the communication unit 280.

[0020] The volatile memory device 230 provides a buffer area 231 for temporarily storing various intermediate image data generated when the CPU 210 performs processing. The non-volatile memory device 220 stores a computer program CP. In this embodiment, the computer program CP is a control program for controlling the printer 200. The computer program CP can be stored in and provided by the non-volatile memory device 220 at the time of shipment of the printer 200. Alternatively, the computer program CP may be provided in a form downloaded from a server, or may be provided in a form stored in a DVD-ROM or the like. By executing the computer program CP, the CPU 210 controls the printing mechanism 100, for example, to execute a printing process described later.

[0021] The printing mechanism 100 performs printing by ejecting cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) inks (droplets). The printing mechanism 100 includes a print head 110, a head drive unit 120, a main scanning unit 130, and a conveyance unit 140.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the printing mechanism 100. As shown in FIG. 2(A), the main scanning unit 130 includes a carriage 133 on which the print head 110 is mounted, and a sliding shaft 134 that holds the carriage 133 so as to be reciprocally movable along the main scanning direction (the X-axis direction in FIG. 2). The main scanning unit 130 reciprocates the carriage 133 along the sliding shaft 134 using the power of a main scanning motor (not shown). Thereby, main scanning for reciprocating the print head 110 along the main scanning direction with respect to the sheet M is realized.

[0023] The conveyance unit 140 conveys the sheet M in a conveyance direction AR (the +Y direction in FIG. 2) that intersects the main scanning direction while holding the sheet M. As shown in FIG. 2(A), the conveyance unit 140 includes a sheet tray 145, an upstream roller pair 142, and a downstream roller pair 141. Hereinafter, the upstream side (-Y side) in the conveyance direction AR will also be simply referred to as the upstream side, and the downstream side (+Y side) in the conveyance direction AR will also be simply referred to as the downstream side.

[0024] The upstream roller pair 142 holds the sheet M on the upstream side (-Y side) of the print head 110, and the downstream roller pair 141 holds the sheet M on the downstream side (+Y side) of the print head 110. The paper feed table 145 is positioned between the upstream roller pair 142 and the downstream roller pair 141 and faces the nozzle forming surface 111 of the print head 110. The sheet M is conveyed by driving the downstream roller pair 141 and the upstream roller pair 142 with a conveyance motor (not shown).

[0025] The head drive unit 120 (FIG. 1) supplies a drive signal to the print head 110 to drive the print head 110 while the main scanning unit 130 is performing the main scanning of the print head 110. The print head 110 ejects ink onto the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit 140 in accordance with the drive signal to form dots.

[0026] FIG. 2(B) shows the configuration of the print head 110 as viewed from the -Z side (lower side in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2(B), on the nozzle forming surface 111 of the print head 110, a plurality of nozzle rows each consisting of a plurality of nozzles, that is, nozzle rows NC, NM, NY, and NK for ejecting the above-described inks C, M, Y, and K are formed. Each nozzle row includes a plurality of nozzles NZ arranged along the conveyance direction AR. The plurality of nozzles NZ have different positions in the conveyance direction AR (+Y direction) and are arranged at a predetermined nozzle interval NT along the conveyance direction AR. The nozzle interval NT is the length in the conveyance direction AR between two adjacent nozzles NZ in the conveyance direction AR among the plurality of nozzles NZ.

[0027] The CPU 210 controls the printing mechanism 100 having the above-described configuration to execute printing. That is, the CPU 210 causes the main scanning unit 130 to perform main scanning, and alternately executes a plurality of times partial printing in which the print head 110 ejects ink to form dots on the sheet M and sub-scanning (conveyance of the sheet M) by the conveyance unit 140, thereby printing a print image on the sheet M.

[0028] A-2. Printing Process When the user wants to print an image based on the image data being processed by the application running on the terminal device 300, the user inputs a print instruction to the application. When the print instruction is input, the application starts the printer driver. That is, the CPU 310 executes the printer driver program DP. The printer driver (CPU 310) starts the printing process.

[0029] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the printing process of the first embodiment. In S10, the printer driver displays a user interface screen (UI screen) on the display unit 370.

[0030] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen for inputting a print instruction. The UI screen WI1 in Figure 4(A) includes input elements for specifying one valid option from a plurality of corresponding options for each of a plurality of setting items related to printing. Specifically, the UI screen WI1 includes a pull-down menu PM1 for inputting condition information related to printing from a plurality of options, a plurality of radio buttons RB1 to RB6, and a plurality of buttons BTs, BT1, and BT2.

[0031] The pull-down menu PM1 is an input element for specifying the size of the paper M as the printing medium. In this embodiment, as options, standard short-sized papers such as A4 and A3, long-sized papers (for example, a paper of 297 mm × 1200 mm), and user-defined size papers can be selected. The user-defined size paper is a paper with a size registered by the user in advance. The user can register a paper of any size via another UI screen WI2 (Figure 4(B)) described later that is displayed when the button BTs is pressed.

[0032] Radio buttons RB1 and RB2 are input elements for entering an instruction to print the paper either vertically or horizontally. Radio buttons RB3 and RB4 are input elements for entering a specification of the printing color mode. In this embodiment, there are two options for the color mode, namely, monochrome mode and color mode. Radio buttons RB5 and RB6 are input elements for entering a specification of the printing mode. In this embodiment, there are two options for the printing mode, namely, normal mode and high-quality mode. The image printed in high-quality mode has higher image quality than the image printed in normal mode.

[0033] The UI screen WI2 in FIG. 4(B) is a screen for the user to register the size of the paper M. The UI screen WI2 includes two radio buttons RB7 and RB8, two input fields IS1 and IS2, and two buttons BT3 and BT4.

[0034] Radio buttons RB7 and RB8 are input elements for entering a specification of the unit used when entering the size of the paper M. In this embodiment, there are two options for the unit, namely, millimeter and inch. Input field IS1 is an input element for numerically entering the width of the paper. Input IS2 is an input element for numerically entering the height of the paper.

[0035] On the UI screen WI2, when the OK button BT3 is pressed, the size indicated by the unit selected via the radio buttons RB7 and RB8 and the numerical values entered in the two input fields IS1 and IS2 at that time is registered.

[0036] On the UI screen WI1, when the print button BT1 is pressed, at S15, the printer driver acquires print condition information indicating conditions related to printing via the UI screen WI1. Information indicating the options specified on the UI screen WI1 at the time when the print button BT1 is pressed is acquired as valid print condition information for the corresponding setting item. As described above, the print condition information includes information indicating the size of the paper M, information indicating the paper orientation, and information indicating the printing mode.

[0037] In S20, the printer driver identifies the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M from the condition information. Specifically, based on the information indicating the size of the paper M and the information indicating the paper direction (portrait or landscape), the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is identified. When the portrait direction is specified as the paper direction, the height of the paper M is the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper. When the landscape direction is specified as the paper direction, the width of the paper M is the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper. When the paper M such as A3, A4, or long paper is specified, among the pre-stored widths or heights (unit: for example, mm) of these standard papers, the value indicating the length of the conveyance direction AR is identified. When a user-defined size is specified, among the width or height of the paper M registered by the user, the value indicating the length of the conveyance direction AR is identified.

[0038] In S25, the printer driver determines whether the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the identified paper M is longer than the reference length A. The reference length A is the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M corresponding to the upper limit value of the length (unit: for example, the number of pixels) of the printed image in the conveyance direction AR. In this embodiment, the upper limit value is the maximum value (32767) of an integer that can be represented by 2 bytes. The reference length A is a value corresponding to the printing resolution C in the conveyance direction AR and is pre-stored for each printing resolution C. The printer driver determines the printing resolution in the conveyance direction AR based on the selected printing mode and makes the determination in this step using the reference length A corresponding to the printing resolution. For example, when the printing resolution in the conveyance direction AR is 600 dpi, the reference length A is approximately 1400 mm. Thus, in this embodiment, the fact that the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A is synonymous with the fact that the length of the printed image in the conveyance direction AR is longer than the upper limit value.

[0039] When the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is less than or equal to the reference length A (S25: NO), in S30, the printer driver determines the rasterization conditions including the resolution for rasterization. In this case, even if rasterization is performed using the printing resolution as it is, the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the generated bitmap image does not exceed the upper limit value. For this reason, the printer driver determines the resolution for rasterization as the printing resolution. Therefore, the resolution D in the conveyance direction AR for rasterization is determined as the printing resolution C in the conveyance direction AR (D = C). Note that the rasterization conditions include other conditions, for example, the resolution in the main scanning direction for rasterization, the size (the number of pixels in the main scanning direction and the conveyance direction AR), the number of colors (the number of gradations, monochrome / color, etc.). These conditions are determined based on the printing condition information acquired in S15.

[0040] In S35, the printer driver causes the OS to generate intermediate image data based on the determined rasterization conditions. The intermediate image data is vector data described by drawing commands interpretable by the rasterizer, and in this embodiment, it is a file in a format called EMF (Enhanced Metafile). Specifically, the printer driver passes the rasterization conditions to the OS and instructs the generation of intermediate image data. The OS acquires vector data (a group of drawing commands) indicating the image to be printed from the application, and uses the vector data and the rasterization conditions acquired from the printer driver to generate the intermediate image data.

[0041] In S40, the printer driver causes the rasterizer to generate bitmap data based on the intermediate image data generated by the OS. The rasterizer converts the intermediate image data into bitmap data in response to an instruction from the printer driver. In this embodiment, the bitmap data is RGB image data including RGB values for each pixel. The RGB values are, for example, color values in the RGB color system including three component values of red, green, and blue. The number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image indicated by the generated bitmap data is less than or equal to the above-described upper limit value.

[0042] When the length B of the transport direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A (S25: YES), in S45, the printer driver determines the rasterization conditions including the resolution for rasterization. In this case, if rasterization is performed using the printing resolution as it is, the number of pixels in the transport direction AR of the generated bitmap image exceeds the upper limit value. Therefore, the printer driver determines the resolution for rasterization so that the number of pixels in the transport direction AR of the generated bitmap image does not exceed the upper limit value. In this embodiment, the resolution D in the transport direction AR for rasterization is determined as the value obtained by multiplying the value obtained by dividing the reference length A by the length B of the transport direction AR of the paper M by the printing resolution C in the transport direction AR. That is, the resolution D in the transport direction AR for rasterization is calculated using the following formula (1). D = [(A / B) × C] …(1)

[0043] As a result, a bitmap image reduced by (A / B) in the transport direction AR is generated as compared with the case where rasterization is performed using the printing resolution as it is. In this embodiment, the resolution in the main scanning direction for rasterization is also determined to be reduced by (A / B) in the main scanning direction as compared with the case where rasterization is performed using the printing resolution as it is.

[0044] In S50, similarly to S35, the printer driver causes the OS to generate intermediate image data based on the determined rasterization conditions. In S55, the printer driver causes the rasterizer to generate bitmap data based on the intermediate image data generated by the OS. The rasterizer converts the intermediate image data into bitmap data (RGB image data in this embodiment) in response to an instruction from the printer driver. The size of the bitmap image indicated by the generated bitmap data is smaller than the size of the image to be printed. Specifically, the number of pixels in the transport direction AR and the main scanning direction of the bitmap image is (A / B) times the number of pixels in the transport direction AR and the main scanning direction of the image to be printed. The number of pixels in the transport direction AR of the bitmap image coincides with the upper limit value described above.

[0045] In S60, the printer driver determines the magnification ratio E of the generated bitmap data. The magnification ratio E is determined such that the size of the magnified bitmap data becomes the size of the image to be printed. In this embodiment, the magnification ratio E is determined as the value obtained by dividing the length B in the conveyance direction AR of the paper M by the reference length A. That is, the magnification ratio E is calculated using the following formula (2). E = (B / A) …(2)

[0046] In S60, the printer driver uses the determined magnification ratio E to magnify the bitmap data and generate magnified bitmap data. The size of the magnified bitmap image indicated by the magnified bitmap data is the size of the image to be printed. The magnification process is executed using an interpolation operation such as the bicubic method or the bilinear method, for example.

[0047] In S70, the printer driver uses the bitmap data generated in S40 or the magnified bitmap data generated in S65 to generate print data indicating a printed image. Specifically, the printer driver executes color conversion processing on the bitmap data (RGB image data). The color conversion processing is a process of converting the RGB values of a plurality of pixels included in the RGB image data into CMYK values. The CMYK values are color values in the CMYK color system including component values corresponding to the inks used for printing (in this embodiment, the component values of C, M, Y, and K). The color conversion processing is executed by referring to a known lookup table that defines the correspondence between RGB values and CMYK values, for example. The printer driver executes halftone processing on the color-converted target image data to generate print data (also called dot data). The print data is data representing the dot formation state for each pixel for each color component of CMYK. The value of each pixel of the print data indicates, for example, the formation state of dots in two gradations of "no dot" and "dot present", or four gradations of "no dot", "small", "medium", and "large". The halftone processing is executed using a known method such as the dither method or the error diffusion method.

[0048] In the S75, the printer driver causes the printer 200 to execute printing using the print data. For example, the printer driver divides the print data and generates partial print data for causing the printer 200 to execute multiple partial prints. The printer driver adds control data indicating the conveyance amount of the paper M, the main scanning speed, etc. to the partial print data and transmits it to the printer 200. The printer 200 prints an image on the paper M according to the partial print data and the control data.

[0049] According to the present embodiment described above, the printer driver program DP causes the CPU 310 to realize a function of determining a rasterization condition (S45 in FIG. 3) so that the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image is equal to or less than the upper limit value, a function of obtaining bitmap data that satisfies the rasterization condition using the rasterization condition (S50, S55 in FIG. 3), a function of determining an enlargement condition for enlarging the bitmap data based on the print condition information (S60 in FIG. 3), a function of obtaining enlarged bitmap data using the enlargement condition (S65 in FIG. 3), and a function of generating print data using the enlarged bitmap data (S70 in FIG. 3).

[0050] For example, depending on the specifications of any one of the application program AP, the OS program OP, or the rasterization program RP, or depending on a combination of the application program AP, the OS program OP, and the rasterization program RP, it may not be possible to appropriately generate bitmap data with the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR exceeding the upper limit value. In printing using a long sheet of paper, the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR corresponding to the long sheet of paper may exceed the upper limit value. In such a case, if bitmap data with the number of pixels corresponding to the long sheet of paper is generated by the rasterization program RP, defects such as missing parts in the image indicated by the generated bitmap data may occur. According to this embodiment, since the rasterization conditions are determined so that the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image is equal to or less than the upper limit value, the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap data generated by the rasterization program RP can be suppressed to be equal to or less than the upper limit value. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of such defects. Then, since the printed data is generated using the enlarged bitmap data generated by enlarging the bitmap data, it is possible to appropriately generate the printed data based on the vector data generated by the application.

[0051] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the printer driver determines the generation conditions at S45 in FIG. 3 so that the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image matches the upper limit value. As a result, at S55 in FIG. 3, it is possible to suppress the generation of bitmap data with an excessively small size. If bitmap data with an excessively small size is generated, the image quality of the image indicated by the enlarged bitmap data deteriorates, and consequently, the image quality of the printed image may deteriorate. According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the image quality of the image printed using the printed data.

[0052] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the printing condition information obtained in S15 includes information indicating the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M (FIG. 4). When the length of the conveyance direction AR specified by the length information is longer than the reference length A (YES in S25 of FIG. 3), the printer driver determines rasterization conditions so that the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image is equal to or less than the upper limit value (S45 in FIG. 3). Then, the printer driver determines enlargement conditions so that enlarged bitmap data having the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR corresponding to the length of the printing image to be printed in the conveyance direction AR is generated (S60 in FIG. 3). As a result, even when the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is relatively long, such as in long print, print data based on the vector data generated by the application can be appropriately generated.

[0053] Furthermore, the rasterization conditions determined in S45 of FIG. 3 include the resolution D in the conveyance direction AR for generating bitmap data, and the enlargement conditions determined in S60 of FIG. 3 include the enlargement ratio E for enlarging the bitmap data. The resolution D and the enlargement ratio E are calculated using the formulas D = [(A / B)×C] and E = (B / A), where the reference length corresponding to the upper limit value is A, the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is B, and the printing resolution in the conveyance direction AR of the printing image is C. As a result, the resolution D and the enlargement ratio E can be appropriately determined.

[0054] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the printer driver obtains bitmap data by causing a rasterization program RP, which is an external conversion program for converting vector data into bitmap data, to generate the bitmap data (S50 in FIG. 3). As a result, print data based on the vector data generated by the application can be appropriately generated. In addition, since it is not necessary to incorporate a rasterization function into the printer driver program DP, the development man-hours of the printer driver program DP can be reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the printer driver executes an enlargement process on the bitmap data generated by the rasterization program RP to generate enlarged bitmap data, thereby obtaining the enlarged bitmap data. As a result, bitmap data of a size that cannot be appropriately generated by the rasterization program RP alone can be appropriately generated. Therefore, print data based on vector data generated by an application can be appropriately generated.

[0056] As can be understood from the above description, the bitmap data generated in S55 of FIG. 3 in this embodiment is an example of the first bitmap data, and the enlarged bitmap data generated in S65 of FIG. 3 is an example of the second bitmap data. Also, the transport direction AR in this embodiment is an example of a specific direction, and the upper limit value of the number of pixels in the transport direction AR is an example of a specific number.

[0057] B. Second Embodiment FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the printing process of the second embodiment. FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing an example of the UI screen of the second embodiment. Although details will be described later, through these UI screens, the printer driver can obtain various instructions input by the user. In the second embodiment, instead of the printing process of FIG. 3, the printing process of FIG. 5 is executed. Other configurations of the second embodiment (for example, the configuration of FIG. 1) are the same as those of the first embodiment. The printing process is executed by the CPU 310 of the terminal device 300 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0058] In S100, the printer driver displays a UI screen on the display unit 370. Specifically, first, the main screen WI1b in FIG. 6(A) is displayed on the display unit 370. Similar to the UI screen WI1 in FIG. 4(A), the main screen WI1b includes a pull-down menu PM1 which is an input element for inputting condition information regarding printing from a plurality of options, a plurality of radio buttons RB1 to RB6, and a plurality of buttons BTs, BT1, and BT2. When the button BTs is pressed, similar to the first embodiment, the UI screen WI2 in FIG. 4(B) is displayed. The user can register a sheet of any size as a user-defined size sheet via the UI screen WI2 (FIG. 4(B)), similar to the first embodiment.

[0059] The main screen WI1b in FIG. 6(A) further includes a detailed settings button BTd and a check box CB1. When the detailed settings button BTd is pressed, the printer driver displays the detailed settings screen WI3b in FIG. 6(B) on the display unit 370. The check box CB1 is an input element for inputting whether to enable a function (also called a preview function) of displaying a preview screen WI5b (FIG. 7(B)), which is a UI screen for displaying a print preview described later, before actual printing is executed.

[0060] The detailed settings screen WI3b in FIG. 6(B) is a UI screen for inputting detailed settings regarding printing. The detailed settings screen WI3b includes an item list LS, a detailed settings area SA, and an OK button BT5. The item list LS is a list including a plurality of setting items (for example, IT1 and IT2 in FIG. 6(B)). In the detailed settings area SA, input elements and messages for inputting detailed settings are displayed for the setting items set using a selection frame SF in the item list LS.

[0061] The setting item IT1 is an item for setting whether to enable a resolution adjustment function for adjusting the resolution. The resolution adjustment function is a function for executing S20 to S65 in FIG. 3 described in the first embodiment when generating bitmap data.

[0062] That is, when the resolution adjustment function is valid, if the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A (YES in S25 of FIG. 3), rasterization conditions including the resolution D in the conveyance direction AR for rasterization are determined so that the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image does not exceed the upper limit value (S45 of FIG. 3). Then, based on the rasterization conditions, rasterization processing is executed to generate bitmap data indicating an image smaller than the image to be printed (S50, S55 in FIG. 3), and by enlarging the bitmap data according to the magnification E, bitmap data indicating a bitmap image of the size of the image to be printed is generated (S60, S65 in FIG. 3).

[0063] When the resolution adjustment function is invalid, even if the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A, bitmap data is generated according to S30 - S40 in FIG. 3. Therefore, when the resolution adjustment function is invalid, the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image indicated by the bitmap data generated by the rasterization processing may exceed the upper limit value. Therefore, when the resolution adjustment function is invalid, depending on the application, when the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A, there may be problems such as missing parts in the image indicated by the bitmap data.

[0064] FIG. 6(B) shows a state in which the setting item IT1 is selected in the item list LS. In this state, the detailed setting area SA includes check boxes CB1, CB2, messages MS1, MS2. The check box CB2 is an input element for inputting whether to enable the resolution adjustment function. The check box CB1 is the same input element as the check box CB1 included in the main screen WI1b and is an input element for inputting whether to enable the preview function. The message MS1 is a message explaining the resolution adjustment function. The message MS2 is a message indicating that the problem can be solved by enabling the resolution adjustment function when problems such as missing parts in the image occur.

[0065] When the OK button BT5 is pressed on the detailed settings screen WI3b, the printer driver sets the preview function and the resolution adjustment function to either enabled or disabled according to the input states of the check boxes CB1 and CB2 in the detailed settings area SA at that time. The printer driver further erases the detailed settings screen WI3b and returns to the state where the main screen WI1b is displayed.

[0066] In S105, the printer driver determines whether a user-defined size paper has been newly registered via the UI screen WI2. For example, when numerical values are entered in the input fields IS1 and IS2 of the UI screen WI2 (FIG. 4(B)) and the OK button BT3 of the UI screen WI2 is pressed, it is determined that a user-defined size paper has been registered. If a user-defined size paper is not registered (S105: NO), the printer driver proceeds to S130.

[0067] If a user-defined size paper is registered (S105: YES), in S120, the printer driver determines whether the length B of the transport direction AR of the registered user-defined size paper is longer than the reference length A. The reference length A is, as in the first embodiment, the length of the transport direction AR of the paper M corresponding to the upper limit value of the length (unit: for example, the number of pixels) of the transport direction AR of the printed image. If the length B of the transport direction AR of the user-defined size paper is less than or equal to the reference length A (S120: NO), the printer driver proceeds to S130.

[0068] When the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the user-defined size paper is longer than the reference length A (S120: YES), at S125, the printer driver displays the preview recommended screen WI4b (Fig. 7(A)) on the display unit 370. The preview recommended screen WI4b in Fig. 7(A) is a UI screen for recommending to the user to enable the preview function. The preview recommended screen WI4b includes, for example, messages MS3 to MS5, a YES button BT6, and a NO button BT7. Message MS3 is a message warning that defects may occur in the printed image when the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A. Message MS4 is a message recommending to enable the preview function and preview the printed image in advance. Message MS5 is a message for confirming whether to enable the preview function.

[0069] When the YES button BT6 is pressed on the preview recommended screen WI4b, the printer driver sets the preview function to be enabled. When the NO button BT7 is pressed on the preview recommended screen WI4b, the printer driver sets the preview function to be disabled.

[0070] At S130, the printer driver determines whether a print instruction has been input. For example, on the main screen WI1b, when the print button BT1 is pressed, it is determined that a print instruction has been input. If no print instruction is input (S130: NO), the printer driver returns to S100 and maintains the display of the UI screen such as the main screen WI1b. If a print instruction is input (S130: YES), the printer driver proceeds to S135.

[0071] At S135, the printer driver acquires print condition information indicating conditions related to printing via a UI screen such as the main screen WI1b, similar to S15 in Fig. 3.

[0072] In S140, the printer driver determines whether the resolution adjustment function described above is effective. If the resolution adjustment function is effective (S140: YES), in S147, the printer driver executes S20 to S65 in FIG. 3 to obtain bitmap data based on the vector data generated by the application. That is, in this case, as described above, when the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A (YES in S25 of FIG. 3), bitmap data is generated in the processes of S45 to S65 in FIG. 3, and when the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is less than or equal to the reference length A (NO in S25 of FIG. 3), bitmap data is generated in the processes of S30 to S40 in FIG. 3. When the bitmap data is generated, the printer driver proceeds to the process in S180.

[0073] If the resolution adjustment function is ineffective (S140: NO), in S145, the printer driver executes S30 to S40 in FIG. 3 to obtain bitmap data based on the vector data generated by the application. That is, in this case, as described above, whether the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A or less than or equal to the reference length A, the bitmap data is generated by S30 to S40 in FIG. 3.

[0074] In S150, the printer driver determines whether the preview function is enabled. If the preview function is disabled (S150: NO), the printer driver proceeds to S180. If the preview function is enabled (S150: YES), in S155, the printer driver displays the preview screen WI5b in Fig. 7(B) on the display unit 370. At this point, the warning screen WI6b in Fig. 7(B) is not displayed. The preview screen WI5b in Fig. 7(B) includes the bitmap image RI as a preview image, the print button BT8, and the cancel button BT9. The bitmap image RI is an image indicated by the bitmap data acquired in S145. The bitmap image RI in Fig. 7(B) includes the normal area NS and the white area WS. The normal area NS is the hatched part in Fig. 7(B) and is the part including objects such as characters, photos, and drawings (graphics). The white area WS is the non-hatched part in Fig. 7(B) and is a white single-color area (also called white space). The white area WS is the area that appears when there is a defect in the rasterization process and does not appear when there is no defect.

[0075] In S160, the printer driver analyzes the bitmap data. For example, the printer driver searches for the white raster line WL from one end (the lower end in Fig. 7(B)) of the conveyance direction AR during printing toward the other end in the bitmap image RI. The white raster line WL is a raster line that extends from one end to the other end in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction AR during printing (the left-right direction in Fig. 7(B)) and is composed only of white pixels. Only one white raster line WL located at the lower end is shown in the bitmap image RI in Fig. 7(B). The white area WS is an area composed of a plurality of white raster lines WL arranged in the conveyance direction AR.

[0076] In S165, the printer driver determines whether the bitmap image RI includes the white area WS based on the analysis result in S160. When a predetermined number or more of white raster lines WL are detected at the lower end of the bitmap image RI, the printer driver determines that the bitmap image RI includes the white area WS. When a predetermined number or more of white raster lines WL are not detected at the lower end of the bitmap image RI, the printer driver determines that the bitmap image RI does not include the white area WS.

[0077] When the bitmap image RI includes the white area WS (S165: YES), in S170, the printer driver displays the warning screen WI6b in FIG. 7(B) on the display unit 370. When the bitmap image RI does not include the white area WS (S165: NO), S170 is skipped. That is, in this case, the warning screen WI6b is not displayed. The warning screen WI6b in FIG. 7(B) is displayed together with, for example, the preview screen WI5b. The warning screen WI6b in FIG. 7(B) includes messages MS6, MS7 and the OK button BT10.

[0078] The message MS6 is a message indicating that the white area WS has been detected at the lower end of the bitmap image RI. The message MS7 is a message prompting the user to check the bitmap image RI on the preview screen WI5b and, if there is a problem with the bitmap image RI, to enable the resolution adjustment function and print again. When the OK button BT10 is pressed on the warning screen WI6b, the printer driver erases the warning screen WI6b from the display unit 370.

[0079] In S175, the printer driver determines whether a print continuation instruction or a print interruption instruction has been input. When the print button BT8 is pressed on the preview screen WI5b, it is determined that a print continuation instruction has been input. When the cancel button BT9 is pressed on the preview screen WI5b, it is determined that a print interruption instruction has been input.

[0080] When a print continuation instruction is input (S175: YES), in S180, the printer driver generates print data indicating a print image using the bitmap data generated in S145 or S147. The generation process of the print data includes, for example, color conversion processing and halftone processing, similar to S70 in FIG. 3.

[0081] In S185, the printer driver causes the printer 200 to execute printing using the print data, similar to S75 in FIG. 3. Specifically, the printer driver adds control data to partial print data for causing the printer 200 to execute multiple partial prints, transmits it to the printer 200, and ends the printing process.

[0082] When a print interruption instruction is input (S175: NO), the printer driver ends the printing process without executing S180 and S185.

[0083] When the printing process ends, for example, the terminal device 300 returns to a state where the application is started and the printer driver is not started. When the printing process ends without printing being executed, the user can, for example, input a print instruction to the application to start the printer driver again. Then, the user can, for example, enable the resolution adjustment function and cause the printer driver to execute printing again.

[0084] According to the second embodiment described above, the printer driver can acquire two types of bitmap data with different generation conditions depending on whether the resolution adjustment function is effective or not. For example, when the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A, if the resolution adjustment function is effective, the bitmap data is acquired by S45 to S55 in FIG. 3 (S147 in FIG. 5), and if the resolution adjustment function is ineffective, the bitmap data is acquired by S30 to S40 in FIG. 3 (S145 in FIG. 5). The bitmap data acquired when the resolution adjustment function is ineffective has a higher resolution (in other words, more pixels) than the bitmap data acquired when the resolution adjustment function is effective, and the enlargement process (S60, S65 in FIG. 3) is unnecessary. For this reason, the appearance of the printed image may be different depending on whether the resolution adjustment function is effective or not. Also, even when the resolution adjustment function is ineffective, there may be cases where no defects such as missing images occur depending on the application or rasterizer. For this reason, it is considered preferable to leave it to the user's discretion whether to enable or disable the resolution adjustment function. According to this embodiment, the printer driver displays the detailed setting screen WI3b and acquires an instruction from the user as to whether to enable or disable the resolution adjustment function (S100 in FIG. 5, FIG. 6(B)). Then, depending on the acquired instruction, either one of the two types of bitmap data with different generation conditions is acquired, and print data is generated (S140, S145, S147 in FIG. 5). Print data based on vector data generated by the application can be appropriately generated according to the user's instruction.

[0085] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M specified via the UI screen WI2 in FIG. 4(B) is longer than the reference length A (YES in S120 of FIG. 5), the printer driver displays the preview recommendation screen WI4b in FIG. 7(A) and obtains an instruction to enable or disable the preview function. In other words, it obtains an instruction as to whether to display the preview screen WI5b in FIG. 7(B) before printing (S125 in FIG. 5). When the length B of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A, as described above, problems such as a part of the bitmap image being missing may occur. In such a case, since an instruction to enable or disable the preview function is obtained, it is possible to prompt the user for prior confirmation when there is a possibility that problems such as a part of the image being missing may occur. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately suppress the actual printing of an image in which problems such as a part of the image being missing have occurred.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the resolution adjustment function is disabled (NO in S140 of FIG. 5), the number of pixels in the specific direction AR of the bitmap image generated by the rasterizer can be more than a specific number. In such a case, the printer driver determines whether there is a white region WS with a length in the specific direction AR of a predetermined length or more at the end of the bitmap image RI in the specific direction AR by analyzing the bitmap data (S160, S165 in FIG. 5). When there is a white region WS with a length of a predetermined length or more (YES in S165 of FIG. 5), the printer driver displays a warning screen WI6b including a message MS6 for warning the user (S170 in FIG. 5). When there is a white region WS with a length of a predetermined length or more, there is a high possibility that problems such as a part of the image being missing have occurred. According to this embodiment, when there is a high possibility that problems such as a part of the image being missing have occurred, the warning message MS6 can be appropriately displayed.

[0087] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the warning screen WI6b is displayed together with the preview screen WI5b. As a result, after seeing the message MS6 for warning, the user can check the bitmap image RI on the preview screen WI5b. If the user confirms that there is a problem such as a part of the image being missing in the bitmap image RI, the user can take measures such as interrupting the printing. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately suppress the incorrect printing of the image with problems.

[0088] Furthermore, the detailed setting screen WI3b of this embodiment includes a check box CB1 for inputting whether to enable the preview function, together with a check box CB2 for inputting whether to enable the resolution adjustment function. When the resolution adjustment function is disabled, there may be problems such as a part of the image being missing, so it is preferable to enable the preview function as described above. According to this embodiment, the user can input an instruction to enable the preview function together with an instruction to disable the resolution adjustment function via one detailed setting screen WI3b, thus improving the convenience for the user.

[0089] As can be understood from the above description, the bitmap data generated at S55 of FIG. 3 included in S147 of FIG. 5 in this embodiment is an example of the first bitmap data, and the enlarged bitmap data generated at S65 of FIG. 3 included in S147 of FIG. 5 is an example of the second bitmap data. Also, the bitmap data generated at S40 of FIG. 3 included in S145 of FIG. 5 is an example of the third bitmap data. Also, the detailed setting screen WI3b of this embodiment is an example of the first screen, the UI screen WI2 is an example of the second screen, and the preview screen WI5b is an example of the third screen. The preview recommendation screen WI4b of this embodiment is an example of the fourth screen.

[0090] C. Third Embodiment FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the preview recommendation screen WI4c of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, at S125 in FIG. 5, instead of the preview recommendation screen WI4b in FIG. 7(A), the preview recommendation screen WI4c in FIG. 8 is displayed, which is different from the second embodiment. Other configurations of the third embodiment are the same as those of the second embodiment.

[0091] The preview recommendation screen WI4c in FIG. 8 includes messages MS3, MS4, MS8, check boxes CB1, CB2, and an OK button BT11. The messages MS3 and MS4 in FIG. 8 are the same as the messages MS3 and MS4 with the same reference numerals included in the preview recommendation screen WI4b in FIG. 7(A). The message MS8 is a message indicating that when a defect such as a missing part occurs in a part of the image to be printed, the defect can be eliminated by enabling the resolution adjustment function.

[0092] The check box CB1 is an input element for inputting whether to enable the preview function. The check box CB2 is an input element for inputting whether to enable the resolution adjustment function. When the OK button BT11 is pressed on the preview recommendation screen WI4c, the preview function and the resolution adjustment function are respectively set to either enabled or disabled according to the input states of the check boxes CB1 and CB2 at that time.

[0093] According to the third embodiment, through the preview recommendation screen WI4c, it is possible to let the user input an instruction on whether to enable the preview function, and it is also possible to let the user input an instruction on whether to enable the resolution adjustment function. As a result, the convenience for the user can be further improved.

[0094] That is, according to this embodiment, when the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M specified via the UI screen WI2 (FIG. 4(B)) is longer than the reference length A (YES in S120 of FIG. 5), the printer driver can obtain an instruction on whether to enable the resolution adjustment function via the preview recommendation screen WI4c (S125 in FIG. 5). As described above, when the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is longer than the reference length A, if the resolution adjustment function is invalid, problems such as a part of the bitmap image being missing may occur. In such a case, since the preview recommendation screen WI4c on which an instruction on whether to enable the resolution adjustment function can be input is displayed, the user can input an instruction to enable the resolution adjustment function that can appropriately eliminate such problems at the timing when problems such as a part of the image being missing may occur. Therefore, the printer driver can obtain the instruction from the user at an appropriate timing and can appropriately suppress the occurrence of problems such as a part of the image being missing.

[0095] D. Modification Example (1) In each of the above embodiments, in S20 of FIG. 3, the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is specified. Instead of this, in S20, the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image may be specified. In this case, for example, a value obtained by subtracting the length of the margin from the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M is specified as the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image. The unit of the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image may be mm or the number of pixels. In this case, the reference length A used in S25, S45, and S60 is the upper limit value of the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image.

[0096] Even when the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image is used instead of the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper M, if the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image is B, the upper limit value of the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image is the reference length A, and the printing resolution of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image is C, the resolution D for rasterization and the magnification ratio E are calculated using the formulas D = [(A / B) × C] and E = (B / A).

[0097] (2) In each of the above embodiments, the rasterization conditions are determined at S45 such that the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image generated at S55 in FIG. 3 exactly matches the upper limit value. Instead of this, the rasterization conditions at S45 may be determined such that the number of pixels in the conveyance direction AR of the bitmap image generated at S55 is exactly less than the upper limit value.

[0098] (3) In each of the above embodiments, based on the print condition information, when the length of the print image in the conveyance direction AR is longer than the reference length A, the resolution D for rasterization and the magnification E are determined using the formulas D = [(A / B)×C] and E = (B / A). Instead of this, for example, regardless of the length of the print image in the conveyance direction AR, the resolution D for rasterization may always be determined such that bitmap data having a size half the length of the print image in the conveyance direction AR is created, and the magnification E may always be 2 times. That is, D = C / 2 and E = 2 may be used.

[0099] (4) In each of the above embodiments, the rasterization conditions include the resolution D for rasterization. However, this is not the only case, and the rasterization conditions may be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the rasterization program RP. For example, the rasterization conditions may only specify the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions of the bitmap data.

[0100] (5) In each of the above embodiments, at S50 in FIG. 3, the OS is caused to generate intermediate image data, and at S55, the rasterizer is caused to generate bitmap data based on the intermediate image data. Instead of this, the printer driver may itself interpret the vector data and execute rasterization processing to generate bitmap data. Then, at S65, the bitmap data generated by itself may be enlarged.

[0101] (6) In the above embodiments, in S65 of FIG. 3, the printer driver executes an enlargement process on the bitmap data generated by the rasterizer to generate enlarged bitmap data. Instead of this, the printer driver may obtain the enlarged bitmap data by causing another program different from itself (for example, an image processing application) to execute the enlargement process.

[0102] (7) As the printing medium, instead of the paper M, other media such as a film for OHP, a CD-ROM, or a DVD-ROM may be adopted.

[0103] (8) The printer 200 in each of the above embodiments includes an inkjet printing mechanism 100. Instead of this, the printer 200 may include an electrophotographic printing mechanism 100 that forms an image using toner.

[0104] (9) In each of the above embodiments, the device that executes the printing process in FIG. 3 is the CPU 310 of the terminal device 300. Instead of this, the device that executes the printing process in FIG. 3 may be the CPU 210 of the printer 200. Alternatively, the device that executes the printing process in FIG. 3 may be a server that acquires image data from, for example, a printer or a terminal device and generates a printing job using the image data. Such a server may be a plurality of computers that can communicate with each other via a network.

[0105] (10) In each of the above embodiments, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced with software, and conversely, a part or all of the configuration realized by software may be replaced with hardware. For example, among the printing processes in FIG. 3, the enlargement process of bitmap data (S65 in FIG. 3) and the generation of printing data (S70 in FIG. 3), the halftone process and the color conversion process may be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit (for example, an ASIC) that operates according to the instruction of the CPU 310.

[0106] (11) In S120 of the second embodiment described above, it is determined whether the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper with the user-defined size is longer than the reference length A. Instead of this, in S120, the printer driver may determine whether the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image is longer than a predetermined reference length. In this case, for example, a value obtained by subtracting the length of the margin from the length of the conveyance direction AR of the paper with the user-defined size registered via the UI screen WI2 may be specified as the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image. Alternatively, the user-defined size registered via the UI screen WI2 may be the length of the printed image instead of the length of the paper. In this case, the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image registered via the UI screen WI2 is used as the length of the conveyance direction AR of the printed image.

[0107] (12) The modes of the various UI screens in the second embodiment described above are merely examples and can be appropriately changed. For example, instead of the check box CB2 for enabling or disabling the resolution adjustment function, for example, radio buttons in a form for selecting a first rasterization mode and a second rasterization mode with a lower resolution at the time of rasterization than the first rasterization mode may be adopted. In this case, for example, when the first rasterization mode is selected, the processing when the resolution adjustment function is invalid in the above embodiment is executed, and when the second rasterization mode is selected, the processing when the resolution adjustment function is valid in the above embodiment is executed.

[0108] For example, the check box CB2 for enabling or disabling the resolution adjustment function may be included in the main screen WI1b instead of the detailed setting screen WI3b.

[0109] For example, the message MS6 included in the warning screen WI6b may be displayed inside the preview screen WI5b.

[0110] For example, the warning screen WI6b may be displayed even when the preview screen WI5b is not displayed, that is, when the preview function is invalid.

[0111] In the second embodiment described above, the preview recommended screens WI4b, WI4b are displayed at the timing when a user-defined size paper with a length in the conveyance direction AR longer than the reference length A is registered via the UI screen WI2. Instead of this, when a user-defined size paper with a length in the conveyance direction AR longer than the reference length A is registered and the user-defined size paper is selected in the pull-down menu PM1, the preview recommended screens WI4b, WI4b may be displayed at the timing when the print button BT1 is pressed.

[0112] Part of the UI screen displayed in the second embodiment described above may be appropriately omitted. For example, one or both of the display of the preview recommended screens WI4b, WI4b and the display of the warning screen WI6b may be omitted.

[0113] As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiments and modified examples. However, the above-described embodiments of the invention are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents thereof are included in the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0114] 100... Printing mechanism, 110... Print head, 111... Nozzle forming surface, 120... Head drive unit, 130... Main scanning unit, 133... Carriage, 134... Slide shaft, 140... Conveyance unit, 141... Downstream roller pair, 142... Upstream roller pair, 145... Paper tray, 200... Printer, 210... CPU, 220... Non-volatile storage device, 230... Volatile storage device, 231... Buffer area, 260... Operation unit, 270... Display unit, 280... Communication unit, AR... Conveyance direction, AP, DP, OP, RP, CP... Computer program, M... Paper, NC, NK, NY, NM... Nozzle rows, NZ... Nozzle, WI1, WI2, WI1b, WI3b~WI6, WI4c... UI screens

Claims

1. A computer program, comprising: an information acquisition function for acquiring condition information indicating printing conditions, wherein the condition information includes length information indicating the length in a specific direction of either a print image to be printed or a printing medium on which the print image is to be printed; the information acquisition function; a generation condition determination function for determining generation conditions of first bitmap data indicating the bitmap image such that the number of pixels in the specific direction of the bitmap image is equal to or less than a specific number, using the length information; a first acquisition function for acquiring the first bitmap data that satisfies the generation conditions, wherein the acquired first bitmap data is data generated based on vector data generated by an application program; the first acquisition function; an enlargement condition determination function for determining enlargement conditions for enlarging the first bitmap data based on the condition information including the length information; a second acquisition function for acquiring second bitmap data using the enlargement conditions, wherein the acquired second bitmap data is data generated by enlarging the first bitmap data based on the enlargement conditions; the second acquisition function; a generation function for generating print data using the second bitmap data; A computer program for causing a computer to implement the above.

2. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the generation condition determination function determines the generation conditions such that the number of pixels in the specific direction of the bitmap image indicated by the first bitmap data is equal to the specific number.

3. The computer program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the length in the specific direction indicated by the length information is longer than a reference length, the generation condition determination function determines the generation conditions of the first bitmap data, and the enlargement condition determination function determines the enlargement conditions such that second bitmap data having the number of pixels in the specific direction corresponding to the length in the specific direction is generated.

4. The computer program according to claim 3, wherein the generation conditions include a resolution D in the specific direction for generating the first bitmap data. The enlargement condition includes an enlargement ratio E for enlarging the first bitmap data. For the resolution D in the specific direction and the enlargement ratio E, when the reference length corresponding to the specific number is A, the length in the specific direction of either the printed image or the printing medium is B, and the printing resolution in the specific direction of the printed image is C, D = [(A / B) × C] E = (B / A) A computer program calculated using the formula.

5. A computer program according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the first acquisition function is a conversion program that converts the vector data into bitmap data, and generates the first bitmap data by causing the conversion program different from the computer program to generate the first bitmap data, thereby acquiring the first bitmap data.

6. A computer program according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the second acquisition function acquires the second bitmap data by performing an enlargement process on the first bitmap data to generate the second bitmap data.

7. A computer program according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, further comprising a third acquisition function that acquires third bitmap data based on the vector data using conditions different from the generation conditions, wherein the third bitmap data satisfies conditions different from the generation conditions, and the number of pixels in the specific direction of the image represented by the third bitmap data is greater than the number of pixels in the specific direction of the bitmap image represented by the first bitmap data; and a user interface function that displays a user interface screen on a display unit and acquires an instruction from the user, wherein the user interface screen includes a first screen for acquiring an instruction regarding the type of bitmap data to be acquired based on the vector data. implemented on a computer, when a first instruction is acquired via the first screen, the first acquisition function acquires the first bitmap data, the second acquisition function acquires the second bitmap data using the first bitmap data, The generation function generates print data using the second bitmap data, when a second instruction is acquired via the first screen, the third acquisition function acquires the third bitmap data, and the generation function generates print data using the third bitmap data. A computer program. **Claim 8** A computer program according to claim 7, wherein the user interface screen includes a second screen for acquiring an instruction for specifying the length in the specific direction of either the print image to be printed or the print medium on which the print image is printed, and the user interface function acquires an instruction regarding the type of the bitmap data when the length in the specific direction specified via the second screen is longer than a reference length. A computer program. **Claim 9** A computer program according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the user interface screen includes a second screen for acquiring an instruction for specifying the length in the specific direction of either the print image to be printed or the print medium on which the print image is printed, a third screen including a preview image showing the print image to be printed, and a fourth screen for acquiring an instruction as to whether to display the third screen before printing, and the user interface function displays the fourth screen and acquires an instruction as to whether to display the third screen before printing when the length in the specific direction specified via the second screen is longer than a reference length. A computer program. **Claim 10** A computer program according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising: when the number of pixels in the specific direction of the image represented by the generated third bitmap data is more than the specific number, causing a computer to realize a determination function for determining whether there is a single-color region having a length in the specific direction of a predetermined length or more at an end portion in the specific direction of the image represented by the third bitmap data by analyzing the third bitmap data, and the user interface function displays a message for warning the user when there is a single-color region having a length of the predetermined length or more at an end portion in the specific direction of the image represented by the third bitmap data. A computer program. **Claim 11** A computer program according to claim 10, The user interface function is a computer program that displays a message for the warning together with a preview image indicating a print image to be printed based on the third bitmap data.

12. A print data generation device that generates print data, An information acquisition unit that acquires condition information indicating print conditions, the condition information including length information indicating the length in a specific direction of either the print image to be printed or the print medium on which the print image is printed, the information acquisition unit; A generation condition determination unit that determines generation conditions for first bitmap data indicating the bitmap image such that the number of pixels in the specific direction of the bitmap image is equal to or less than a specific number using the length information; A first acquisition unit that acquires the first bitmap data satisfying the generation conditions using the generation conditions, the first bitmap data acquired being data generated based on vector data generated by an application program, the first acquisition unit; An enlargement condition determination unit that determines enlargement conditions for enlarging the first bitmap data based on the condition information including the length information; A second acquisition unit that acquires second bitmap data using the enlargement conditions, the second bitmap data acquired being data generated by enlarging the first bitmap data based on the enlargement conditions, the second acquisition unit; A generation unit that generates print data using the second bitmap data; A print data generation device comprising the above.

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