PRINT CONTROL APPARATUS AND PRINT CONTROL METHOD

• US 20150213339A1
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sawada, Hideharu
• Granted Patent: US 9,298,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1251 for continuous media, e.g. web media, rolls

Abstract

There is provided a print control apparatus in which, when poster printing is performed using a printer for printing on continuous paper, a user only needs to specify a finish size (or a scaling factor) so as to perform printing processing with appropriate orientation and a minimum number of segments. To achieve this, based on a length of a short side of a finish size specified by the user and a length in a width direction of continuous paper, the number of segments is calculated to divide an enlarged image obtained by enlarging an original. Then, based on the number of segments, the enlarged image is divided in a short-side direction, and a plurality of image portions generated by the division are laid out in a size of an output sheet, whereby print data is generated.

Claims

1. A print control apparatus for causing a printing apparatus to print on a print sheet each of a plurality of image portions obtained by dividing an image to be printed, the print control apparatus comprising:

a generation unit configured to generate an enlarged image by enlarging the image to be printed based on a finish size corresponding to a size resulting from bonding together a plurality of print sheets having the plurality of image portions printed thereon; and

a print control unit configured to cause the printing apparatus to print each of the plurality of image portions on the print sheet such that the enlarged image generated by the generation unit is divided in a short-side direction of the enlarged image based on a number of segments obtained based on a length of a short side of the finish size and a length of a short side of the print sheet and such that a short side of each of the plurality of image portions obtained by the division coincides with a short side of the print sheet.

2. A print control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit configured to select from having the entire image to be printed set in the finish size and having the image to be printed extend out from the finish size in a case where an aspect ratio of the image to be printed is different from an aspect ratio of the finish size,

wherein the generation unit varies a scaling factor by which the image to be printed is enlarged, depending on a result of the selection by the selection unit.

3. A print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print sheet is continuous paper, and the short side of the print sheet is equal to a width of the continuous paper.

4. A print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the finish size is specified by a user.

5. A print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generation unit and the print control unit function by a printer driver.

6. A print control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a dividing unit configured to divide the enlarged image in a short-side direction of the enlarged image based on a number of segments obtained based on a length of a short side of the finish size and a length of a short side of the print sheet,

wherein the print control unit causes the printing apparatus to print each of the plurality of image portions obtained by the division by the dividing unit such that a short side of each of the plurality of image portions coincides with a short side of the print sheet.

7. A print control apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising

an obtaining unit configured to obtain a length of a short side of the print sheet,

wherein the dividing unit performs the division based on the length of the short side of the print sheet obtained by the obtaining unit.

8. A print control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a calculation unit configured to calculate the number of segments by which the enlarged image is divided in a short-side direction of the enlarged image based on a length of a short side of the finish size and the length of the short side of the print sheet obtained by the obtaining unit;

wherein the dividing unit divides the enlarged image based on the number of segments calculated by the calculation unit.

9. A print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit causes an external printing apparatus connected to the print control apparatus to print each of the plurality of image portions.

10. A print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit causes a printing apparatus included in the print control apparatus to print each of the plurality of image portions.

11. A print control method for causing a printing apparatus to print on a print sheet each of a plurality of image portions obtained by dividing an image to be printed, the print control method comprising:

a generation step of generating an enlarged image by enlarging the image to be printed based on a finish size corresponding to a size resulting from bonding together a plurality of print sheets having the plurality of image portions printed thereon; and

a print control step of causing the printing apparatus to print each of the plurality of image portions on the print sheet such that the enlarged image generated in the generation step is divided in a short-side direction of the enlarged image based on a number of segments obtained based on a length of a short side of the finish size and a length of a short side of the print sheet and such that a short side of each of the plurality of image portions obtained by the division coincides with a short side of the print sheet.

12. A print control method according to claim 11, further comprising a selection step of selecting from having the entire image to be printed set in the finish size and having the image to be printed extend out from the finish size in a case where an aspect ratio of the image to be printed is different from an aspect ratio of the finish size,

wherein in the generation step, a scaling factor by which the image to be printed is enlarged is varied, depending on a result of the selection in the selection step.

13. A print control method according to claim 11, wherein the print sheet is continuous paper, and the short side of the print sheet is equal to a width of the continuous paper.

14. A print control method according to claim 11, wherein the finish size is specified by a user.

15. A print control method according to claim 11, wherein the generation step and the print control step are performed by a printer driver.

16. A print control method according to claim 11, further comprising

a dividing step of dividing the enlarged image in a short-side direction of the enlarged image based on a number of segments obtained based on a length of a short side of the finish size and a length of a short side of the print sheet,

wherein in the print control step, the printing apparatus is caused to print each of the plurality of image portions obtained by the division in the dividing step such that a short side of each of the plurality of image portions coincides with a short side of the print sheet.

17. A print control method according to claim 16, further comprising

an obtaining step of obtaining a length of a short side of the print sheet,

wherein in the dividing step, the division is performed based on the length of the short side of the print sheet obtained in the obtaining step.

18. A print control method according to claim 17, further comprising

a calculation step of calculating the number of segments by which the enlarged image is divided in a short-side direction of the enlarged image based on a length of a short side of the finish size and the length of the short side of the print sheet obtained in the obtaining step,

wherein in the dividing step, the enlarged image is divided based on the number of segments calculated in the calculation step.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform the print control method according to claim 11.