JPH04367875A - Multicolor printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the power of expression rich on multicolor printing by providing a gray pattern selecting means selecting a gray pattern stored in an external storage device. CONSTITUTION:The gray pattern selecting means A is composed of a CPU 3, and is provided with a function for selecting the gray pattern stored in the external storage device 7. The gray pattern used for the CPU 3 is selected/ specified by an operational panel. The CPU B outputs the gray pattern having the designation of a printer from an output part 8, and a laser beam printer is driven to form a color image on a recording form.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multicolor printing apparatus, and more particularly to a multicolor printing apparatus having an external storage device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a multicolor binary printing apparatus, a pattern corresponding to a gray level has been used as a method for expressing intermediate colors.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional example described above, there is a problem that the gray pattern is fixed in advance, so that the expression is not rich.

Another problem is that it is difficult for the user to use a desired gray pattern.

[0005] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to enrich the expressive power in multicolor printing by selecting and using gray patterns stored in an external storage device. With the goal.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] Therefore, the present invention provides a multicolor printing device having an external storage device, which
The above object is achieved by a multicolor printing device which has gray patterns in the external storage device and includes gray pattern selection means for selecting the gray patterns.

[0007]

[Operation] In the multicolor printing apparatus of the present invention, the gray pattern selection means selects a gray pattern stored in an external storage device.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multi-color binary printing device which is an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for controlling the operation of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a LBP diagram of a multi-color binary printing device using this embodiment. FIG.

In FIG. 1, A is a gray pattern selection means, which is composed of a CPU 3 and which selects a gray pattern (bitmap memory 6a) stored in an external storage device 7.
(details will be described later). Further, 1 is a printing device main body which is an output device, 2 is a host computer that sends data from the printing device main body 1, 3 is a CPU that controls the entire printing device, and 4 is a device that receives data sent from the host computer 2. A reception buffer 5 is a ROM that stores, for example, a program shown in FIG.
It is AM. A RAM 6a is located in the RAM 6 and serves as a place to expand and store the data into a plurality of gray patterns in a bitmap format corresponding to each color;
7 is a removable external storage device, and 8 is an output section.

Next, the printing operation of this embodiment will be explained according to the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, first, in step S0, it is specified whether or not to use a bitmap format gray pattern (not shown) in the external storage device 7. This is instructed by the host computer 2 shown in FIG. Alternatively, the settings may be made using the operation panel 300 shown in FIG. Next, if the external storage device is installed in step S1, the process proceeds to step S2, and it is determined whether or not to use the bitmap format gray pattern in the external storage device.

[0011] If the gray pattern in the external storage device 7 is to be used here, the process advances to step S3. In step S3, the external storage device 7 shown in FIG. 1 is accessed.

On the other hand, if the gray pattern in the external storage device 7 is not used in step S2, a gray pattern unique to the printing device is used. Next, the process advances to step S5 to check whether or not to output. If you want to output it, use Figure 1
It is outputted from the output unit 8 shown in , and the processing is completed. If not output, the process returns to step S1 and continues.

FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the laser beam printer (hereinafter abbreviated as LBP) of this embodiment, and this LBP registers character patterns (not shown) from a data source and registers standard formats (form data). ) etc. can be registered.

In FIG. 3, 100 is the main body of the LBP, into which character information (character code), form information, macro commands, etc. supplied from the externally connected host computer 2 (2 in FIG. 1) are input. At the same time as remembering
Corresponding character patterns, form patterns, etc. are formed according to the information, and an image is formed on recording paper, which is a storage medium.

Reference numeral 300 denotes an operation panel on which switches and LED indicators are arranged for operations such as selecting the aforementioned drawing mode, and 101 controls the entire LBP 100 and analyzes character information supplied from the host computer. This is a printer control unit. This printer control unit 101 mainly converts character information into a video signal of a corresponding character pattern and outputs it to a laser driver 102 .

The laser driver 102 is a semiconductor laser 10
3, and is a circuit for driving laser light 1 emitted from semiconductor laser 103 according to an input video signal.
Switch 04 on and off. The laser beam 104 is swung left and right by a rotating polygon mirror 105 and scans over the drum 106.

As a result, an electrostatic latent image of a character pattern is formed on the electrostatic drum 106. This latent image is developed by a developing unit 107 around the electrostatic drum 106, and then transferred onto recording paper. A cut sheet is used for this recording paper, and the cut sheet recording paper is stored in a paper cassette 108 attached to the LBP 100, taken into the apparatus by a paper feed roller 109 and conveyance rollers 110 and 111, and transferred to an electrostatic drum 106. Supplied.

In the above embodiment, a laser printer is used as the printing device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a printing device such as a thermal transfer printer may be used.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, by selectively using gray patterns stored in an external storage device, it is possible to enrich the expressiveness of multicolor printing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Fig. 1] A configuration diagram of a multicolor binary printing device that is an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] Flowchart for controlling the operation of this embodiment

[Figure 3] A side sectional view showing the internal structure of the LBP of the multicolor binary printing device using this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

A Gray pattern selection means 1　　　　　Device body 2 Host computer 3 CPU 4 Receive buffer 5 Program ROM 6 RAM 6a Bitmap memory 7 External storage device 8 Output section In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A multicolor printing device having an external storage device, characterized in that the external storage device has a gray pattern and includes gray pattern selection means for selecting the gray pattern. Multicolor printing equipment.