Supporting Program for OS Printing Header Footer Customization
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Solution Overview
Problem
OS standard general-purpose printing programs lack the functionality to print header and footer information, making it inconvenient for users as they cannot arrange specific information at the top or bottom of pages when printing.
Innovation Solution
A supporting program that adds header and footer information to image data before printing, allowing users to customize and include printer-specific information such as date, time, printer details, and PC information, and supports various font and image selections for printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an OS standard general-purpose printing program is used to control the printer, then the printer can be operated without a vendor-specific printer driver, but the functionality to print header and footer information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
A supporting program acts as an intermediary between the OS standard general-purpose printing program and the printer. This supporting program receives print data from the printing program, adds header and footer information, and transmits the complete data to the printer, thereby enabling header/footer printing functionality while maintaining compatibility with the OS standard printing program
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting program provides multiple functions: it serves as a bridge between the OS printing program and printer for compatibility, while simultaneously adding header and footer information to enable customized printing. This single component addresses both the need for printer compatibility and the need for header/footer printing functionality
2Ease of operation
If a vendor-specific printer driver is used, then header and footer printing functions are available, but the system requires additional software installation and increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The printing system is segmented into distinct components: the OS standard general-purpose printing program handles basic printing operations, while a separate supporting program handles header and footer information addition. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently without requiring the full complexity of a vendor-specific printer driver
3Device complexity
If the OS standard general-purpose printing program is used, then the system is simpler and requires no additional driver installation, but users cannot customize header and footer information
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting program automatically retrieves system information (such as computer name, user name, date, time) and incorporates it into header and footer information without requiring manual configuration by the user. This self-service approach enables customization capability while maintaining system simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
A non-transitory storage medium stores a supporting program executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus. The supporting program is configured to support a printing program of an operating system and conforms to a printer connected to the information processing apparatus. When executed by the computer, the supporting program causes the information processing apparatus to execute, when image data is inputted from the printing program in response to receiving the print instruction outputted from an application program for causing the printing program of the operating system to perform printing the image by the printer, adding header information, footer information, or both the header information and the footer information to the image data, and causing the printer to perform printing based on the image data to which the header information, the footer information, or both the header information and the footer information is added.