Printing Plug-in Margin Scaling for Large Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies fail to accurately reflect user-set margins when expanding or reducing image data for large-sized prints, leading to unsatisfactory printing results due to the printer driver's inability to account for margin information set by the application.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involves a plug-in software to calculate and update the sheet size and margin information, ensuring that the margin set by the user is maintained during expansion or reduction, by specifying the output sheet size, obtaining the sheet size and margin information, calculating the drawing area, scaling factor, and updating the margin information for the output sheet size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the printer driver expands or reduces image data to fit the output sheet size, then the image data can be printed on large-sized sheets, but the margin area is proportionally increased making the printed image appear smaller than intended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a plug-in component as an intermediary between the application and printer driver. This plug-in intercepts the printing process, obtains margin information from the application, calculates appropriate margins for the output sheet size, and adjusts the image data accordingly before passing it to the printer driver. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling large-sheet printing while preserving accurate margin control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary calculations of the scaling factor and adjusted margin information before the actual printing process. The plug-in calculates how the image data should be scaled and what margin adjustments are needed based on the relationship between original and output sheet sizes. This preliminary action ensures that when printing occurs, the margins are already optimized to prevent the image from appearing smaller than intended.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the printer driver uses the expansion reduction function to print image data on large sheets, then large-sized printing is achieved, but the margin information set by the application becomes invalid and does not reflect on the printing result
Solution Approach 1:
The plug-in acts as an intermediary that captures margin information from the application before it is lost in the printer driver's expansion reduction process. It retrieves the original margin settings, calculates adjusted margins based on the scaling factor, and applies these adjusted margins when preparing the image data for printing. This ensures margin information is preserved and accurately reflected in the final print output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the plug-in continuously monitors the relationship between original and output sheet sizes, calculates the scaling factor, and uses this feedback to adjust the margin information accordingly. The adjusted margin information is then fed back into the printing process, ensuring that the application's original margin intent is preserved even when printing on large sheets.
3Manufacturing precision
If the user wants to reflect the margin set on the application in the printing result, then the user must manually calculate the scaling factor and adjust the margin amount, but this increases the operation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the system to perform margin adjustment automatically without requiring user intervention. The plug-in automatically obtains the scaling factor from the printer driver, calculates the appropriate adjusted margin information, and applies it to the image data. This self-service approach eliminates the need for users to manually calculate scaling factors and adjust margins, significantly simplifying the operation while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug-in serves as an automated intermediary that handles the complex margin calculation and adjustment process. Instead of requiring the user to perform manual calculations, the plug-in intercepts the printing process, automatically retrieves necessary information, performs the calculations, and applies the adjustments. This intermediary function resolves the contradiction by making the system both precise and easy to use.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a plug-in of a general use application, sheet size information and margin information set by the application are calculated by using a scaling factor at the time of an expansion or reduction printing. The calculated sheet size information and margin information are reconfigured into the application.