Tab Attribute Integration in Print Job Tickets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current printing systems lack an efficient method to integrate tab attributes directly into job tickets, requiring cumbersome processes such as including oversized pages in PDL files and manual alignment of tab text, which complicates the printing of tabbed sheets.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize tab attributes as job ticket attributes, allowing for the generation of tickets with tab attributes like tab text, font, position, and tag-based attributes, which are communicated to the printing system to insert and position tabbed sheets accurately within documents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tab attributes are integrated into job tickets, then the printing process is simplified and user control is enhanced, but the device complexity increases due to additional ticket generation components and communication protocols
Solution Approach 1:
A ticket generation component is introduced as an intermediary between the user interface and the printing system. This component translates user-selected tab attributes into standardized job ticket attributes, simplifying the user interface while managing the complexity through a dedicated translation layer that communicates with the printing system using existing job ticket protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The job ticket structure is extended to universally accommodate tab attributes alongside existing printing parameters. By integrating tab attributes (tab text, font, position) into the existing job ticket framework, the system maintains compatibility with standard printing workflows while adding new functionality, avoiding the need for entirely separate complex systems
2Ease of manufacture
If tab attributes are managed within job tickets, then manual alignment and PDL file modifications are eliminated, but the loss of information increases due to abstraction of tab details from original document structure
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary extraction and validation of tab attributes from PDL files before generating job tickets. By pre-processing the document to identify and capture tab-related information (position, text, font) and storing it in the job ticket, the system eliminates the need for manual alignment while preserving essential tab attributes through structured data capture in the ticket generation phase
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of modifying original PDL files, the system creates a copy of tab attributes in the job ticket structure. This copying approach preserves the original document integrity while transferring necessary tab information to the job ticket, where it can be processed without losing critical attributes through the abstraction layer
3Adaptability or versatility
If exception level programming is used for tabbed sheets, then printing flexibility is improved, but the productivity decreases due to complex programming requirements and processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms complex exception level programming into simplified parameter-based control. By mapping tab attributes (tab text, font, position) to standardized job ticket parameters, the system maintains the flexibility of exception programming while eliminating the need for complex code, allowing users to control tabbed sheets through intuitive parameter selection rather than programming
Solution Approach 2:
The printing process is segmented into distinct phases: tab attribute selection in the user interface, ticket generation with attribute translation, and execution by the printing system. This segmentation isolates the complexity of exception programming to the backend ticket generation component, while the user interacts only with simplified attribute selection, thereby maintaining flexibility without sacrificing productivity
Data Source
AI summary
A system for utilizing tab attributes includes a communications component, a user interface component, a ticket generation component, and a job submissions component. The communications component operatively communicates at least one print document. The user interface component operatively communicates user data including tab data. The ticket generation component generates a ticket including at least one tab attribute. The ticket generation component communicates with the communications component and the user interface. The ticket generation component receives the user data from the user interface component and the ticket generation component receives the at least one print document from the communications component. The ticket is associated with the at least one print document. The ticket includes at least one tab attribute generated as a function of the received tab data. The job submission component submits a job to a printer and the job includes the ticket and the at least one print document. The system is at least partially implemented by an operative set of processor executable instructions configured for execution by at least one processor.