Printing control device, printing device, printing control method and program

Abstract

To provide a printing control device that can provide a nail with excellent visual attractiveness finish irrespective of a design to be printed on the nail, and to provide a printing device, a printing control method and a program.SOLUTION: A control device 30 for a printing device 1 includes a printing control unit 315 that acquires color information on a nail surface from a finger image including a nail, generates printing data including nail surface color printing data to reproduce a color of the nail surface by printing on the basis of the color information and design printing data of a design to be printed on the nail, and controls a printing unit 40 to provide printing on the nail in accordance with the printing data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a print control device, a printing device, a print control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, printing devices (nail printing devices) that print nail designs on fingernails and the like are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a printing device (nail printing device), a base such as white is applied to the nail in advance, and then the nail design is printed in the area where the base has been applied. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-18589 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the above-mentioned printing device (nail printing device), when the design to be printed on the nail is a partial design (such as French nails) that prints only on a part of the nail, it is difficult to apply the base coat accurately only to the part to be printed, and there are cases where the base coat spills over or is left unpainted, making it difficult to finish the nail in an attractive manner. In addition, if the nails of one finger are painted with colored nail polish, it is difficult to print a nail design in a color similar to the color of the colored nail polish on the nails of the other fingers in a way that looks good as intended.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a print control device, a printing device, a print control method, and a program that can produce attractive looking nails regardless of the design you want to print on your nails. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the print control device of the present invention is to Before applying primer to the nail surface From an image of a finger including nails The above before applying the primer The nail surface color printing data is used to acquire color information of the nail surface and reproduce the color of the nail surface by printing based on the color information, and the design printing data is used to print the design on the nail. Printing data for printing a partial design in a design area that is a part of the nail based on the design printing data and printing in an area other than the design area based on the nail surface color printing data. The printing device is characterized by comprising a control means for generating print data and controlling the printing unit to print on the nail in accordance with the print data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve an attractive looking nail finish regardless of the design to be printed on the nail. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a printing device and a terminal device linked to the printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a printing process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a design selection screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a nail registration screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing print data according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a design confirmation screen. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a printing process according to a modified example of the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a design selection screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a design editing screen. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a design selection screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a nail color reading screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a nail color reading screen. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a base color editing screen. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a nail registration screen. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a nail printed based on a photographed image of the nail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of a print control device, a print control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. In the following embodiments, the printing control device will be described as an example of a nail printing device that prints on fingernails as printing objects, but when the printing device equipped with the printing control device of the present invention is a nail printing device, the printing objects are not limited to fingernails, and may be, for example, toenails, etc. Furthermore, the printing objects may be nail-like objects other than human nails, such as nail tips or the surfaces of various accessories.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the main part of a printing device equipped with a print control device according to the present invention. In the following embodiments, up / down, left / right, and front / rear refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1. Also, the X direction and the Y direction refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a printing device 1 of this embodiment is configured to be able to communicate with an external terminal device (terminal device 7 in FIG. 1) and to cooperate with each other.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 has a housing 2 formed in a substantially box shape. The housing 2 has an opening 22 formed across almost the entire surface in the left-right direction (the lateral direction of the printing device 1, the left-right direction in FIG. 1, the X direction) in the lower part of the front side (the front side of the printing device 1). Also, a notch 23 is formed in the center of the housing 2 in the left-right direction, continuing above the opening 22. The notch 23 functions as an entrance / exit when attaching and detaching the print head 41, which will be described later, to the device.

[0012] An operation unit 12 of the printer 1 is provided on the top surface (top panel) of the housing 2. The operation unit 12 is, for example, an operation button (power switch button) that turns the power of the printer 1 on and off. When the operation unit 12 is operated, an operation signal is output to the control device 30 (print control device), and the control device 30 (print control device) performs control in accordance with the operation signal and operates each part of the printer 1. For example, if the operation unit 12 is a power switch button, the power of the printer 1 is turned on and off in response to button operation. Instead of the operation unit 12, each unit of the printing device 1 may be operated in accordance with an operation signal input from an operation unit 71 of the terminal device 7, which will be described later. The shape and arrangement of each part of the housing 2 are not limited to the illustrated example and can be set as appropriate. For example, the operation unit 12 may be provided on the side or back surface of the housing 2 rather than on the top surface. Furthermore, the housing 2 may be provided with various other operation buttons as the operation unit 12, or with various display units, indicators, etc.

[0013] Inside the housing 2, a device main body 10 is housed. The device main body 10 includes a base 11, a finger holder 6 attached thereto, a printing unit 40, and the like.

[0014] The finger holding portion 6 is positioned approximately in the center of the front side of the device in the left-right direction (X direction) of the base 11, and holds a finger U (see Figure 5, etc.) with a nail T, which is the printing target in this embodiment, within an area suitable for printing. In this embodiment, as will be described later, not only the nail T of the finger U but also a nail-like member formed in a shape similar to the nail T (for example, see the nail tip M in FIG. 13) may be held by the finger holding portion 6. The finger holder 6 has an opening 61 on the front side of the device. A finger fixing member 62 is provided inside the finger holder 6. The finger fixing member 62 supports the finger U inserted through the opening 61 by pushing it up from below, and is made of, for example, a flexible resin. A window 63 is formed on the upper surface of the finger holding portion 6 to expose the nail T of the finger U inserted through the opening 61 and held by the finger fixing member 62 .

[0015] The printing unit 40 is a printing means that performs printing on the nail T, which is the printing target, in accordance with print data generated by a print data generating unit 314 (see FIG. 2) described later. The printing unit 40 includes a print head 41 that performs the printing operation and a head moving mechanism 49 (see FIG. 2) that moves the print head 41.

[0016] The print head 41 of this embodiment is an inkjet head that uses an inkjet method, with the surface facing the nail surface being an ink ejection surface equipped with multiple nozzle openings (neither of which is shown) that eject ink, and that prints by atomizing the ink and spraying the ink from the ink ejection surface directly onto the nail surface or other surface to be printed on the printing target (nail T). The configuration of the print head 41 is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be a cartridge-integrated head in which an ejection mechanism such as the ink ejection surface and an ink cartridge (neither of which is shown) are integrated. The print head 41 is capable of ejecting inks of, for example, cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW). Note that the types of ink provided in the print head 41 are not limited to these. In this embodiment, the print head 41 is also capable of expressing a skin color (nail color) that is close to the color of nails T, etc.

[0017] The head movement mechanism 49 consists of an X-direction movement mechanism (not shown) for moving the print head 41 in the left-right direction (X direction) of the device, and a Y-direction movement mechanism (not shown) for moving the print head 41 in the front-to-back direction (Y direction) of the device. The X-direction movement mechanism includes an X-direction movement motor 46, which is driven to move the print head 41 in the left-right direction (X direction) of the device. The Y-direction movement mechanism includes a Y-direction movement motor 48, which is driven to move the print head 41 in the front-to-back direction (Y direction) of the device.

[0018] The operations of the X-direction movement motor 46, Y-direction movement motor 48 of the head movement mechanism 49 and the print head 41 (the ejection mechanism of the print head 41) are controlled by a print control unit 315 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 30 (print control device).

[0019] In addition, inside the top surface (top plate) of the housing 2, above the window portion 63 of the finger holding portion 6, there is provided an imaging unit 50 that photographs the nail T (finger U including the nail T) exposed from the window portion 63 to obtain an image of the nail T (image of the finger U including the nail T, hereinafter referred to as the "nail image"). The photographing section 50 includes a photographing device 51 such as a camera, and an illumination device 52 configured with a white LED or the like for illuminating the nail T to be photographed (see FIG. 2). As will be described later in this embodiment, nail color information of the nail T or the like is acquired from an image of the nail T or the like. For this reason, it is preferable that the photographing device 51 has performance (resolution, etc.) sufficient to be able to identify the color from the photographed image. The nail color information acquired by the image capturing unit 50 is, for example, RGB or HSV (hue / saturation / brightness). The photographing unit 50 is connected to a photographing control unit 312 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 30 (print control device) described later, and is controlled by the photographing control unit 312. The nail image captured by the photographing device 51 is acquired by the photographing control unit 312. The image data of the image captured by the image capturing unit 50 may be stored in the storage unit 32, which will be described later.

[0020] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the photographing device 51 and the lighting device 52 are fixedly arranged on the inside of the top surface of the housing 2 at a position where they can face the nail T (surface of the nail T) of the finger U placed on the finger holding portion 6, but the photographing unit 50 may be provided at a position where it can photograph the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger holding portion 6, and the specific arrangement is not particularly limited. For example, the photographing unit 50 may be configured to be movable in the X and Y directions by a head moving mechanism 49 that moves the print head 41.

[0021] The printing device 1 also includes a communication unit 13 (see FIG. 2). The communication unit 13 includes a wireless communication module or the like that can communicate with the terminal device 7, and is configured to be able to send and receive information. Communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 may use a network line such as the Internet, or may be wireless communication based on a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. When communication is performed via a network, any type of network line may be used for communication. Furthermore, communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 is not limited to wireless communication, and may be configured to allow various data to be sent and received between them via a wired connection. The communication unit 13 may be any unit that can communicate with the terminal device 7, and a unit that matches the communication standard of the communication unit 74 of the terminal device 7 is applied. The communication unit 13 is connected to a communication control unit 311 (see FIG. 2) of a control device 30 (print control device) described later, and is controlled by the communication control unit 311.

[0022] The control device 30 (print control device) is mounted on a board (not shown) or the like that is arranged on the inside (bottom side) of the top surface (top board) of the housing 2, for example. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of this embodiment. The control device 30 (print control device) is a computer that includes a control unit 31 that is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), and a storage unit 32 that is configured with a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. (neither of which are shown). Note that the storage unit 32 may be configured separately and provided outside the control device 30 (print control device).

[0023] The storage unit 32 includes a program storage area 321, an information storage area 322, and the like. The program storage area 321 stores various programs for operating the printer 1, such as a printing program for performing print processing. The control unit 31 loads these programs into a working area of RAM, for example, and the programs are executed by the control unit 31, thereby providing overall control of each part of the printer 1. The information storage area 322 also stores nail information such as data on nail images etc. acquired by the photographing unit 50 and various information detected from the nail images etc. Note that the storage unit 32 may also store various other types of information.

[0024] From a functional perspective, the control unit 31 includes a communication control unit 311, an imaging control unit 312, an information detection unit 313, a print data generation unit 314, a print control unit 315, etc. The functions of the communication control unit 311, the imaging control unit 312, the information detection unit 313, the print data generation unit 314, the print control unit 315, etc. are realized by cooperation between the control unit 31 and a program stored in a program storage area 321 of the storage unit 32.

[0025] The communication control unit 311 controls the operation of the communication unit 13 . The communication unit 13 is equipped with a wireless communication module etc. capable of communicating with the communication unit 73 of the terminal device 7, and the communication control unit 311 controls the operation of the communication unit 13 when sending and receiving various data etc. between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7. The printing device 1 of this embodiment is configured to print nail designs (hereinafter also simply referred to as "designs") in cooperation with a terminal device 7 described later. For example, data of the design to be printed on the nail T is stored on the terminal device 7 side, and the communication control unit 311 appropriately controls communication by the communication unit 13 and acquires the design data from the terminal device 7 side via the communication unit 13.

[0026] Communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 may use a network line such as the Internet, or may be wireless communication based on a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. When communication is performed via a network, any type of network line may be used for communication. Furthermore, communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 is not limited to wireless communication, and may be configured to allow various data to be sent and received between them via a wired connection. The communication unit 13 may be any unit that can communicate with the terminal device 7, and a unit that matches the communication standard of the communication unit 73 of the terminal device 7 is applied.

[0027] The photographing control unit 312 controls the photographing device 51 and the lighting device 52 of the photographing unit 50 to cause the photographing device 51 to photograph an image (nail image) of the finger U, including an image of the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger holding unit 6, and an image of the nail tip M, etc. In this embodiment, the images of the nail T (nail images) and images of the nail tips M, etc. acquired by the photographing unit 50 are sent to the photographing control unit 312. The photographing control unit 312 functions as an image acquiring means for acquiring such nail images (data of images of the nail T) and data of images of the nail tips M, etc. The photographing control unit 312 may store the images of the nails, nail tips M, etc. in the storage unit 32.

[0028] The information detection unit 313 is a control means that detects nail information about the nail T of the finger U based on an image of the nail T (nail image), and detects information (color information, etc.) about the nail tip M, etc. based on an image of the nail tip M, etc. In this embodiment, the information detection unit 313 detects the nail color information of the nail T as the "nail color," which is the color information of the base color of the surface of the nail T of the natural nail before applying a base coat or the color information of the applied color if nail polish or the like has already been applied to the surface of the nail T or the like. When detecting color information of the nail T, nail tip M, etc., information on the entire area of the nail T, nail tip M, etc. may be acquired, and the average value may be used as color information. Also, color information on the center or periphery of the area of the nail T, nail tip M, etc. may be detected, and used as color information of the nail T, nail tip M, etc.

[0029] Furthermore, if a base coat is applied to the nail T, the area where the base coat is applied is defined as the area of the nail T, and its position, range, etc. are detected from the nail image. There are no particular restrictions on what kind of base coat is applied to the nail T, but it is preferable that it be a liquid color, such as white, that is easily distinguishable from the color of the nail T or skin, and that does not interfere with (or promotes) the color development of the ink printed by the printing unit 40. Furthermore, the application of the base may be performed manually by a user or the like, or may be performed by the printing device 1 by providing the printing device 1 with a base application function. When detecting an area where a base is applied as an area of a nail T, the information detection unit 313 identifies whether it is a nail T or something else by, for example, looking at the color difference (including brightness difference, luminance difference, etc.) between the area where the base is applied and the other area. The various pieces of information acquired by the information detection unit 313 are stored in the information storage area 322 of the storage unit 32.

[0030] It should be noted that the nail information detected by the information detection unit 313 is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the nail information detected by the information detection unit 313 includes the outline of the entire nail T (nail shape, XY coordinates of the horizontal position of the nail T, etc.). The nail information may also include, for example, the inclination angle of the surface of the nail T relative to the XY plane (inclination angle of the nail T, nail curvature), etc. Furthermore, if the height of the nail T (vertical position of the nail T) can be acquired from an image captured by the imaging device 51, the height of the nail T may also be included in the nail information.

[0031] The print data generating unit 314 is a control means that generates print data by referring to color information of the nail T, nail tip M, etc. detected by the information detecting unit 313, area information of the nail T, etc. The generation of print data by the print data generation unit 314 will be described in detail later. The print data generation unit 314 also cuts out image data of the design (nail design) selected by the user, enlarges or reduces the image data as needed, and fits the design to the design area where it should be printed. For example, in the case of a full design where printing is to be performed on the entire nail, the design is fitted to the range (nail area) detected as the area of the nail T. Furthermore, in the case of a partial design where printing is to be performed on only a part of the nail, the design is fitted to the area where it should be printed (for example, the tip of the nail for French nails, or the center of the area of the nail T for a one-point pattern). Note that if the information detection unit 313 acquires the curvature, etc. of the nail T, the print data generation unit 314 may perform appropriate curve correction on the print data based on the curvature, etc. of the nail T. If curve correction is performed, print data that better matches the shape of the nail T can be generated.

[0032] The print control unit 315 controls the printing unit 40 to perform printing on the nail T in accordance with the print data generated by the print data generating unit 314. Specifically, the print control unit 315 outputs a control signal to the print unit 40 based on the print data, and controls the X-direction movement motor 46, Y-direction movement motor 48, print head 41, etc. of the print unit 40 so as to print on the nail T in accordance with the print data.

[0033] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment performs printing on the nail T in cooperation with the terminal device 7. The terminal device 7 is, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone. Note that the terminal device 7 is not limited to a smartphone. For example, the terminal device 7 may be a tablet personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a "PC"), a notebook PC, a desktop PC, a game terminal device, or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 7 includes an operation unit 71, a display unit 72, a communication unit 73, a control device 80, and the like.

[0034] The operation unit 71 is configured to allow various inputs, settings, etc. to be performed in response to user operations, and is, for example, a touch panel integrally provided on the surface of the display unit 72 (see FIG. 1, etc.). When the operation unit 71 is operated, an input signal corresponding to the operation is transmitted to the control unit 81. Various operation screens are displayed on the touch panel configured in the display unit 72 under the control of a display control unit 812, which will be described later, and the user can perform various input and setting operations by touching the touch panel. The operation unit 71 for performing various input and setting operations is not limited to a touch panel. For example, various operation buttons, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc. may be provided as the operation unit 71.

[0035] In this embodiment, when the user operates the operation unit 71, various instructions such as starting printing are output from the terminal device 7 to the printing device 1, and the terminal device 7 also functions as the operation unit of the printing device 1. In addition, the user can operate the operation unit 71 to select a design (nail design) to be printed on the nail T, for example.

[0036] The display unit 72 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display, or another flat display. As described above, a touch panel for performing various inputs may be integrally configured on the surface of the display unit 72. In this case, the touch panel functions as the operation unit 71. In this embodiment, the display unit 72 can display a screen showing the design (nail design) input / selected by the user from the operation unit 71, the set nail color, various guidance screens, warning display screens, etc.

[0037] The communication unit 73 is configured to be able to communicate with the communication unit 13 of the printing device 1. As mentioned above, communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 may be either wireless or wired, and there are no specific limitations on the communication method. The communication unit 73 may be any unit capable of communicating with the printing device 1, and a unit that conforms to the communication standard of the communication unit 13 of the printing device 1 is applied. The communication unit 73 is connected to a communication control unit 811 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 80, which will be described later, and is controlled by the communication control unit 811.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 80 of the terminal device 7 of this embodiment is a computer having a control unit 81 configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and a memory unit 82 configured by a ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) not shown.

[0039] The storage unit 82 stores various programs and data for operating the various units of the terminal device 7. Specifically, the ROM etc. of this embodiment stores various programs such as an operating program 821a for controlling each part of the terminal device 7 in an integrated manner, as well as a nail print application program 821b (hereinafter referred to as "nail print AP") for performing nail printing using the printing device 1, and the control unit 81 expands these programs, for example, into a working area of RAM, and the programs are executed in the control unit 81, thereby controlling each part of the terminal device 7 in an integrated manner.

[0040] The storage unit 82 of this embodiment is also provided with a design storage area 822 for storing design (nail design) data. The designs (nail designs) stored in the design storage area 822 may be existing designs prepared in advance or designs created by the user. In addition, if the terminal device 7 can be connected to various networks, it may be possible to import designs (nail designs) stored in a network-connectable server device (not shown) or the like.

[0041] From a functional perspective, the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7 includes a communication control unit 811, a display control unit 812, etc. The functions of the communication control unit 811, the display control unit 812, etc. are realized by cooperation between the CPU of the control unit 81 and a program stored in the ROM of the storage unit 82. Note that the functions of the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7 are not limited to these, and the control unit 81 may include various other functional units. The communication control unit 811 controls the operation of the communication unit 73 . Furthermore, the display control unit 812 controls the display unit 72 to display various display screens on the display unit 72.

[0042] Next, the printing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the example will be described in which the set nail color is used as a solid base color and a partial design, such as a French nail, is applied to it. The printing that can be performed by the printing device 1 of this embodiment is not limited to the application of a partial design as described below, but can also be applied to, for example, printing a solid color on the entire nail T or printing an entire design such as a dot pattern on the entire surface.

[0043] When performing nail printing using the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the user operates the operation unit 12 (operation buttons) of the printing device 1 to turn on the power and start it up. The terminal device 7 is also turned on and the execution of nail print processing is selected from the operation unit 71 of the terminal device 7. This starts up the nail print AP 821b. When the nail print AP 821b is started, the display control unit 812 of the terminal device 7 causes the display unit 72 to display, for example, a design selection screen 72a as shown in FIG.

[0044] When the user operates the touch panel or other operation unit 71 to select a design (nail design) to be printed on the nail T, an operation signal is sent to the control device 80, the desired design (nail design) is selected and set as the design to be printed on the nail T (step S100), and this information is sent to the printing device 1 side. In the example shown in FIG. 4, "French B" is selected as the "item" to be printed as a partial design, and this selected partial design "French B" is displayed on the design selection screen 72a.

[0045] Next, the printing device 1 performs an operation to register the nails of all fingers to be printed before the base is applied. First, the display unit 72 of the terminal device 7 displays a screen or the like that prompts the user to place the fingers, before the base to be printed on, in order into the finger holder 6 of the printing device 1 to take a photograph. When the user holds the finger on the finger holder 6 in accordance with this, the photographing control unit 312 (image acquisition means) of the printing device 1 causes the photographing unit 50 to photograph the finger U and acquire a nail image (step S110). Then, the information detection unit 313 acquires nail information from the nail image, such as nail shape and color information of the base color of the surface of the nail T of the natural nail before applying a base coat or the like (not the color of the nail itself, but the color of the nail bed directly under the nail, i.e., the nail color), or, if nail polish or the like has already been applied to the surface of the nail T or the like, nail color information, which is color information of the applied color (step S120). The acquired nail information is stored (registered) in the information storage unit 322 or the like (step S130).

[0046] For example, FIG. 5 shows an example in which a nail registration screen 72b is displayed on the display unit 72 when ten fingers are to be printed, prompting the user to register the thumb of the left hand as the first finger. In this embodiment, an image captured by the photographing unit 50 (photographing device 51) of the printing device 1 is transmitted to the terminal device 7 and displayed on the display screen of the display unit 72. When the user operates the "photographing button," a photographing instruction is transmitted to the control unit 31 of the printing device 1 via the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7, and photographing is performed by the photographing unit 50. As shown in Figure 5, when a finger U including a nail T is photographed, the nail T has a curved shape that is curved in the direction of the nail width (finger width), so the height is lower towards the ends on both sides than in the center, making it more likely to cast shadows, and as a result, the image appears darker (blacker) towards the ends, as shown in the example.

[0047] When acquiring nail color information, the information detection unit 313 preferably detects the color of a place less affected by shadows, such as the center part in the nail width (finger width) direction, as the background color of the nail T surface of the natural nail. The method for detecting nail color information by the information detection unit 313 is not limited to this. For example, color information may be detected from a wide range of the nail area and then averaged. In this case, it is preferable to calculate the average without including color information from the edge where shadows are likely to appear.

[0048] Next, the print data generation unit 314 generates print data. Here, print data of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the print data PD is composed of design print data PD1 prepared in advance as a design, and nail surface color print data PD2 obtained by converting nail color information acquired by the photographing unit 50, such as RGB or HSV (hue / saturation / brightness), into CMY for printing. The print data generation unit 314 converts the nail color information acquired by the photographing unit 50, such as RGB or HSV (hue / saturation / brightness), into CMY for printing to generate nail surface color print data (step S140), and sets the generated nail surface color print data PD2 in the print data PD (step S150). The method of converting from RGB or HSV (hue / saturation / brightness) to CMY is a self-evident technique, and therefore will not be explained here.

[0049] When the nail information is detected and registered, a design confirmation screen 72c as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 72 (step S160). In the example shown in Figure 7, the toe area is the area where the design should be printed (the design area where the partial design should be printed), and the design print data PD1 prepared as "French B" is displayed, and the nail surface color print data PD2 set by the print data generation unit 314 is displayed in the area other than the toe area. Here, when the user checks the design on the display screen and operates the "OK button" if the design is acceptable, the control unit 81 (display control unit 812) prompts the user to place the nail T coated with the base on the finger holding unit 6 (step S170). Specifically, an instruction screen, a message, etc. are displayed on the display unit 72 of the terminal device 7.

[0050] When the nail T coated with the base is set on the finger holding unit 6, the print data generating unit 314 outputs the generated print data PD to the printing unit 40 (step S180). As a result, the printing unit 40 performs printing based on the print data PD on the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger holding unit 6 (step S190). Specifically, design print data PD1 prepared in advance as a design is printed in the area where the design should be printed (design area where a partial design should be printed), and nail surface color print data PD2 is printed in the area other than the design area.

[0051] (Variation) In addition to the functions described above, the information detection unit 313 and the print data generation unit 314 may also perform the functions described below. The printing method of the modified example will be described below with reference to FIG. 8 and other figures.

[0052] When performing nail printing using the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the user operates the operation unit 12 (operation buttons) of the printing device 1 to turn on the power and start it up. The terminal device 7 is also turned on and the execution of nail print processing is selected from the operation unit 71 of the terminal device 7. This starts up the nail print AP 821b. When the nail print AP 821b is started, the display control unit 812 of the terminal device 7 causes the display unit 72 to display design selection screens 72d and 72a as shown in FIGS. FIG. 9 is an example of a design selection screen for selecting and setting the design to be printed on each finger when nail printing is to be applied to the nails of all fingers on both hands. Figure 9 shows an example of a design selection screen 72d that includes options for designs (nail designs) to be printed on the nails T of each of the ten fingers on the left and right, a setting field for setting the cut design shape of the tip of the nail T (in the example shown in Figure 9, "ROUND" is selected), and a nail color setting field for setting the color (nail color) to be printed in areas other than the design part when printing a partial design (in the example shown in Figure 9, "natural nail" is selected).

[0053] FIG. 4 shows an example of a screen to which the transition occurs when, for example, in FIG. 9, the user desires to change the design of the left thumb and selects "left thumb." In the example shown in FIG. 4, "French B" is selected as the "item" to be printed as a partial design, and this selected partial design "French B" is displayed on the design selection screen 72a. When a user operates the touch panel or other operation unit 71 to select a design (nail design) to be printed on the nail T, an operation signal is sent to the control device 80, the desired design (nail design) is selected and set as the design to be printed on the nail T (step S1), and this information is sent to the printing device 1 side.

[0054] Next, the printing device 1 performs an operation to register the nails of all fingers to be printed before the base is applied. First, the display unit 72 of the terminal device 7 displays a screen or the like that prompts the user to place the fingers, before the base to be printed on, in order into the finger holder 6 of the printing device 1 to take a photograph. When the user holds the finger on the finger holder 6 in accordance with this, the photographing control unit 312 (image acquisition means) of the printing device 1 causes the photographing unit 50 to photograph the finger U and acquire a nail image (step S2). Then, the information detection unit 313 acquires nail information such as nail shape and color information of the base color of the surface of the nail T of the natural nail before applying a base coat or the like (not the color of the nail itself, but the color of the nail bed directly under the nail, i.e., the nail color) or, if nail polish or the like has already been applied to the surface of the nail T or the like, nail color information, which is color information of the applied color (step S3). The acquired nail information is stored (registered) in the information storage unit 322 or the like (step S4).

[0055] For example, FIG. 5 shows an example in which a nail registration screen 72b is displayed on the display unit 72 when ten fingers are to be printed, prompting the user to register the thumb of the left hand as the first finger. In this modified example, an image captured by the photographing unit 50 (photographing device 51) of the printing device 1 is transmitted to the terminal device 7 and displayed on the display screen of the display unit 72. When the user operates the "photographing button," a photographing instruction is transmitted to the control unit 31 of the printing device 1 via the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7, and the photographing unit 50 performs the photographing. As shown in Figure 5, when a finger U including a nail T is photographed, the nail T has a curved shape that is curved in the direction of the nail width (finger width), so the height is lower towards the ends on both sides than in the center, making it more likely to cast shadows, and as a result, the image appears darker (blacker) towards the ends, as shown in the example.

[0056] When acquiring nail color information, the information detection unit 313 preferably detects the color of a place less affected by shadows, such as the center part in the nail width (finger width) direction, as the background color of the nail T surface of the natural nail. The method for detecting nail color information of the natural nail by the information detection unit 313 is not limited to this. For example, color information may be detected from a wide range of the nail area and then averaged. In this case, it is preferable to calculate the average without including color information from the edge where shadows are likely to appear.

[0057] When the nail information is detected and registered, a design editing screen 72e as shown in FIG. 10, for example, is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 72 (step S5). On the design editing screen 72e, for example, the color (base color) of the area other than the part where the partial design ("French B" in Figure 4 in the above example) will be printed on the nail T can be selected.

[0058] The control unit 31 determines whether the nail color setting is for natural nails (step S6), and if "natural nails" is set (step S6; YES), analyzes the nail color information of the natural nails detected by the information detection unit 313 (step S7). Then, the color determined to be closest to the "nail color" is selected from the candidate colors and proposed to the user as the "similar nail color" (step S8). Specifically, the result of analyzing the nail color information of the natural nails is sent to the terminal device 7, and is displayed on the display unit 72 as the "similar nail color." In this embodiment, the "Nail Color Setting" is set to "Natural Nails" on the design selection screen 72d shown in FIG. 9, and the "Nail Color Setting" is also set to "Natural Nails" on the design editing screen 72e shown in FIG. 10 unless otherwise changed. The method for proposing the "nail color approximation" is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the design editing screen 72e displays an image in which the "nail color approximation" is applied to the entire nail and the selected partial design ("French B" in FIG. 4) is combined with the toe area. The user checks the color on the display screen and operates the "OK button" if the color is acceptable. This sends an operation signal to the control device 80, and the proposed "nail color approximation" is set as the nail color.

[0059] The control unit 81 determines whether the proposed "nail color approximation" has been accepted by the user (step S9), and if accepted (for example, if the "OK button" is operated, step S9; YES), sets the "nail color approximation" as the nail color (step S10). On the other hand, if the proposed "nail color approximation" is not accepted by the user (step S9; NO), the process returns to step S8, and another color is proposed as the "nail color approximation." If a palette showing candidate nail colors is displayed as in the design editing screen 72e shown in FIG. 10, the user may be allowed to select a desired color from the palette as the nail color. In this case, the color selected by the user is set as the "nail color."

[0060] On the other hand, if the nail color setting is not "natural nail" (step S6; NO), the control unit 81 further determines whether the nail color setting is "read color" (step S11). As exemplified in the design selection screen 72f shown in Fig. 11, if the nail color setting is a read color (step S11; YES), a nail color read screen 72g as shown in Fig. 12 is displayed on the display unit 72 of the terminal device 7 (step S12). The specific display content of the nail color read screen 72g is not particularly limited, but for example, a message prompting the user to place a nail or the like of the color to be read in the finger holding unit 6 of the printing device 1 is displayed. Then, when a nail or the like of the color to be read is placed in the finger holding unit 6, an image captured by the photographing device 51 of the photographing unit 50 is sent to the terminal device 7, and an image as shown in Fig. 12 is displayed on the nail color read screen 72g of the display unit 72.

[0061] When the user operates the "photography button," a photography instruction is sent to the control unit 31 of the printing device 1 via the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7, and photography is performed by the photography unit 50. When the photographed image is acquired by the photography control unit 312, the information detection unit 313 acquires color information from the photographed image (step S13). Furthermore, the information detection unit 313 analyzes the color information of the read color (step S14), and suggests a color that is similar to that color to the user as a "read approximate color" (step S15).

[0062] The color to be read is not limited to the color applied to the nail T. For example, if the user wants to set the nail color to the same color as the nail polish applied to the nail tip M, the user sets the nail tip M on the finger holding unit 6. In this case, an image such as that shown in FIG. 13 is displayed on the nail color reading screen 72h of the display unit 72. When the user operates the "photograph button," a photographing instruction is sent to the control unit 31 of the printing device 1 via the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7, and a photograph of the nail tip M is taken in the same way as when the nail T is placed thereon.

[0063] The method for proposing the "similar color to the read color" is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in the base color editing screen 72i in FIG. 14, the color that the control unit 31 determines to be closest to the read color is transmitted to the terminal device 7 as the "color closest to the read color" and displayed on the display unit 72, thereby presenting it to the user. Next, a candidate for the "similar color to the read color" that is next closest to the read color is presented as the "color close to the read color." It is also preferable to display colors that match the read color. It is also possible to suggest designs that go well with the read color.

[0064] The user checks the color on the display screen and, if the color is acceptable, presses the "OK button," which sends an operation signal to the control device 30 (print control device) of the printer 1 via the control device 80. The control unit 31 determines whether the proposed "read approximate color" has been accepted by the user (step S16), and if accepted (for example, if the "OK button" is operated, step S16; YES), sets the "read approximate color" as the nail color (step S17).

[0065] On the other hand, if the proposed "approximate loaded color" is not accepted by the user (step S16; NO), the process returns to step S15, and another color is proposed as the "approximate loaded color." In this case, for example, one of the "colors close to the loaded color" shown in FIG. 14 is proposed. Note that when multiple candidate nail colors are displayed as in the base color editing screen 72i shown in FIG. 14, the user may be allowed to select a desired color from among them as the nail color. In this case, the color selected by the user is set as the "nail color." Also, colors and patterns that match the read color may be automatically selected and displayed on the display unit 72. In this way, even if the user is unable to determine for themselves what color or design suits their nails T, a nail color (a base color for the nail print) that suits the user can be automatically suggested, and a nail print that suits the user's nails T can be realized.

[0066] On the other hand, if the nail color setting is neither "natural nail" nor "read color" (step S11; NO), the default base color is set as the nail color (step S18). The base color may be a solid color or may have an overall design such as a polka dot pattern, stripe pattern, checkered pattern, or gradation. In this case, a screen for selecting which color (or design) to set as the base color may be displayed so that the user can make a selection. Furthermore, if a desired partial design such as French nails or a one-point pattern has already been selected by the user, a base color that matches this may be automatically set or suggested. A base coat is applied to the entire nail as a printing area of the user's nail T, which is the printing target. Furthermore, the application of the base may be performed manually by a user or the like, or may be performed by the printing device 1 by providing the printing device 1 with a base application function.

[0067] When the "nail color" is set, the control unit 81 (display control unit 812) prompts the user to place the nail T coated with the base on the finger holding unit 6 (step S19). Specifically, the control unit 81 causes the display unit 72 of the terminal device 7 to display an instruction screen, a message, etc. When the nail T coated with the base is set on the finger holding part 6, the print data generating part 314 prints design print data PD1 prepared in advance as a design in the area where the design should be printed (design area where a partial design should be printed), and generates nail surface color print data PD2 for the nail area other than the design area. At this time, the print data generation unit 314 converts the nail color information acquired by the photographing unit 50, such as RGB or HSV (hue / saturation / brightness), into CMY for printing to generate nail surface color print data PD2 (step S20).

[0068] The image captured by the image capture unit 50 is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 7, but whereas the liquid crystal display or the like that constitutes the display unit 72 expresses colors as a combination of RGB (i.e., RED, GREEN, BLUE), the printing colors of the printing device 1 are expressed as a combination of CMY (i.e., CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW) inks, as described above. Also, there are individual differences in the colors that can be expressed on liquid crystal displays or the like, and each one looks different. For this reason, even if the color is determined to be the desired color when the user checks the image captured by the image capturing unit 50 on the display screen of the display unit 72, the color may look different when actually printed, resulting in a different impression. Therefore, in this embodiment, conversion information for converting color information (nail color) of the nail surface acquired from an image of the nail T into color information for printing by the printing unit 40 is provided.

[0069] Specifically, for example, the storage unit 82 of the terminal device 7 stores, as conversion information, correspondence data indicating the correspondence with the print colors of the printing device 1 when the characteristics of the display unit 72 are taken into consideration, and the print data generation unit 314 references the correspondence data as conversion information to generate nail surface color print data PD2 for reproducing the nail color. Note that if the color characteristics of the image captured by the imaging unit 50 and displayed on the display unit 72 change, there is a risk that the correspondence with the print colors of the printing device 1 will not be correct. For this reason, it is preferable that the image be captured in a predetermined space within the printing device 1 under similar conditions. The correspondence data may be in the form of a table or in another format. Furthermore, if there is only one terminal device 7 linked to the printing device 1, the storage unit 32 of the printing device 1 may have correspondence data (conversion information) indicating the correspondence with the print colors of the printing device 1, taking into account the characteristics of the display unit 72 of the terminal device 7.

[0070] Then, the print data generating unit 314 generates print data by applying the nail surface color print data PD2 for reproducing the nail color to the portion where the nail color is to be printed, and outputs the print data to the printing unit 40 (step S21). As a result, the printing unit 40 performs printing based on the print data on the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger holding unit 6 (step S22).

[0071] In this way, in this modified example, if you select "natural nails" as the base nail color, when printing a partial design, you can produce a nail print that looks as if you have applied a partial design such as French manicures to your own nails, without having to go through the trouble of applying an even amount of base coat only to the area where the design will be placed. Furthermore, by selecting a "loaded color" as the base nail color, the user's preferred color can be reproduced on their own nails. This allows, for example, if the user wants to mix plain color nails and color nails with partial designs on the nails T of multiple fingers U, the user can apply the plain color nails themselves, and for the ones with partial designs, the user can simply print the partial designs on the nails T of the same base color as the plain color nails, thereby easily achieving the desired nails.

[0072] The processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 is an example, and the order of the processing may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, it is not essential that the printing device 1 be configured to be capable of performing both the process of setting the nail color by obtaining the background color of the surface of the nail T of the user's own nail (for example, steps S6 to S10 in FIG. 8) and the process of setting the nail color by obtaining the read color (for example, steps S11 to S17 in FIG. 8), and it may be configured to be capable of performing only one of the processes.

[0073] As described above, this modified example includes a control unit 31 that acquires an image of the nail T that is the printing target, acquires color information of the nail surface from the image of the nail T, generates nail surface color printing data PD2 for reproducing the color of the nail surface by printing, and generates printing data that includes the nail surface color printing data, and a printing unit 40 that prints on the nail T that is the printing target based on the printing data. Therefore, color information obtained from an image of the nail T can be reproduced on the surface of the nail by printing, and various nail designs can be easily applied to the nail T. This makes it possible to enjoy nail prints of various colors and designs using the printing device 1 of this embodiment.

[0074] In addition, in this modified example, there is correspondence data as conversion information for converting the color information of the nail surface obtained from the image of the nail T into color information at the time of printing by the printing unit 40, and the control unit 31 (printing data generation unit 314) generates the nail surface color printing data PD2 by referring to the correspondence data as conversion information. This allows printing on the nail T in a color that matches the impression the user has confirmed on the display unit 72, increasing the user's satisfaction with the nail print.

[0075] In addition, in this modified example, the control unit 31 (printing data generation unit 314) generates printing data so that a partial design to be printed in a part of the nail T is printed in the desired design area, and printing is performed in the area printing area other than the design area based on the nail surface color printing data PD2. This allows for the realization of a nail with a similar finish to that of a partial design applied by printing, even when the desired design is a partial design applied to only a part of the nail area, such as French nails or a one-point pattern, without the need for the tedious task of applying the base coat just to the design area.

[0076] Furthermore, if the nail color information is color information of the ground color of the surface of the natural nail T, and the desired design is a partial design that applies a design to only a part of the nail area, such as French nails or a one-point pattern, the area other than the design can be printed in a color close to the ground color of the surface of the natural nail T. This allows you to print nails that look as if you had applied a partial design such as French nails to your own nails, without having to go through the trouble of applying an even amount of base coat only to the area where the design will be placed (design area).

[0077] Furthermore, if the color information of the nail surface is color information of a coating color applied to the nail surface, the user's favorite color can be reproduced on their own nails. As a result, for example, if the user wants to mix plain color nails and color nails with partial designs on the nails T of multiple fingers U, the user can apply the plain color nails themselves, and for the ones with partial designs, nail printing can be performed by incorporating the partial designs into nails T of the same base color as the plain color nails. This makes it possible to easily reproduce complex designs, such as one-point patterns, on nails T of the desired color, which are difficult to do manually, and realize a wide variety of nail prints. Also, for example, if you apply nail polish of your favorite color to a nail tip or the like and store it, even if it becomes difficult to obtain later due to discontinuation or the like, you will be able to reproduce the same color on the nail T with nail printing. Also, if you like the color applied to the nails T of someone else, such as a friend, you can read the color information of the nails T using the printing device 1 and reproduce the same color nail polish on your own nails T by printing, without having to search for nail polish of the same color.

[0078] Furthermore, in the case where the memory unit 32 (information memory area 322) for storing information about the nail T is provided as a registration means for registering color information of the nail surface, etc., as in this modified example, from the next time printing, the information detection unit 313 detects and registers the registered content (for example, the shape of the nail of each finger, color information of the nail surface (ground color and read color of the surface of the nail T of the natural nail), etc.), thereby eliminating the need to re-detect and re-register the registered content, and the desired nail print can be achieved easily and quickly. The registration of nail information etc. may be performed at any stage. It may be performed sequentially as detected by the information detection unit 313, or may be performed when information on all ten fingers on both hands of the same user is collected. Furthermore, it is preferable that the nail information and the like be registered in association with the user who registers the information and the type of each finger.

[0079] Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0080] For example, in this embodiment, the case where the information detection unit 313 detects, analyzes, etc. the color information of the surface of the nail T, nail tip M, etc. from a nail image, etc., and acquires the color information of the surface of the nail, etc., is exemplified, but the method of acquiring the color information of the surface of the nail, etc. is not limited to this. For example, the image of the nail T, nail tip M, etc. may be stored in the storage unit 32, etc., and an image of a portion of the image detected as the area of the nail T, nail tip M, etc. may be cut out and used as image data to be printed on the nail T. In this case, the color information contained in the image data becomes color information of the surface of the nail T, nail tip M, etc.

[0081] In addition, since the nails T and nail tips M have a curved shape that is curved in the width direction, the height is lower at both ends than at the center, and shadows are cast, making them appear darker (blacker). Furthermore, the color of the nail surface is not necessarily uniform, and there may be areas that are darker or lighter than other areas. An example image of the thumb of a left hand is shown in Figure 15. In the example shown in Figure 15, both ends of the nail T in the width direction are dark, and there is a part near the center that is darker than the rest. In such cases, partial color unevenness can be corrected to create a uniform color, but in some cases reproducing the color as is rather than replacing it with a uniform color can create a more natural look for the nail. For this reason, it is generally preferable to reproduce the color as is without correction.

[0082] On the other hand, if the edges of the nail are dark (black) due to shadows, and the color (density) is reproduced as it appears in the image, the edges will appear darker than the actual nail, making it look unnatural. For this reason, it is preferable to adjust the color of both ends of the nail T in the width direction by correction. Specifically, when generating nail surface color print data, the control unit 31 (print data generating unit 314) corrects the color information of the nail surface based on the three-dimensional shape of the nail T.

[0083] The correction method is not particularly limited, but for example, multiple levels of correction values are prepared according to the curved shape, curvature, nail height, etc. of the nail T, and when the information detection unit 313 detects the curved shape, curvature, nail height, etc. of the user's nail T, the print data generation unit 314 determines which level the nail T belongs to, and generates print data by appropriately correcting the color (density value, etc.) using the correction value of the corresponding level. The correction levels can be divided into three to five levels, ranging from nails with a large curvature (i.e., highly curved) to relatively flat nails with little curvature. For each correction level, correction values are prepared, such as how much the color should be lightened up to a certain number of millimeters from the edge, and how much the color should be lightened up to an adjacent range.

[0084] By making such corrections as appropriate, when an image of a nail T such as that shown in Figure 15 is acquired, color unevenness that appears in the center of the nail and other areas can be left as is, and the color of the shadow areas at both ends of the nail width direction can be corrected to be lighter, thereby generating print data that can reproduce a more natural nail appearance through printing. Figure 16 shows an example of a print that is made on the nail T of the left thumb, from which the image shown in Figure 15 was taken, with French manicures applied to the tip of the nail, and for the rest of the nail, print data is generated by making the above-mentioned corrections to the nail surface color print data PD2, which reproduces the base color of the surface of the natural nail T as the nail color, and then printing is made on the nail T according to this print data. As shown in Figure 16, by correcting the image data and then using it as data to print on the nail T, the shadows at both ends of the nail T disappear, resulting in a natural-looking nail print that retains the color unevenness that was originally present on the nail T.

[0085] In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been given in which the control device 30 (print control device) of the printing device 1 is configured to detect nail information from nail images and generate print data, but the configuration of the printing device 1 is not limited to this. For example, the printing device 1 may be configured to have only a communication unit 13, a printing unit 40, and a photographing unit 50, and a control unit 81 of an external terminal (for example, a terminal device 7 such as a smartphone) executes each component of the control unit 31 of the printing device 1, and the printing device 1 executes photographing and printing operations under the control of the external terminal (for example, a terminal device 7 such as a smartphone). In this case, when the nail T is photographed by the photographing device 51 of the photographing section 50 and a nail image (an image of the nail T including the finger U) is acquired, the nail image acquired by the photographing section 50 is sent to the control device 80 of the terminal device 7 via the communication section 13. In this case, the control device 80 of the terminal device 7 serves as an image acquiring means. In this case, a corresponding program is installed in the storage unit 82 or the like on the terminal device 7 side. When print data is generated on the terminal device 7 side, the print data is transmitted to the printing device 1 side and output to the printing unit 40, whereby printing is performed in accordance with the print data.

[0086] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which images of nails T, nail tips M, etc. are acquired by the photographing unit 50 of the printing device 1, but the images of nails T, nail tips M, etc. may be captured by an external device other than the printing device 1 (for example, a terminal device such as a smartphone having a photographing device), and the control unit 31 as an image acquisition means may acquire only the image data. In particular, the image for acquiring color information of the application color applied to the nail surface may be captured by an external device (for example, a terminal device such as a smartphone having a photographing device) other than the printing device 1. In this case, color information can be acquired from an image of the nail T or nail tip M captured by a terminal device or the like while away from home, and the color information can be reproduced on the natural nail.

[0087] In addition, in this embodiment, an example is given of the printing device 1 working in conjunction with the terminal device 7 to print on nails, but the printing device 1 is not limited to the one shown here and may be configured to complete the printing operation on its own. For example, in the present embodiment, input of a print start instruction and selection of a design (nail design) are performed from the operation unit 71 on the terminal device 7 side, but input of various instructions may also be performed from the operation unit 12 on the printing device 1 side. In this case, the printing device 1 may be provided with a touch panel type operation unit. Also, the printing device 1 may be provided with a display unit, in which case the touch panel may be provided integrally with the display unit.

[0088] In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the base is applied manually by the user has been described as an example, but the base is not limited to being applied manually. For example, the printing unit 40 or the like may be provided with a means for printing the base, and the base may be applied automatically by the means. In this case, the print head 41 may be provided with white ink for the base and function as a means for base printing. Note that a print head as a means for base printing that ejects base ink may be provided separately from the print head 41 for design printing that ejects ink of each color.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printing device 1 is configured to include an inkjet print head 41 as the print head 41, but the configuration of the print head 41 is not limited to this. In particular, when the printing unit 40 or the like is provided with a base printing means and base printing is performed automatically, the base printing means may have a different configuration from the print head 41 for design printing.

[0090] In addition, in this embodiment, an example is given of a case where the nail design memory area 822 for storing design (nail design) data is provided in the memory unit 82 of the terminal device 7, but the design (nail design) data is not limited to being stored in the memory unit 82 of the terminal device 7, and may also be stored in the memory unit 32 of the printing device 1. Furthermore, image data of nail designs may be stored in a server device or the like that can be connected via a network line or the like, and the design (nail design) data may be referenced by accessing the server device or the like. In this way, it becomes possible to select a design to be printed from a larger number of designs (nail designs) without increasing the capacity of the storage unit 82 or the like.

[0091] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are as follows. The claim numbers described in the appendix are the same as those of the claims originally attached to this application. [Note] <Claim 1> A print control device characterized by comprising a control means for acquiring color information of the nail surface from an image of a finger including the nail, generating print data including nail surface color print data for reproducing the color of the nail surface by printing based on the color information and design print data of a design to be printed on the nail, and controlling a printing unit to print on the nail according to the print data. <Claim 2> the image of the finger is an image before a base is applied to the nail surface; 2. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the printing unit to perform printing according to the print data on the nail on which a base coat has been applied over the entire surface of the nail. <Claim 3> 2. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the nail surface color print data is generated using conversion information indicating a relationship between the color information and the nail surface color print data. <Claim 4> The print control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control means generates the print data so that a partial design is printed in a design area that is part of the nail based on the design print data, and printing is performed in an area other than the design area based on the nail surface color print data. <Claim 5> 5. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the color information of the nail surface is color information of the nail surface before a base coat is applied. <Claim 6> 5. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the color information of the nail surface is color information of a coating color applied to the nail surface. <Claim 7> 7. The print control device according to claim 1, further comprising a registration unit that registers color information of the nail surface. <Claim 8> 8. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means corrects the color information of the nail surface based on the three-dimensional shape of the nail when generating the nail surface color print data. <Claim 9> image acquisition means for acquiring an image of a finger including a nail as a printing target; a printing means for printing on the nails that are the printing target; a control means for acquiring color information of the nail surface from the image of the finger including the nail acquired by the image acquisition means, generating print data including nail surface color print data for reproducing the color of the nail surface by printing based on the color information and design print data of the design to be printed on the nail, and controlling the printing means to print on the nail according to the print data; A printing device comprising: <Claim 10> A print control method performed by a print control device, a control step of acquiring color information of the nail surface from an image of a finger including the nail, generating print data including nail surface color print data for reproducing the color of the nail surface by printing based on the color information and design print data of a design to be printed on the nail, and controlling a printing unit to print on the nail in accordance with the print data; A printing control method comprising: <Claim 11> On the computer, A control function that acquires color information of the nail surface from an image of a finger including the nail, generates print data including nail surface color print data for reproducing the color of the nail surface by printing based on the color information and design print data for a design to be printed on the nail, and controls a printing unit to print on the nail according to the print data. A program characterized by realizing the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1 Printing device 7 Terminal Equipment 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 40 Printing Department 41 Print head 313 Information Detection Unit 314 Print data generation unit 315 Printing control unit T-claw U finger

Claims

1. A print control device characterized by having a control means for generating print data including nail surface color print data for acquiring color information of the nail surface before a base coat is applied from an image of a finger including the nail before a base coat is applied to the nail surface and design print data for a design to be printed on the nail, the print data including nail surface color print data for reproducing the color of the nail surface based on the color information by printing and design print data for a design to be printed on the nail, the print control device including a control means for generating print data for printing a partial design in a design area that is a part of the nail based on the design print data and printing based on the nail surface color print data in an area other than the design area, and controlling a printing unit to print on the nail according to the print data.

2. 2. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the printing unit to perform printing according to the print data on the nail on which a base coat has been applied over the entire surface of the nail.

3. 2. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the nail surface color print data is generated based on conversion information indicating a relationship between the color information and the nail surface color print data.

4. 4. The print control device according to claim 1, further comprising a registration unit for registering the color information of the nail surface.

5. 5. The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means corrects the color information of the nail surface based on the three-dimensional shape of the nail when generating the nail surface color print data.

6. image acquisition means for acquiring an image of a finger including a nail as a printing target; a printing means for printing on the nails that are the printing target; a control means for generating print data including nail surface color print data for printing a partial design in a design area that is a part of the nail based on the design print data and print data for printing based on the nail surface color print data in an area other than the design area, and for controlling the printing means to print on the nail according to the print data; and A printing device comprising:

7. A print control method performed by a print control device, a control process for acquiring color information of the nail surface before a base coat is applied from an image of a finger including the nail before a base coat is applied to the nail surface, generating print data including nail surface color print data for reproducing the color of the nail surface based on the color information by printing and design print data for a design to be printed on the nail, and printing a partial design in a design area that is a part of the nail based on the design print data and printing based on the nail surface color print data in an area other than the design area, and controlling a printing unit to print on the nail according to the print data; A printing control method comprising:

8. On the computer, A control function for acquiring color information of the nail surface before a base coat is applied from an image of a finger including the nail before a base coat is applied to the nail surface, generating print data including nail surface color print data for reproducing the color of the nail surface based on the color information by printing and design print data of a design to be printed on the nail, and printing a partial design in a design area that is a part of the nail based on the design print data and printing based on the nail surface color print data in an area other than the design area, and controlling a printing unit to print on the nail according to the print data. A program characterized by realizing the above.

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