JP7099029B2 - program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a program used to set print settings for user-specified paper.

Patent Document 1 describes an image forming system that prints by transmitting print data on a user-defined sheet designated by the user. In this image system, the printer driver generates print data to be printed on user-defined paper.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-63386

However, Patent Document 1 does not sufficiently disclose that the printer driver acquires information used for printing settings of print data of user-defined paper.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a means for acquiring data used for printing settings of a user-designated paper.

Various disclosures are made herein. The program, which is an example of the disclosure example, is executed by the computer of the information processing apparatus including the display, the user interface, the memory, the communication interface, and the computer. The program has a size acquisition means for acquiring a first size, which is the size in the first direction of a print medium, and a print range acquisition for acquiring a first print range, which is a printable range determined according to the first size. A means, a first storage means for storing the first size acquired by the size acquisition means and the first print range acquired by the print range acquisition means in the memory, and a test image to be printed on a print medium. , The print data generation means for generating the test print data showing the outline image showing the printable range corresponding to the first size, and the test print data generated by the print data generation means to the printer through the communication interface. In the transmission means for transmitting, a display means for displaying an image showing a print medium, an external image, and an adjustment screen including the test image on the display, which is a screen corresponding to the test print data, and the adjustment screen. , The receiving means for receiving the change input for changing the first size by the user interface, the determining means for determining the first size according to the change input received by the receiving means, and the first determined by the determining means. The computer is made to function as a second storage means for storing one size in the memory.

Since the adjustment screen including the image showing the print medium, the outline image showing the printable area, and the test image accepts the change input for changing the first size, the user adjusts with the print medium on which the test print data is printed. The image showing the print medium displayed on the screen, the external image, and the test image may be compared, and the change input may be made so that the two match. As a result, the user can easily change the first size.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the information processing apparatus 11 and the printer 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a part of a flowchart showing the processing of the program 27 of the information processing apparatus 11. FIG. 3 is a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a paper registration screen. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an adjustment screen, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a paper on which a test image is printed. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an adjustment screen in the embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an adjustment screen in the modification 2. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing a paper on which the test image in the modification 2 is printed, and FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an adjustment screen in the modification 2. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an adjustment screen in the first modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. It is needless to say that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. For example, the execution order of each process described later can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the program 27 installed and operated in the information processing apparatus 11 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The program 27 is a program for registering the paper size information of the paper to be set in the printer 10 which is a label printer in the printer driver. Specifically, the program 27 registers the paper size information by storing the paper size information in a storage area accessible by the printer driver 26, for example, a storage area in the data storage area 24. The printer vendor devises so that when the printer driver 26 is installed in the information processing apparatus 11, a plurality of paper size information is stored in a storage area accessible to the printer driver 26. For example, the user is provided with an installer programmed to store a plurality of paper size information in a storage area in the data storage area 24. However, in recent years, the uses of printers have diversified, and various types of paper have been put on the market. Therefore, it is difficult for even a vendor to grasp the paper size information of all the papers that may be used in the printer 10. The program 27 can register the paper size information, which is not stored at the time of installing the printer driver 26, in the printer driver 26 according to the user instruction. The paper size will be described in detail later.

The information processing device 11 and the printer 10 are connected by a communication network 99. The communication network 99 may be a local network such as the Internet or an intranet, a USB cable, a printer cable, or the like. The information processing device 11 and the printer 10 can communicate with each other through the communication network 99. In the following, it is assumed that the communication network is a local network.

The information processing device 11 is a personal computer, a tablet, a mobile terminal, or the like. The information processing apparatus 11 communicates with the CPU 21, the memory 22, the display 31, the user interface 32 (hereinafter referred to as user I / F 32), the communication interface 33 (hereinafter referred to as communication I / F 33), and the communication interface 33 (hereinafter referred to as communication I / F 33). It is equipped with a bus 28. The CPU 21, the memory 22, the display 31, the user I / F 32, and the communication I / F 33 are connected to the communication bus 28. The CPU 21 is an example of a computer.

The display 31 is a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like, and includes a display screen for displaying various information.

The user I / F 32 is a keyboard, a mouse, or the like, and accepts a user's input operation.

The communication I / F 33 is connected to the communication network 99. The communication I / F 33 is a LAN I / F, a wireless LAN I / F, or the like.

The memory 22 is a portable storage medium such as a ROM, RAM, EEPROM, HDD, or a USB memory, a buffer included in the CPU 21, and the like. The memory 22 may be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above examples, the non-transitory medium also includes a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM. The non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. On the other hand, the electric signal that carries a program downloaded from a server on the Internet is a signal medium that can be read by a computer, which is a kind of medium that can be read by a computer, but is a storage that can be read by a non-transitory computer. Not included in the medium. The same applies to the memory 42 of the printer 10 described later.

The memory 22 has a program storage area 23 and a data storage area 24. The program storage area 23 stores programs such as the OS 25, the printer driver 26, and the program 27.

The OS 25 is a basic program of the information processing apparatus 11. The OS 25 is, for example, an operating system such as MacOS (registered trademark), Windows (registered trademark), Linux (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark) OS and the like.

The printer driver 26 is a program that sends print data to the printer 10 and instructs the printer 10 to print. The printer driver 26 creates print data for printing on paper of the size indicated by the paper size information according to the paper size information selected from the paper size information registered in the printer driver 26, and transmits the print data to the printer 10. do.

The data storage area 24 stores data necessary for executing the program. Further, the data storage area 24 stores test image data. The test image data is, for example, image data indicating the characters "ABC" exemplified in FIG. 5 (A).

The printer 10 includes a CPU 41, a memory 42, a print engine 51, a sensor unit 52, a communication I / F 53, and a communication bus 48. The configurations of the CPU 41, the communication I / F53, and the communication bus 48 are the same as the configurations of the CUP21, the communication I / F33, and the communication bus 28 of the information processing apparatus 11.

The memory 42 has a program storage area 43 and a data storage area 44. The program storage area 43 stores the OS 45 and the control program 46. OS45 is a basic program of the printer 10. The control program 46 drives the print engine 51 and the sensor unit 52, and controls communication with the information processing device 11 through the communication I / F 53.

The printing engine 51 is conveyed by an accommodating portion in which a roll-shaped label printing sheet (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “sheet”) is set, a roller pair that conveys the sheet accommodated in the accommodating portion, and a roller pair. It is equipped with a printing unit that prints on the paper on the sheet and a cutter that cuts the sheet. Paper is an example of a printing medium.

The sheet has a release layer and a paper attached to the release layer. Although "paper" is used for convenience, the material of the paper is not limited to paper. It may be resin or cloth. Paper is also referred to as a "label".

The types of paper will be described in detail. Paper sizes include width and length. The width of the paper means the size of the paper in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the paper to be conveyed. The length of the paper means the size of the paper in the direction orthogonal to the width.

In addition, the size of the paper includes the size of the margin. The margin is the distance from the side of the paper to the side of the printing area where the printer 10 actually prints on the paper. The margins include a top margin, a bottom margin, a left margin, and a right margin. Of the four sides of the paper, the side on which the paper is ejected is the upper side, the side opposite to the upper side is the lower side, and of the two sides sandwiched between the upper side and the lower side, one is the right side and the other is the left side. The top margin is the margin from the top side to the print area, the bottom margin is the margin from the bottom side to the print area, the right margin is the margin to the right side and the print area, and the left margin is the margin to the left side and the print area. The margin. Further, in the printer 10, in the case of long paper, of the four sides of the paper including the print area, the side generated by cutting the paper by the above-mentioned cutter of the printing engine 51 after the image is printed on the paper. Is the bottom side. The length will be described later. The definitions of the top margin, bottom margin, left margin, and right margin may differ depending on the type of printer.

Further, the sheet-shaped paper has various forms. For example, "long paper", which is a strip-shaped paper having almost the same length as the strip-shaped release agent layer, and a plurality of papers separated by a predetermined separation distance (hereinafter referred to as the distance between labels) are attached to the release agent layer. There is a "die-cut paper" that is worn.

The sensor unit 52 includes a plurality of sensors that detect the size and shape of the paper. One sensor outputs a signal according to the width of the paper. The other sensor outputs a signal according to the length of the paper and a signal according to the distance between labels. The sensor is, for example, a photocoupler having a light emitting diode that irradiates light and a photodiode that outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the incident light, a position sensor that detects the position of a slide member that fixes the paper, and the like. .. Any sensor may be used for the sensor unit 52 as long as the size and shape of the paper can be detected.

The signal output by the sensor unit 52 is input to the control program 46. The control program 46 is based on the signal input from the sensor unit 52, the width of the paper set in the accommodating portion, the length of the paper if the paper is long or die-cut, and the length and label of the paper if it is die-cut. The distance is determined and stored in the memory 42.

This specification basically describes the processing of the CPU according to the instruction described in the program. That is, the processes such as "judgment", "extraction", "selection", "calculation", "decision", "specification", "acquisition", "acceptance", "control", and "setting" in the following explanation are performed. It represents the processing of the CPU. The processing by the CPU also includes hardware control via a controller such as an OS. Note that "acquisition" is used as a concept that does not require a request. That is, the process of receiving data without the CPU requesting is also included in the concept of "the CPU acquires the data". Further, the "data" in the present specification is represented by a computer-readable bit string. Data having the same substantial meaning and different formats are treated as the same data. The same applies to "information" in the present specification. Processing such as "command", "response", and "request" is performed by communicating information indicating "command", "response", "request", and the like. In addition, words such as "command", "response", and "request" may be described in the sense of information itself indicating "command", "response", "request", and the like.

In addition, the processing of the CPU according to the instruction described in the program may be described in abbreviated wording. For example, it may be described as "performed by the CPU 21", "performed by the program 27", or "performed by the information processing apparatus 11". The same applies to the CPU 41. Further, it may be described in abbreviated terms that the program inputs / outputs information through the communication I / F and the user I / F. For example, it may be described as "received by the CPU 21", "transmitted by the program 27", or "acquired by the information processing apparatus 11".

Further, the process of determining whether or not the information A indicates that the information A is the matter B by the CPU is conceptually described as "determining whether or not the information A is the matter B from the information A". There is. The process of determining whether the information A indicates that the information A is the matter B or the matter C by the CPU is "determining from the information A whether the information A is the matter B or the matter C". It may be described conceptually as.

Further, "data" and "information" in the present specification are common in that they are bits or bit strings that can be handled by a computer. "Data" refers to data that can be handled without the computer considering the meaning and content of each bit. On the other hand, "information" refers to information in which the operation of a computer branches depending on the meaning of each bit. Further, the "instruction" is a control signal for urging the destination device to perform the next operation, and may include information, or has the property of information itself. There is also.

In addition, "data" and "information" are the same data and information as long as they are recognized as having the same meaning even if the format (for example, text format, binary format, flag format, etc.) is changed for each computer. Treated as. For example, the information indicating "two" is held as text format information "0x32" in ASCII code on one computer, and as binary format information "10" in binary notation on another computer. May be done.

However, the above distinction between "data" and "information" is not strict, and exceptional handling is permitted. For example, the data may be temporarily treated as information, or the information may be temporarily treated as data. Further, what is treated as data in one device may be treated as information in another device. Furthermore, information may be retrieved from the data, or data may be retrieved from the information.

Further, "according to" in the present specification indicates that the processing described after the character string is executed when the conditions described before the character string are satisfied. It should be noted that the timing at which the processing is executed may be after the condition is satisfied, and does not necessarily have to be immediately after the condition is satisfied.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6A, a registration process in which the program 27 installed in the information processing apparatus 11 registers a user-designated form will be described.

The user activates the printer driver 26. The activated printer driver 26 displays, for example, an operation screen including a paper registration icon for receiving an instruction to execute paper registration on the display 31. When the printer driver 26 accepts the selection of the paper registration icon, the printer driver 26 outputs a start instruction instructing the start of the program 27 to the OS 25. The start instruction includes information indicating the printer driver that output the start instruction (hereinafter, also referred to as a printer driver name). The OS 25 that has received the start instruction starts the program 27 (S11), and hands over the printer driver name instructed to start to the program 27. The process in which the program 27 receives a start instruction from the printer driver via the OS 25 is an example of the start instruction receiving means.

The started program 27 requests the functional information of the printer 10 from the printer driver 26 specified by the printer driver name instructed to start. For example, the program 27 outputs a command requesting the delivery of the function information to the OS 25, and acquires the function information of the printer 10 from the printer driver 26 via the OS 25 (S12). The process of S12 for acquiring the functional information of the printer 10 is an example of the functional information acquisition means.

The function information indicates information indicating the upper and lower limit values of the width and length of the paper that can be set in the printer 10, and the upper and lower limit values of the left margin, the right margin, the top margin, and the bottom margin that can be set. It includes information and information indicating whether or not the printer 10 rotates and prints the print data input to the printer 10 (hereinafter, also referred to as rotation information).

The program 27 displays the paper registration screen on the display 31 using the acquired printer driver name and function information. The paper registration screen will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The paper registration screen shown in FIG. 4 shows a state after the user has input using the user I / F32. Further, FIG. 4A shows a paper registration screen displayed on the display 31 when the paper loaded in the printer 10 is die-cut paper, and FIG. 4B shows the paper loaded in the printer 10. The paper registration screen displayed on the display 31 in the case of long paper is shown.

The paper registration screen has a plurality of display areas. The plurality of display areas are, in order from the top, a basic display area that accepts input such as a paper name, a paper display area that displays the width of the paper set in the printer 10, and a margin display area that displays paper margins. It is an adjustment / registration display area in which an icon such as the adjustment icon 69 is displayed.

In the basic display area, there are an item "paper name", a text box 61 in which the paper name can be entered, an item "printer driver", a pull-down menu 62 in which the printer driver name can be selected, and an item "paper form". A pull-down menu 63 for selecting the paper form, a "test print" icon 64, and a "calibration" icon 65 are displayed.

On the paper registration screen displayed on the display 31 in S13, the text box 61 in which the paper name can be input and the pull-down menu 63 in which the paper form can be selected are blank. Further, on the paper registration screen displayed on the display 31 in S13, the printer driver name acquired from the OS 25 at startup is displayed in the pull-down menu 62 in which the printer driver name can be selected. Further, on the paper registration screen displayed on the display 31 in S13, the "test print" icon 64 and the "calibration" icon 65 are grayed out and cannot be selected.

The program 27 is grayed out according to the user inputting the paper name in the text box 61 using the user I / F 32 (S14) and displaying the printer driver name in the pull-down menu 62. The "calibration" icon 65, which was not selectable, is displayed normally and can be selected.

Further, the program 27 responds to the fact that characters and numerical values are input to all of the text boxes 61, the pull-down menus 62 and 63, and the spin boxes 66, 67, 75 to 78 described later, which are ready for input, and are not blank. Then, the grayed-out "test print" icon 64 is changed to the normal display so that it can be selected.

The paper display area includes an object of either the first object 71 indicating die-cut paper or the second object 72 indicating long paper, an item "width", upper and lower limit values of paper width, and paper. A spin box 66 in which the width can be input, an item "length", an upper limit and a lower limit of the paper length, a spin box 67 in which the paper length can be input, and an item "distance between labels". A spin box 68 is displayed in which the distance between paper labels can be input.

On the paper registration screen displayed on the display 31 in S13, the spin boxes 66, 67, and 68 are blank. Further, the first object 71 and the second object 72 are hidden.

Further, in the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the width of the paper, the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the width and the length of the paper that can be set in the printer 10 included in the functional information acquired in S12 are displayed. In the illustrated example, [12.0-114.0] is displayed as the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the paper width, and [6.0-1000.0] is displayed as the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the paper length. ing.

The upper and lower limit values of the width and length of the paper included in the functional information acquired in S12 are also used for input restrictions of the spin boxes 66 and 67. When the program 27 determines in S14 that the numerical value input by the user in the spin boxes 66 and 67 is not within the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the width and length of the paper included in the functional information, the input numerical value. An error screen indicating that the information cannot be accepted is displayed on the paper registration screen as a pop-up screen, for example, and the input numerical value is not accepted.

In S14, when the user selects the paper form "die-cut paper" using the pull-down menu 63, or when the calibration result described later is reflected and the paper form "die-cut paper" is displayed in the pull-down menu 63, FIG. As shown in 4 (B), the first object 71 is displayed in the paper display area. The first object 71 includes an image showing a die-cut paper, a numerical value (58.0) indicating the width of the paper, and a numerical value (80.0) indicating the length of the paper. The numerical value (58.0) of the first object 71 makes the user recognize which place of the paper the numerical value (58.0) of the spin box 66 is the numerical value indicating the length of the paper. Further, the numerical value (80.0) of the first object 71 makes the user recognize which place on the paper the numerical value (80.0) of the spin box 67 is the numerical value indicating the length of the paper. That is, since the numerical value (58.0) of the first object 71 and the numerical value (58.0) of the spin box 66 match, the user can set the length of the first object 71 in the figure in the left-right direction on the paper. Recognize that it is the "width" of. Further, since the numerical value (80.0) of the first object 71 and the numerical value (80.0) of the spin box 67 match, the user can set the length of the first object 71 in the figure in the vertical direction on the paper. Recognize that it is the "length" of. When the user changes the numerical values of the spin boxes 66 and 67, the numerical values of the first object 71 are also changed.

In S14, when the user selects the paper form "long paper" using the pull-down menu 63, or when the calibration result described later is reflected and the paper form "long paper" is displayed in the pull-down menu 63. , The second object 72 is displayed in the paper display area as shown in FIG. 4 (A). The second object 72 includes an image showing a long paper and a numerical value (58.0) showing the width of the paper. The numerical value of the second object 72 makes the user recognize which place of the paper the numerical value (58.0) of the spin box 66 is the numerical value indicating the length of the paper. That is, the user recognizes that the left-right length of the second object 72 in the figure is the "width" of the paper because the numerical value of the second object 72 and the numerical value of the spin box 66 match.

In the margin display area, one of the objects of the third object 73 or the fourth object 74, the upper and lower limit values of the left, right, upper and lower margins, and the spin boxes 75 and 76 in which the value of each margin can be selected. 77 and 78 are displayed.

On the paper registration screen displayed on the display 31 in S13, the spin boxes 75 to 78 are blank. Further, the third object 73 and the fourth object 74 are hidden.

The upper and lower limits of the left, right, top and bottom margins are the information included in the functional information acquired in S12, and the upper and lower limits of the left, right, top and bottom margins that can be set by the printer 10 are displayed. In the illustrated example, [0.1-4.0] is displayed as the upper limit value and the lower limit value of each of the left, right, top, and bottom margins.

The upper and lower limit values of the left margin, the right margin, the upper margin, and the lower margin included in the functional information acquired in S12 are also used for input restrictions of the spin boxes 75 to 78. If the program 27 determines that the numerical value input by the user in the spin boxes 75 to 78 is not within the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of each margin included in the function information, the program 27 cannot accept the input numerical value. The indicated error screen is displayed on the paper registration screen as a pop-up screen, for example, and the entered numerical value is not accepted.

In S14, when the user selects the paper form "die-cut paper" using the pull-down menu 63, or when the calibration result described later is reflected and the paper form "die-cut paper" is displayed in the pull-down menu 63, FIG. As shown in 4 (B), the third object 73 is displayed in the margin display area.

In the illustrated example, the third object 73 has an image showing a test image (ABC), a numerical value indicating the left margin (1.6), a numerical value indicating the right margin (1.5), and a numerical value indicating the upper margin (a numerical value indicating the upper margin). It has 3.1) and a numerical value (3.0) indicating a bottom margin.

Each numerical value of the third object 73 indicates which part of the test image the numerical value indicated by the spin boxes 75 to 78 is the margin. Since the numerical value (1.6) of the third object 73 and the numerical value (1.6) of the spin box 75 match, the user can set the left margin of the third object 73 in the figure to be the “left margin”. Recognize that there is. Further, the user can see that the right margin of the third object 73 in the figure is "right margin" because the numerical value (1.5) of the third object 73 and the numerical value (1.5) of the spin box 76 match. Recognize that. Further, the user can see that the numerical value (3.1) of the third object 73 and the numerical value (3.1) of the spin box 77 match, so that the upper margin of the third object 73 in the figure is "upper margin". Recognize that. In addition, since the numerical value (3.0) of the third object 73 and the numerical value (3.0) of the spin box 78 match, the user can set the lower margin of the third object 73 in the figure to "lower margin". Recognize that. The numerical values displayed on the spin boxes 75 and 76 are examples of the first margin values. The numerical values displayed in the spin boxes 77 and 78 are examples of the second margin values.

In S14, when the user selects the paper form "long paper" using the pull-down menu 63, or when the calibration result described later is reflected and the paper form "long paper" is displayed in the pull-down menu 63. , The fourth object 74 is displayed in the paper display area, as shown in FIG. 4 (A).

In the illustrated example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the fourth object 74 has an image showing a test image (ABC), a numerical value (1.6) indicating a left margin, and a numerical value (1) indicating a right margin. It has .5) and a numerical value (3.0) indicating the bottom margin.

Each numerical value of the fourth object 74, like the third object 73, indicates which part of the test image the numerical value indicated by the spin boxes 75 to 77 is the margin.

When "long paper" is selected in the pull-down menu 63, a grayed out "0.0" is displayed in the pull-down menu 77 in which the top margin is displayed. The pull-down menu 77 indicating the upper margin is grayed out because, in the case of long paper, the position of the leading edge of the paper is unknown depending on the configuration of the printer 10.

In the adjustment / registration display area, the "adjustment" icon 69, the "addition" icon 70A, and the "cancel" icon 70B are displayed. On the paper registration screen displayed on the display 31 in S13, the "adjustment" icon 69 and the "addition" icon 70A are grayed out and cannot be selected.

The program 27 is grayed out according to the fact that characters and numerical values are displayed in all of the text boxes 61, pull-down menus 62, 63, and spin boxes 66, 67, 75 to 78 in a state where input is possible and are not blank. The existing "adjustment" icon 69 and "addition" icon 70A are displayed normally and can be selected.

The "adjustment" icon 69 is an icon that displays an adjustment screen for adjusting the width and length of the paper on the display 31 and accepts the adjustment of the length and width of the paper. The "addition" icon 70A is an icon for storing and registering the paper indicated by the contents displayed on the paper registration screen in the memory 22. The "cancel" icon 70B is an icon for canceling the paper registration. Details will be described later.

Next, the program 27 determines whether or not the selection of the “calibration” icon 65 has been accepted (S15). When the program 27 determines that the selection of the "calibration" icon 65 has been accepted (S15: Yes), the program 27 transmits an instruction command instructing execution of the calibration to the printer 10 through the OS 25 (S16). Calibration means detecting the form and size of the paper loaded in the printer 10. That is, the instruction command is a command instructing the printer 10 to detect the form and size of the paper loaded in the printer 10.

When the control program 46 of the printer 10 receives an instruction command, the sensor unit 52 is driven according to the received instruction command, and the form of the die-cut paper or the long paper, the width of the paper, and the form of the paper are changed. In the case of die-cut paper, the length of the paper and the distance between labels are detected. The control program 46 determines the form of the paper as "long paper" according to the fact that the length of the paper exceeds the upper limit value that can be detected by the sensor unit 52, and detects the length of the paper by the sensor unit. Accordingly, the form of the paper is determined to be "die-cut paper". The direction along the width of the paper is an example of the first direction. The direction along the length of the paper is an example of the second direction. The width of the paper is an example of the first size. The length of the paper is an example of the second size. The information indicating that the paper is "long" is an example of specific information. The information indicating that the paper is "long" and the length of the paper are examples of the second size correspondence information.

The control program 46 of the printer 10 transmits a calibration result including the detected form of the paper, the width and length of the paper, and the distance between labels to the information processing apparatus 11 as a response to the received instruction command.

The program 27 of the information processing apparatus 11 receives the calibration result transmitted by the printer 10 (S17). The program 27 superimposes the calibration execution screen showing the received calibration result on the paper registration screen as a pop-up window and displays it on the display 31 (S18). The process of S17 in which the program 27 receives the calibration result is an example of the size acquisition means.

On the calibration execution screen, the form of the paper that is the calibration result received in S17, the width and length of the paper, the distance between the labels, the characters and figures that prompt the user to input the margins, and the test print. Characters and figures that prompt the user to adjust the width and length of the paper and the "OK" icon are displayed. The program 27 closes the calibration execution screen according to the selection of the "OK" icon.

Further, the program 27 stores the calibration result received in S17 in the memory 22 (S19) and reflects the calibration result on the paper registration screen (S20). Specifically, the program 27 displays the form of the paper indicated by the calibration result in the text box 63, displays the width of the paper indicated by the calibration result in the spin box 66, and displays the length of the paper indicated by the calibration result. Is displayed on the spin box 67, and the distance between labels indicated by the calibration result is displayed on the spin box 68. Although not shown in the flowchart, the program 27 determines whether the paper loaded in the printer 10 is long paper or die-cut paper based on the form of the paper indicated by the calibration result. The program 27 displays the first object 71 on the paper registration screen in response to the determination that the paper is die-cut paper, and displays the second object 72 in response to the determination that the paper is long paper. Display on the paper registration screen. The process of determining whether the paper is die-cut paper or long paper is an example of the determination means.

Further, the program 27 reflects the calibration result on the paper registration screen and displays the initial value in the spin boxes 75 to 78 on which the margin value is displayed. The initial value is, for example, "2.0".

The user uses the user I / F 32 to set the initial value (2.0) displayed on the spin boxes 75 to 78 according to the characters or figures displayed on the calibration execution screen to prompt the user to input the margin. change. The program 27 accepts the input of the left, right, top, and bottom margin values input by the user using the user I / F 32 (S21), stores the accepted left, right, top, and bottom margin values in the memory 22, and accepts the left and right margins. The values of the upper and lower margins are displayed on the spin boxes 75 to 78. The process of S21 that accepts the input of the margin value is an example of the margin acquisition means.

Then, the program 27 determines whether or not the "test print" icon 64 is selected (S22). When the program 27 determines that the "test print" icon 64 is not selected (S23: No), the program skips the processes of S23 to S31 described later. When the program 27 determines that the "test print" icon 64 is selected (S22: Yes), the program 27 generates test print data (S23).

Note that the calibration is not executed (S15: No), the user inputs the paper form, the width and length of the paper, and the margin values using the user I / F32, and then the "test print" icon 64. May be selected. The process in which the program 27 accepts the input of the width and length of the paper is an example of the size acquisition means.

The program 27 generates test print data using the values displayed on the paper registration screen and the test image data stored in the memory 22 (S23). Hereinafter, a case where the paper form displayed in the pull-down menu 63 is “die-cut paper” will be described. However, even if the paper form is "long paper", test print data is generated in the same manner.

The generation of test image data will be described in detail. First, the program 27 determines the printable range, which is the range in which printing can be performed, from the width and length of the paper displayed on the paper registration screen and the functional information of the printer 10 acquired in S12. Specifically, depending on the type of the printer 10, the image cannot be printed up to the edge of the paper, and the image can be printed only on the inside by about several mm from the edge of the paper. The functional information includes information indicating the distance from the edge of the paper to the printable range. The program 27 is an area inside the width of the paper displayed on the paper registration screen by the distance indicated by the functional information, and is only the distance indicated by the functional information from the length of the paper displayed on the paper registration screen. The inner area is determined to be the printable area. Then, the program 27 stores the determined printable range in the memory 22. The printable range in the width direction of the paper is an example of the first print range. The printable range in the length direction of the paper is an example of the second print range. The process of determining the printable range is an example of the print range acquisition means. The process of storing the determined printable range in the memory 22 and the process of S19 storing the calibration result in the memory 22 are examples of the first storage means.

The program 27 generates a rectangular frame-shaped outline image 81 along the edge of the determined printable range. Next, the program 27 synthesizes the test image 82 indicated by the test image data stored in the memory 22 in the area inside by the margin value displayed on the paper registration screen from the external image 81, and outputs the test print data. Generate (S23). The process of S23 for generating test print data is an example of print data generation means.

Further, the program 27 determines whether or not to change the orientation of the generated test print data based on the rotation information included in the functional information acquired in S14. More specifically, depending on the type of printer 10 that prints the test print data, the direction of the input test print data is rotated for printing. The program 27 determines whether or not the printer 10 that prints the test print data rotates the input test print data based on the rotation information acquired in S12. When the program 27 determines that the printer 10 that prints the test print data rotates the input test print data, the program 27 changes the orientation of the test print data generated in S23. Specifically, the generated test print data is rotated to change the orientation so that the printer 10 rotates the test print data to return the original orientation. That is, the program 27 rotates the generated test print data so that the orientation of the test image printed by the printer 10 and the orientation of the test image displayed on the display 31 on the adjustment screen described later match. If the program 27 determines from the rotation information that the input test print data is not rotated by the printer 10, the program 27 does not rotate the generated test print data.

After generating the test print data (S23), the program 27 transmits the generated test print data and the print command to the printer 10 through the OS 25 (S24). The print command is a command instructing the printer 10 to print the test print data. The process of S24 for transmitting the test print data and the print command to the printer 10 is an example of the transmission means. The print command is an example of an instruction command. The program 27 stores the generated test print data in the storage area referenced by the printer driver in the data storage area 24 of the memory 22, and instructs the printer driver 26 to print the test print data on the printer 10. You may.

Upon receiving the print command, the control program 46 of the printer 10 drives the print engine 51 according to the print command to print the image indicated by the test print data on the paper 12. When printing is completed, the control program 46 transmits a print end notification indicating that printing is completed to the information processing apparatus 11 as a response to the received print command.

The program 27 of the information processing apparatus 11 is a pop-up window displayed superimposed on the paper registration screen after transmitting the test print data and the print command (S24), and indicates that printing is being performed by the printer 10. The printing screen (not shown) is displayed on the display 31 (S25).

When the program 27 receives the print end notification transmitted by the printer 10 (S26), the printing screen is closed (S27), and the guide screen, which is a pop-up window superimposed on the paper registration screen, is displayed on the display 31 (S27). S28). The guide screen displays characters and figures prompting the user to adjust the width, length, and margins of the paper 12 using the paper 12 on which the image indicated by the test print data is printed, and an “OK” icon. The program 27 closes the guide screen in response to the user selecting the "OK" icon. The user selects the "adjustment" icon 69 according to the guide screen.

The program 27 determines whether or not the “adjustment” icon 69 is selected (S29). When the program 27 determines that the "adjustment" icon 69 is not selected (S29: No), the program skips the processes of S30 and 31. On the other hand, when the program 27 determines that the "adjustment" icon 69 is selected (S29: Yes), the program 27 executes the adjustment screen processing (S30). The adjustment screen processing will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

When the program 27 determines that the "adjustment" icon 69 is selected (S29: Yes), the program 27 causes the display 31 to display the adjustment screen shown in FIG. 5A instead of the paper registration screen (S41). The process of S41 for displaying the adjustment screen on the display 31 is an example of the display means.

The adjustment screen is a text box 83 in which a paper image 80 showing the paper, an outline image 81 and a test image 82 shown by the test print data, an item “width”, and a numerical value (58.0) indicating the width of the paper are displayed. A text box 84 displaying an item "length" and a numerical value (80.0) indicating the length of the paper, an "OK" icon 85, and a "cancel" icon 86. The text box 83 in which a numerical value indicating the width of the paper is displayed is an example of a numerical image indicating the first size as a numerical value. The text box 83 in which a numerical value indicating the length of the paper is displayed is an example of a numerical image indicating the second size as a numerical value.

As described above, the program 27 determines the orientation of the test print data to be transmitted to the printer 10 so that the orientation of the test image displayed on the adjustment screen and the orientation of the test image printed on the paper 12 match. do. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the orientation of the test image displayed on the adjustment screen and the orientation of the test image printed on the paper 12 match.

Further, the image indicated by the test image data stored in advance in the memory 22 is an image that is asymmetric in the width direction of the paper (that is, the vertical direction in FIG. 5) such as “ABC”. Therefore, the two orientations in the test image displayed on the adjustment screen (ie, up and down in FIG. 5A) and the two orientations in the test image printed on the paper (ie, up in FIG. 5B). And downward) will not be mistakenly recognized by the user. That is, the user can easily recognize that the top and bottom of the test image displayed on the adjustment screen are the top and bottom of the test image printed on the paper 12.

Further, the image indicated by the test image data stored in advance in the memory 22 is an image that is asymmetric in the length direction of the paper (that is, the left-right direction in FIG. 5A) such as “ABC”. Therefore, in the two orientations of the test image displayed on the adjustment screen (ie, left and right in FIG. 5A) and in the two orientations of the test image printed on paper 12 (ie, in FIG. 5B). (Left and right) will not be mistakenly recognized by the user. That is, the user can easily recognize that the left and right of the test image displayed on the adjustment screen are the left and right of the test image printed on the paper 12.

The user compares the image printed on the paper 12 output by the printer 10 with the image displayed on the adjustment screen, and confirms the difference. In the example shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the image printed on the paper 12 is located closer to the lower left of the paper 12 than the image displayed on the adjustment screen. This is because the width and length of the paper detected by the printer 10 by calibration, or the width and length of the paper entered by the user in the pull-down menus 66 and 67 using the user I / F 32. This is because there is an error with respect to the actual width and length of the paper 12. The program 27 corrects the above error based on the user's adjustment input.

More specifically, the user who has confirmed the difference between the image shown in FIG. 5 (B) printed on the paper 12 output by the printer 10 and the image shown in FIG. 5 (A) displayed on the adjustment screen An input operation is performed using the user I / F 32 so that the two images are the same. Specifically, the external image 81 displayed on the adjustment screen is dragged and moved to the lower left, and the dragged external image 81 is dropped at the same position as the image printed on the paper 12. FIG. 6 shows an adjustment screen after moving the external image 81.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the program 27 receives an input for moving the external image 81 in the width direction (S42: Yes), the program 27 calculates the width of the paper based on the amount of movement of the external image in the width direction. The program 27 displays the calculated width of the paper on the display 31 on the adjustment screen (S43). In the example shown in FIG. 6A, the program 27 calculates the width of the paper as 56.0 based on the amount of movement of the external image 81 in the width direction, and displays it on the display 31. If the program 27 does not accept the input for moving the external image 81 in the width direction (S42: No), the program 27 skips the process of S43.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the program 27 receives an input for moving the external image 81 in the length direction (S44: Yes), the program 27 determines the length of the paper based on the amount of movement of the external image in the length direction. calculate. The program 27 displays the calculated paper length on the display 31 on the adjustment screen (S45). In the example shown in FIG. 6A, the program 27 calculates the length of the paper as 81.0 based on the amount of movement of the external image in the length direction and displays it on the display 31. If the program 27 does not accept the input for moving the external image 81 in the length direction (S44: No), the program 27 skips the process of S45.

The program 27 limits the movable range of the external image 81 to the range of the width and length of the paper indicated by the functional information acquired in S12. That is, when the program 27 determines that the width and length of the paper calculated based on the movement amount of the external image 81 exceeds the upper and lower limits of the paper and the length displayed on the paper registration screen, the outer shape is determined. The movement of the image 81 is not accepted. For example, the dropped outline image 81 is returned to the position before dragging.

The program 27 can also accept a change input of a numerical value indicating the width of the paper displayed in the text box 83 (S46). For example, when the position of the external image 81 is finely adjusted, the user does not move the external image 81 by dragging it, but changes the numerical value to move the external image 81.

When the program 27 accepts a change input of a numerical value indicating the width of the paper displayed in the text box 83 (S46: Yes), the movement direction and the movement amount of the outline image 81 in the width direction are based on the input numerical value. Is calculated, and the external image 81 is moved according to the calculated movement amount (S47). That is, by dragging and moving the outline image 81, the numerical value indicating the width of the paper displayed in the text box 83 changes, and by changing the numerical value indicating the width of the paper displayed in the text box 83, the outer shape is changed. The image moves in the width direction. If the program 27 does not accept the change of the numerical value indicating the width of the paper displayed in the text box 83 (S46: No), the process of S47 is skipped.

Further, when the program 27 accepts a change input of a numerical value indicating the length of the paper displayed in the text box 84 (S48: Yes), the program 27 moves the outline image 81 in the length direction based on the input numerical value. The orientation and the amount of movement are calculated, and the external image 81 is moved according to the calculated amount of movement (S49). That is, by dragging and moving the outline image 81, the numerical value indicating the length of the paper displayed in the text box 83 changes, and by changing the numerical value indicating the length of the paper displayed in the text box 83. , The external image 81 moves in the length direction. If the program 27 does not accept the change of the numerical value indicating the length of the paper displayed in the text box 83 (S48: No), the process of S49 is skipped.

If the program 27 determines that the numerical values entered in the text boxes 83 and 84 are not within the range of the width and length of the paper indicated by the functional information acquired in S12, the program 27 does not accept the entered numerical values and is input. An error display indicating that the input numerical value cannot be accepted because the numerical value is not within the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value is displayed on the display 31 by using a pop-up screen or the like.

The processing of S42 and S44 that accepts the movement of the external image 81 and the processing of S46 and S48 that accepts changes in the width and length of the paper in the text boxes 83 and 84 are examples of the receiving means. The process of determining the width of the paper and the length of the paper based on the movement of the external image 81 and the input of the width of the paper and the length of the paper in the text boxes 83 and 84 is an example of the determination means.

When the program 27 accepts the selection of the "cancel" icon 86 (S50: cancel), the program closes the adjustment screen (S52) without storing the input received on the adjustment screen in the memory 22, and ends the adjustment screen process.

On the other hand, when the program 27 accepts the selection of the "OK" icon 85 (S50: OK), the program 27 stores the change result, which is the result of the change input accepted on the adjustment screen, in the memory 22 (S51). Specifically, the numerical value (58.0) indicating the width of the paper displayed in the text box 83 is overwritten with the numerical value (56.0) indicating the width of the paper stored in the memory 22, and the text box 84 is filled with the numerical value (56.0). The numerical value (81.0) indicating the width of the displayed paper is overwritten with the numerical value (80.0) indicating the width of the paper stored in the memory 22. The process of S51 for storing the change result in the memory 22 is an example of the second storage means.

If the program 27 determines that the selection of the "OK" icon 85 and the "Cancel" icon 86 is not accepted (S50: no selection), the program 27 continues to execute the processing after S42. That is, the program 27 accepts the movement of the external image 81 and the input to the text boxes 83 and 84.

After storing the change result in the memory 22, the program 27 closes the adjustment screen (S52) and ends the adjustment screen process.

As shown in FIG. 2, the program 27 displays the paper registration screen on the display 31 when the adjustment screen processing is closed and the adjustment screen processing is completed (S31). On the paper registration screen displayed on the display 31, the width and length of the paper stored in the memory 22 are displayed. Specifically, "56.0" is displayed in the spin box 66 indicating the width of the paper, and "81.0" is displayed in the spin box 67 indicating the length of the paper.

Then, the program 27 determines whether the selected icon is the "add" icon 70A or the "cancel" icon 70B (S32). When the program 27 determines that the selected icon is the "add" icon 70A (S32: add), the paper name displayed in the pull-down menu 61 and the width and length of the paper stored in the memory 22 in S51. , The storage in which the printer driver 26 refers to the value of the margin received in S21 and stored in the memory 22 and the distance between labels and the form of the paper stored in the memory 22 in S19 in the data storage area 24 of the memory 22. Store in the area (S33). That is, the paper is registered in the printer driver 26. The paper name, the width and length of the paper, the margin value, and the form of the paper are stored in the data storage area 24 of the memory 22 in association with each other.

When the program 27 determines that the selected icon is the "cancel" icon 70B (S32: No), the program skips the process of step S33. If neither the "add" icon 70A nor the "cancel" icon 70B is selected, the program 27 continues to execute the processes after S14. That is, the user's input by the icons 64, 65, 69, the text box 61, the pull-down menus 62, 63, and the spin boxes 66, 67, 68, 75 to 78 is accepted.

The printer driver 26 displays a pull-down menu for accepting selection of paper on the operation screen displayed on the display 31. The paper name newly registered in S33 is additionally displayed in the pull-down menu. When a newly registered paper name is selected in the pull-down menu, the printer driver 26 associates the paper name with the paper form, the width and length of the paper, and the label stored in the data storage area 24 of the memory 22. Print data is generated using the distance and sent to the printer 10.

[Action and effect of the embodiment]
In the present embodiment, the paper image 80 showing the paper, the external image showing the printable range, and the test image are displayed on the adjustment screen, and the adjustment screen accepts change inputs for changing the width and length of the paper. .. The user compares the paper image 80, the outline image 81, and the test image 82 displayed on the adjustment screen with the paper 12 on which the test image 82 is printed, and the image displayed on the adjustment screen matches the paper. Enter the change as follows. Therefore, it is possible to easily allow the user to input a change for adjusting the error of the width of the paper and the length of the paper.

Further, in the present embodiment, the test image (ABC) printed on the paper is an asymmetric image in both the width direction and the length direction of the paper. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from erroneously recognizing the top (bottom) of the test image on the adjustment screen as the bottom (top) of the test image printed on the paper 12, and the left (right) of the test image on the adjustment screen. Is prevented from being mistakenly recognized by the user as the right (left) of the test image printed on the paper 12.

Further, in the present embodiment, the printer 10 can be calibrated to acquire the width of the paper 12 and the length of the paper 12. Therefore, as compared with the case where the user measures the width of the paper and the length of the paper and inputs them to the information processing apparatus 11 using the user I / F 32, the user's labor can be saved.

Even when the user measures the width of the paper and the length of the paper and inputs them to the information processing apparatus 11, it is assumed that there is an error in the width of the paper and the length of the paper measured by the user. The program 27 causes the printer 10 to perform test printing and displays the adjustment screen on the display 31, so that the error of the paper width and the paper length measured by the user can be corrected.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the numerical values of the text boxes 83 and 84 are changed, the external image 81 and the test image 82 move in the direction and amount of movement according to the changed numerical values. Therefore, by checking the movement direction and movement amount of the external image 81 and the test image 82 displayed on the adjustment screen, the user can determine whether or not the instruction for changing by the input numerical value is an instruction that matches the intention. It can be easily confirmed. That is, when the movement direction and the movement amount of the external image 81 and the test image 82 do not match the intention, the user can easily recognize that the input instruction is incorrect. As a result, it is possible to prevent printing on the paper with the print settings created by the instructions input incorrectly.

Further, in the present embodiment, even if the numerical values of the text boxes 83 and 84 are changed, the external image 81 and the test image 82 are moved by the amount of movement according to the changed numerical values, so that the user can slightly move the external image 81. Can be easily done. As a result, the accuracy of correcting errors in the width of the paper and the length of the paper can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the external image 81 is dragged and moved, the numerical values of the text boxes 83 and 84 change. Therefore, it is possible to make the user recognize that the width of the paper and the length of the paper have been adjusted by moving the external image 81.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the width of the paper and the length of the paper can be adjusted by dragging and moving the external image 81, the width of the paper and the length of the paper can be adjusted only by the numerical values. , The user can easily adjust the width of the paper and the length of the paper.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the form of the paper is long paper, the second object 72 indicating the long paper is displayed on the paper registration screen, and when the form of the paper is die-cut paper, the die-cut paper is used. The first object 71 shown is displayed on the paper registration screen. Therefore, the user can easily recognize the form of the paper loaded in the printer 10.

Further, in the present embodiment, the program 27 determines whether or not to change the orientation of the generated test print data based on the functional information acquired in S14. Therefore, the orientation of the image displayed on the adjustment screen can be matched with the orientation of the test image printed by the printer 10. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from erroneously recognizing the orientation of the image displayed on the adjustment screen and the orientation of the test image printed by the printer 10.

Further, in the present embodiment, the program 27 causes the pull-down menu 62 to display the printer driver name included in the start instruction when the paper registration screen is displayed on the display 31 in S13. Therefore, the user does not have to select the printer driver.

[Modification 1]
In this modification, an example of accepting the adjustment of the margin by the user on the adjustment screen will be described with reference to FIG. The configurations other than the configurations described below are the same as the configurations of the embodiments. Further, the same components as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The adjustment screen in this modification further includes text boxes 91, 92, 93, and 94 in which numerical values indicating the left, right, top, and bottom margins are displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 8A, "1.6" is displayed in the text box 91, "1.5" is displayed in the text box 92, and "3.1" is displayed in the text box 93. "3.0" is displayed in the text box 94.

The user drags the test image 82 instead of the external image 81 to move the test image 82 to a desired position. The program 27 calculates the left margin and the right margin according to the movement direction and the movement amount of the test image 82 in the width direction (that is, the vertical direction in the figure). Then, the program 27 displays the calculated left margin in the text box 91, and displays the calculated right margin in the text box 92. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the left margin displayed in the text box 91 is changed from 1.6 to 2.0, and the right margin displayed in the text box 92 is changed from 1.5 to 1.1. ing.

Further, the program 27 calculates the upper margin and the lower margin according to the movement direction and the movement amount of the test image in the length direction (that is, the left-right direction in the figure). Then, the program 27 displays the calculated upper margin in the text box 93, and displays the calculated lower margin in the text box 94. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the top margin displayed in the text box 91 is changed from 3.1 to 2.5, and the bottom margin displayed in the text box 94 is changed from 3.0 to 3.4. ing.

The program 27 limits the movable range of the test image 82 to the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the left margin and the right margin indicated by the functional information acquired in S12. That is, the program 27 determines that the values of the left margin and the right margin calculated based on the movement amount of the test image 82 exceed the upper limit and the lower limit of the left margin and the right margin displayed on the paper registration screen. , The movement of the test image 81 is not accepted. For example, the dropped test image 82 is returned to the position before dragging.

Further, the values of the left margin, the right margin, the top margin, and the bottom margin may be changed by enlarging or reducing the test image 82 instead of moving the test image 82.

Next, the program 27 accepts the margin setting using the text boxes 91 to 94. That is, the program 27 accepts the input of numerical values into the text boxes 91 to 94 by the user. For example, when the user wants to make fine adjustments to the margins, he / she inputs numerical values in the text boxes 91 to 94.

When the program 27 receives the input of the numerical value in the text boxes 91 to 94, the program 27 determines the moving direction and the moving amount of the test image 82 according to the received numerical value, and is based on the determined moving direction and the moving amount. Then, the test image 82 is moved on the adjustment screen. That is, when the user drags and moves the test image, the numerical values displayed in the text boxes 91 to 94 change, and when the user changes the numerical values in the text boxes 91 to 94, the test image 82 moves.

When the program 27 determines that the numerical values input to the text boxes 91 to 94 are not within the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the left, right, upper and lower margins indicated by the function information acquired in S12, the input numerical value is used. An error display indicating that the input numerical value is not accepted and the input numerical value is not within the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value and the input numerical value cannot be accepted is displayed on the display 31 by using a pop-up screen or the like.

When the program 27 determines that the "cancel" icon 86 has been selected, the program 27 closes the adjustment screen and displays the paper registration screen on the display 31 without storing the changed margins in the memory 22 as in the above-described embodiment. Let me. On the other hand, when the program 27 determines that the "OK" icon 85 is selected, it overwrites the changed margin value with the margin value stored in the memory 22, closes the adjustment screen, and displays the paper registration screen on the display 31. Display. On the paper registration screen displayed on the display 31, the changed margin value is displayed. That is, "2.0" is displayed in the spin box 75 that displays the left margin, "1.1" is displayed in the spin box 76 that displays the right margin, and the spin box 77 that displays the top margin. "2.5" is displayed in the spin box 78, and "3.4" is displayed in the spin box 78 that displays the bottom margin.

[Action and effect of variant 1]
In this modification, the margins in the width direction and the length direction of the paper can be adjusted on the adjustment screen having the test image. Therefore, the user can easily adjust the margins.

Further, in this modification, the margin can be adjusted by dragging and moving the test image on the adjustment screen. Therefore, it is possible to make the user adjust the margin more easily than in the case of adjusting the margin by changing the numerical value.

Further, in this modification, the margin can be adjusted by changing the numerical values displayed in the text boxes 91 to 94 on the adjustment screen. Therefore, it is possible to make subtle changes in the margins. As a result, the user can be made to adjust the margin more easily.

[Modification 2]
In this modification, an example of accepting the adjustment of the distance between labels on the adjustment screen will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 (B) and 7. The configurations other than the configurations described below are the same as the configurations of the embodiments. Further, the same components as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The program 27 instructs the printer 10 to print two pages of the test print data generated in S23. Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, the program 27 causes the display 31 to display an adjustment screen having two test images separated by the distance between the labels detected by the calibration.

The adjustment screen of this modification further includes an item "distance between labels" and a text box 87 displaying a numerical value indicating the distance between labels.

The user compares the distance between the labels of the test image shown in FIG. 7 (A) printed on the paper with the distance between the labels of the test image shown in FIG. 6 (B) displayed on the adjustment screen. Drag one of the outline images 81 on the adjustment screen so that the distances between the labels match, and move the outline image 81 in the length direction of the paper (the left-right direction in the figure). FIG. 7B shows an adjustment screen after moving the external image 81.

The program 27 calculates the inter-label distance based on the movement direction and the movement amount of the external image 81, and displays the calculated inter-label distance in the text box 87. In the illustrated example, the distance between the labels displayed in the text box is changed from 1.5 to 2.0.

Further, the program 27 accepts the input of the distance between labels in the text box 87. The user changes the numerical value displayed in the text box 87, for example, when he / she wants to slightly move the external image 81 displayed on the adjustment screen.

The program 27 determines the direction and amount of movement of one of the external image 81 based on the numerical value input to the text box 87, and moves the external image 81. That is, by dragging and moving the outline image 81, the numerical value indicating the distance between labels displayed in the text box 87 is changed, and by changing the numerical value indicating the distance between labels displayed in the text box 87, the outer shape is changed. Image 81 moves.

[Action and effect of variant 2]
In this modification, the distance between labels can be adjusted on the adjustment screen for displaying the external image 81 and the test image 82. Therefore, the user can easily adjust the distance between the labels.

Further, in this modification, the distance between the labels can be adjusted by dragging and moving the external image 81 on the adjustment screen. Therefore, it is possible to make the user more easily adjust the inter-label distance than in the case of adjusting the inter-label distance by changing the numerical value.

Further, in this modification, the distance between labels can be adjusted by changing the numerical values displayed in the text boxes 91 to 94 on the adjustment screen. Therefore, it is possible to slightly change the distance between labels. As a result, the user can more easily adjust the distance between the labels.

[Other variants]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the printer driver 26 instructs the OS 25 to start the program 27 has been described. However, the user I / F 32 may be used to instruct the OS 25 to start the program 27. That is, the program 27 may be started by the user using the user I / F32. More specifically, the OS 25 causes the display 31 to display a start icon that accepts the start of the program 27. When the OS 25 determines that the boot icon has been selected using the user I / 32, the OS 25 launches the program 27. The activated program 27 displays the paper registration screen on the display 31. However, the printer driver name is not included in the startup instruction input from the OS 25. The program 27 leaves the pull-down menu 62 blank and displays the paper registration screen on the display 31.

Further, the program 27 may execute the paper registration of S31 and store the paper name and the printer driver name displayed on the paper registration screen in the memory 22 as the previous paper name and the previous printer driver name. The program 27 reads the previous paper name and the previous printer driver name from the memory 22 in response to the fact that the printer driver name is not included in the start instruction input from the OS 25. In S13, the program 27 causes the display 31 to display the paper registration screen in which the name of the previous paper read from the memory 22 is displayed in the text box 61 and the name of the previous printer driver read from the memory 22 is displayed in the pull-down menu 62. Further, the program 27 requests the functional information of the printer 10 from the printer driver indicated by the printer driver name last time, and acquires the functional information of the printer 10 from the printer driver. Further, the program 27 reads out from the memory 22 the form of the paper, the width and length of the paper, the distance between the labels, and the margin setting stored in the memory 22 in association with the paper name indicated by the paper name. .. The program 27 displays the upper and lower limit values of the width and length of the paper indicated by the acquired functional information and the upper and lower limit values of the left, right, upper and lower margins on the paper registration screen. Further, the program 27 displays the acquired paper form, paper width and length, label-to-label distance, and margin setting on the pull-down menu 63, spin boxes 66, 67, 75 to 78.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the sensor unit 52 detects the “distance between labels” has been described, but since the “distance between labels” is usually about 1 mm to 2 mm, the “distance between labels” is described by the sensor unit 52. A configuration that does not detect "" can also be adopted. In that case, the program 27 sets the initial value of the "distance between labels" to, for example, 1.5 mm.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the printable range is determined based on the functional information acquired in S14 has been described. However, the printable range may be determined from a fixed value stored in advance in the memory 22 or may be determined from a value input by the user I / F 32.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the printer driver 26 and the program 27 have been described as different programs. However, the printer driver 26 and the program 27 may be one program. That is, the program 27 may be incorporated in the printer driver as a module of the printer driver.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the "adjustment" icon 69 is selected, the adjustment screen is displayed on the display 31 instead of the paper registration screen. However, the paper registration screen and the adjustment screen are different from each other. The display may be switched by tabs.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the printer 10 which is a label printer has been described, but the printer 10 may be a home-use label printer or a decorative label used for creating a decorative sheet such as a masking tape. It may be a printer. It may be a food package, a label to be attached to an electric cable, or a professional label printer used for an application that requires a large number of labels to be generated at one time. The printing method of the printer 10 is not limited, and may be, for example, a thermal method or an inkjet method. Further, the printer 10 may be a plain paper printer capable of printing on a cut paper-like label printing sheet instead of a label printing dedicated printer.

10 ... Printer 11 ... Information processing device 12 ... Paper 21 ... CPU
22 ... Memory 26 ... Printer driver 27 ... Program 31 ... Display 32 ... User interface 33 ... Communication interface 71 ... First object 72 ... Second object 80 ... -Paper image 81 ... External image 82 ... Test image

Claims (19)

A program executed by a computer in an information processing apparatus equipped with a display, a user interface, a memory, a communication interface, and a computer.
A size acquisition means for acquiring the first size, which is the size in the first direction of the print medium, and
A print range acquisition means for acquiring a first print range, which is a printable range determined according to the first size, and a print range acquisition means.
A first storage means for storing the first size acquired by the size acquisition means and the first print range acquired by the print range acquisition means in the memory.
A print data generation means for generating test print data showing a test image to be printed on a print medium and an outline image showing a printable range according to the first size.
A transmission means for transmitting the test print data generated by the print data generation means to the printer through the communication interface, and a transmission means.
A display means for displaying an image showing a print medium, an external image, and an adjustment screen including the test image on the display, which is a screen corresponding to the test print data.
On the adjustment screen, the receiving means for accepting the change input for changing the first size by the user interface,
A determination means for determining the first size according to the change input received by the reception means, and
A program that causes the computer to function as a second storage means for storing the first size determined by the determination means in the memory. The print data generation means reads from the memory image data which is image data stored in advance in the memory and shows an image which can be identified by distinguishing between the two directions in the second direction intersecting with the first direction. The program according to claim 1, wherein the test print data is generated by using the image data read from the memory. The size acquisition means is
The program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an instruction command is transmitted to the printer through the communication interface, the instruction command is transmitted, and then the first size is received from the printer to acquire the first size. .. The display means causes the display to display the adjustment screen further including a numerical image showing the first size as a numerical value.
The receiving means receives a change in the numerical value of the first size indicated by the numerical image displayed on the adjustment screen, and receives the change.
The display means has claims 1 to 3 for displaying the adjustment screen including the external image of the first size and the test image after the change in response to the change of the numerical value received by the reception means on the display. The program described in any of. The display means causes the display to display the adjustment screen further including a numerical image showing the first size as a numerical value.
The receiving means receives a change input for moving the external image with respect to an image showing a print medium, and receives the change input.
The determining means determines the first size according to the amount of movement of the external image.
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display means displays the numerical image indicating the first size determined by the determination means on the display. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the receiving means receives a change input for moving the external image in the first direction by dragging the external image with respect to the image showing the print medium on the adjustment screen. The computer is made to function as a margin acquisition means for acquiring a first margin value indicating a margin in the first direction with respect to the first print range.
The first storage means stores the first margin value acquired by the margin acquisition means in the memory.
The receiving means receives a change input for moving the test image with respect to the external image on the adjustment screen.
The determination means determines the first margin value according to the movement amount of the test image, and determines the first margin value.
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second storage means stores the first margin value determined by the determination means in the memory. 13. program. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the test image is an image that is not symmetrical in the first direction. The size acquisition means further acquires a second size, which is the size of the print medium in the second direction.
The print range acquisition means further acquires a second print range, which is a printable range determined according to the second size.
The first storage means further stores the second size acquired by the size acquisition means and the second print range acquired by the print range acquisition means in the memory.
The print data generation means generates test print data based on an external image showing a printable range corresponding to the first size and the second size and the test image.
The transmission means transmits the test print data generated by the print data generation means to the printer through the communication interface.
The display means is a screen corresponding to the test print data, and the adjustment screen including the external image and the test image is displayed on the display.
The receiving means receives a change input for changing the first size and the second size on the adjustment screen by the user interface.
The determination means determines the first size and the second size according to the change input received by the reception means.
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second storage means stores the first size and the second size changed by the change input received by the reception means in the memory. The display means causes the display to display the adjustment screen further including a numerical image showing the second size as a numerical value.
The receiving means receives a change in the numerical value of the second size indicated by the numerical value image displayed on the adjusting screen, and receives the change.
The tenth aspect of the present invention, wherein the display means causes the display to display the adjustment screen including the external image of the second size and the test image after the change in response to the change of the numerical value received by the reception means. Program. The display means causes the display to display the adjustment screen further including a numerical image showing the second size as a numerical value.
The receiving means receives a change input for moving the external image with respect to an image showing a print medium, and receives the change input.
The determining means determines the second size according to the amount of movement of the external image.
The program according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the display means displays the numerical image indicating the second size determined by the determination means on the display. The program according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the receiving means receives a change input for moving the external image in the second direction by dragging the external image with respect to the image showing the print medium on the adjustment screen. The computer is made to function as a margin acquisition means for acquiring a first margin value indicating a margin in the first direction with respect to the first print range.
The margin acquisition means acquires a second margin value indicating a margin in the second direction with respect to the second print range.
The first storage means stores the second margin value acquired by the margin acquisition means in the memory.
The receiving means receives a change input for moving the test image with respect to the external image on the adjustment screen.
The determination means determines the second margin value according to the movement amount of the test image, and determines the second margin value.
The program according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the second storage means stores the second margin value determined by the determination means in the memory. The program according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the external image is located at both ends of the printable range in the second direction and includes a straight line along the first direction. The program according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the test image is an image that is not symmetrical in the second direction. The size acquisition means acquires the first size and the second size correspondence information indicating the second size, and the second size or the second size can detect the second size correspondence information by the sensor. Specific information indicating that the specified value has been exceeded.
A determination means for determining whether the second size correspondence information acquired by the size acquisition means is the second size or the specific information.
In response to the determination that the determination means is the second size, the first object stored in the memory is displayed on the display, and the determination means is determined to be the specific information. The second object stored in the memory is displayed on the display, the first object is an object showing a print medium having a finite length in the second direction, and the second object is the second object. The program according to any one of claims 10 to 16, which is an object indicating a print medium having an indefinite length in a direction. A driver selection receiving means that accepts input of a printer driver type through the user interface, and
The computer is made to function as a function information acquisition means for acquiring the function information of the printer driver accepted by the driver selection receiving means.
The print data generation means indicates that the functional information acquired by the functional information acquisition means rotates the orientation of the image to print on the print medium, and the orientation of the image after being rotated by the printer driver. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the test image is rotated in a direction that matches the direction of the test image displayed on the adjustment screen. The computer is made to function as a start instruction receiving means for receiving an input of a start instruction output by a printer driver executed by the computer of the information processing apparatus.
The program according to claim 18, wherein the driver selection receiving means selects a printer driver that outputs a start instruction in response to the start instruction receiving means receiving the start instruction.

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