Printing Control Program for Variable Data with Standard Drivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing general-purpose printer drivers do not support printing processing using image differences, limiting the ability to perform advanced printing functions such as adding additional data to printing data.
Innovation Solution
A printing control program and system that includes a terminal device with a general-purpose printer driver and a vendor auxiliary application, enabling acquisition, display, and generation processing to add additional data to printing data at designated positions, and instructing a printer to perform the printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a general-purpose printer driver is used, then compatibility and ease of operation are improved, but the ability to perform advanced printing functions using image differences deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A vendor auxiliary application acts as an intermediary between the general-purpose printer driver and the printing system. This intermediary captures printing data from the driver, processes it to add additional data at designated positions, and generates enhanced printing jobs that support advanced functions like serial number and variable printing while maintaining compatibility with standard drivers
2Adaptability or versatility
If printing processing using image differences is implemented, then printing function capability is improved, but compatibility with general-purpose printer drivers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vendor auxiliary application serves as a mediator that bridges the gap between general-purpose printer drivers and advanced printing functions. It intercepts printing data from the driver, applies image difference processing to add serial numbers and variable data, and outputs enhanced printing jobs that maintain driver compatibility while enabling advanced capabilities
3Adaptability or versatility
If advanced printing functions are added to general-purpose printer drivers, then device complexity increases, but maintaining simplicity and universality becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The printing system is segmented into distinct functional components: the general-purpose printer driver handles standard printing operations, while the vendor auxiliary application handles advanced functions like image difference processing and additional data insertion. This segmentation allows each component to remain simple and focused, avoiding the need to complexify the general-purpose driver
Solution Approach 2:
The vendor auxiliary application acts as an intermediary layer that adds advanced printing capabilities without modifying the general-purpose printer driver. This intermediary approach enables complex functions like serial number printing and variable data insertion while keeping the core driver simple and universal
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a printing control program causing a computer to perform acquisition processing, display processing, generation processing, and instruction processing. In the acquisition processing, printing data is acquired from a general-purpose printer driver 16. In the display processing, a user interface image for allowing a user to designate additional data to be added to the printing data and an addition position of the additional data in the printing data is displayed. In the generation processing, a printing job for performing printing in which the additional data is added to the printing data at the addition position is generated. In the instruction processing, a printer is instructed to perform printing based on the printing job.