Patent Application
20230254433
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium for performing desired spot color printing with a printing apparatus.
A printing apparatus aiming at expansion in color reproduction region by using an ink generally called a specific color ink of a color such as red, blue, green, and fluorescent pink in addition to basic colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black generally used in printing apparatuses has been developed in recent years. Moreover, a technique called spot color printing configured to express a specific location on a print product with a predetermined specific color ink has been used therein. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-103695 discloses a technique configured to perform printing while replacing information (RGB values) on a specific color with a predetermined specific color in the course of printing.
There is a demand for avoiding the occurrence of an unintended print result in the case of performing the spot color printing.
Given the circumstances, the present invention intends to provide an information processing apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium, which are capable of suppressing the occurrence of an unintended print result.
A storage medium according to the present invention is a storage medium storing a prescribed program, the prescribed program causing a computer to execute: a display controlling step of executing processing to display a first display region to execute printing by using a first color adopting an ordinary color ink being an ink of a process color and a specific color ink being an ink of a color other than the process color, and a second display region being different from the first display region to execute printing by using a second color being different from the first color and adopting at least the specific color ink; and a change controlling step of executing processing to change from setting to print a first print region in a print target image corresponding to first RGB values by using a third color being the process color to setting to print the first print region by using the first color in a case where the first display region is operated, and processing to change from setting to print a second print region in the print target image corresponding to second RGB values by using a fourth color being the process color to setting to print the second print region by using the second color in a case where the second display region is operated.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium, which are capable of suppressing the occurrence of an unintended print result.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
An initialization program is stored in the ROM 112. A group of application programs, an operating system (OS), a printer driver, and other various data are stored in the external storage device 114. The RAM 113 is used, for example, as a work memory in executing various programs stored in the external storage device 114.
In the present embodiment, the CPU 111 implements the after-mentioned functions of the host computer 101 and processing concerning the after-mentioned flowcharts by carrying out processing in accordance with procedures of programs stored in the ROM 112. A printing apparatus (an image output apparatus) 102 is connected to the host computer 101 through the input-output interface 116. Here, the host computer 101 and the printing apparatus 102 are separately provided. However, the host computer 101 and the printing apparatus 102 may be integrated together as a single information processing apparatus. Although the description will be given below of an example in which the printing apparatus 102 is an ink jet printer which carries out printing by ejecting inks onto a sheet surface. However, the printing apparatus 102 may execute the printing in accordance with other methods (such as an electrophotographic method). Meanwhile, the CPU 111 may carry out print control of the printing apparatus 102.
In the present embodiment, the description will be given of an ink jet printer configured to carry out printing by using a color material of a special color at a specific location (hereinafter referred to as spot color printing) as an example. Moreover, the present embodiment will describe a large-format ink jet printer capable of printing on a print medium in a large size such as AO and BO sizes as an example of the printing apparatus. In the meantime, the host computer 101 may be any of a desktop personal computer, a smartphone, and a notebook personal computer.
Upon receipt of a request for displaying a print setting screen from the application 202, the OS printing system requests the printer driver 203 (a color information creation unit) to display a print setting screen, and the printer driver 203 displays the print setting screen on a user interface unit 204. Although the print setting screen will be described later, a paper size, a paper type, and the like can be designated on the print setting screen and the spot color printing can also be designated thereon.
The printer driver 203 provides a software development kit (SDK) I/F 206. The use of the SDK I/F 206 enables execution of the print setting on the application 202 without opening the print setting screen of the printer driver 203. Moreover, the printer driver 203 can obtain information on the printing apparatus 102 by using an information obtaining unit 207. Based on the information obtained from the printing apparatus 102, the printer driver 203 can display setting in conformity to the functions of the printing apparatus 102 on the user interface unit 204 and support the setting by way of the SDK I/F 206.
In response to the print instruction from the application 202, the print data and the print setting in the application 202 are transferred to a graphics processing unit 205 of the printer driver 203 through the OS printing system. The graphics processing unit 205 converts these data into a data format interpretable by the printing apparatus 102, and then transmits the converted data to the printing apparatus 102. Thereafter, the inks are ejected from a print head of the printing apparatus 102 and an image is formed on a print medium fed to the printing apparatus 102. Here, in the case of setting the spot color printing, the special color ink (hereinafter also referred to as the spot color ink) is ejected to pixels having designated RGB values in the print data subjected to the print setting involving the special color (hereinafter also referred to as the spot color).
Here, a description will be given of an example of the printing apparatus 102, which can perform printing with predetermined six types of colors (special colors) adopting the spot colors by use of the spot color inks in a case where the spot color printing is set by using the printer driver 203. In the case where the spot color printing is set by using the printer driver 203, pixels having specific RGB values corresponding to the set spot color in the print data are printed by using the spot color ink. In the present embodiment, the specific RGB values are allocated to the predetermined six types of colors, respectively. In the present embodiment, the specific RGB values are R=255 (0xFF), G=0 (0x00), and B=255 (0xFF), for example. The pixels having the corresponding RGB values are printed in fluorescent pink, which is one of the special colors, by using the fluorescent pink ink.
Alternatively, the specific RGB values are R=255 (0xFF), G=85 (0x55), and B=0 (0x00), for example. The pixels having the corresponding RGB values are printed in orange, which is another one of the special colors, by using the fluorescent pink ink mixed with the M and Y inks. Here, if an orange ink is available as the spot color ink, for example, then the printing in orange may be carried out by using the orange ink only. In other words, the pixels having the specific RGB values corresponding to the spot color only need to be printed by using at least the spot color ink, and may be printed by using the ink mixed with or not mixed with any of the CMYK inks. Note that the pixels not having the specific RGB values corresponding to the spot color are printed by using the CMYK inks only even in the spot color printing. In the meantime, the spot color printing is executed in the case where the spot color printing is activated by a user operation. In other words, if the spot color print setting is not activated, then the pixels having the specific RGB values corresponding to the spot color are also printed by using the CMYK inks only with reference to the RGB values as usual.
Specifically, in the case where the printer driver 203 activates the print setting of the fluorescent pink spot color and the RGB values of the pixels included in the transmitted print data are R=255, G=0, and B=255, the printing apparatus 102 can perform the spot color printing of florescent pink. The same applies to other spot colors. Specifically, in the case where the printer driver 203 activates the print setting of each spot color and the RGB values of the pixels included in the transmitted print data have the RGB values corresponding to each spot color, the printing apparatus 102 can perform the corresponding spot color printing. On the other hand, the spot color printing is infeasible in the case where the pixels having the above-mentioned specific RGB values corresponding to the spot color printing are not included in the print data although the printer driver 203 activates the spot color print setting. In the case where the spot color printing is infeasible, an error (a warning) is notified in the present embodiment.
In the case of performing the spot color printing, the user selects the spot color to be used by way of the print setting of the printer driver 203 to begin with. Then, the user creates a content on the application 202, and designates RGB data values corresponding to the use of the above-mentioned spot color ink to characters or graphic image data that the user would like to print by using the spot color ink.
The poster data creation application 314 (a print data creation unit) displays the print data in an editable manner. The toolbar buttons 300 enable selection of functions such as cancellation and redoing of an editing operation, creation of a text object, creation of a graphic object, creation of a print data object, change of a display magnification, display of help for the application, and selection of an object. The print data display region 301 is a region to display print data created by the user. The print data editing region (an image editing screen) 302 is a region that enables the user to select an arbitrary object, to move the selected object, and to edit the print data by using the pointing device 117. The object selecting frame 303 is a dashed-line display frame that shows the user that a certain object is selected in the case where the user selects the certain object.
In
In the present embodiment, a data creation color space of the application 202 and a color space of the print data created by a rendering engine of the printer driver 203 are defined as sRGB color spaces that stand for standard RGB color spaces. Moreover, an effect of color matching processing is assumed to be negligible for the purpose of simplifying the explanation. Meanwhile, the data creation color space of the application 202 and a color space of the print data created by a rendering engine of the OS printing system are also defined as the sRGB color spaces that stand for the standard RGB color spaces. Here, the effect of the color matching processing is assumed to be negligible for the purpose of simplifying the explanation.
In other words, the RGB values expressed on the application 202 are assumed to coincide with the RGB values of the pixels included in the print data created by the rendering engine of either the printer driver 203 or the OS printing system. Accordingly, in the case of setting the RGB values R=255, G=0, and B=255 to the spot color as the print setting of the printer driver 203, the print data having the aforementioned RGB values becomes the data to be printed in the fluorescent pink spot color. The following description will be given on the assumption that the RGB values of other image objects displayed in the print data editing region 302 have the RGB values other than the aforementioned values. In the case of carrying out the color matching, the color values obtained after converting the special color before the conversion in the color space may be treated as those of the special color.
In the control item 310, a print queue for the printing apparatus 102 registered with the OS printing system in advance can be selected from a list. The print button 311 is a button to be selected by the user in the case of printing the print data displayed in the print data editing region 302 with the printer. The print setting button 312 is a button for opening a print setting detail screen. Here, a print setting screen corresponding to the print queue designated with the control item 310 is opened. The end button 313 is an end button to be selected by the user in the case of terminating the poster data creation application.
Back to the explanation of
Here, it has been a general practice to set the arbitrary RGB values and to designate the spot color so as to correspond to the set RGB values, thereby printing the set RGB values in the arbitrary spot color. However, the user cannot visually check the multiple spot colors that the user can designate. For this reason, the user can hardly recognize which RGB values correspond to the spot color, and this situation may lead to the occurrence of an unintended print result.
On the other hand, the present embodiment enables the visual check of the multiple spot colors that can be designated on a spot color setting screen, so that the user can designate the spot color while visually checking the multiple spot colors. Now, a description will be given of a method of designating a spot color in the present embodiment.
The RGB values corresponding to the predetermined spot colors, display color items 404 based on the RGB values, and check boxes 403 used for setting whether or not to print the RGB values as the spot color are displayed on the spot color setting screen 402. In other words, each check box 403 is an item to accept selection as to whether or not it is appropriate to activate the spot color printing to print the pixels having the RGB values corresponding to the spot color in the spot color. Here, in the case where the spot color printing is not activated, the pixels having the RGB values corresponding to the spot color are printed in a color which is not the spot color. In this context, this item can also be regarded as the item for accepting a setting as to whether it is appropriate to print the pixels having the specific RGB values in the spot color or to print these pixels in a color different from the spot color. In the meantime, this item can also be regarded as the item for accepting a setting as to whether it is appropriate to print these pixels by using the spot color ink or to print these pixels by using the ordinary inks such as the CMYK inks and without using the spot color ink. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the check boxes 403 are provided for the multiple spot colors, respectively. This makes it possible to set activation and inactivation of the spot color printing depending on each of the spot colors. Accordingly, the check boxes 403 include an item to accept selection as to whether or not it is appropriate to activate the spot color printing (fluorescent pink spot color printing) to print the pixels having the RGB values corresponding to fluorescent pink in fluorescent pink, for example. Meanwhile, the check boxes 403 include an item to accept selection as to whether or not it is appropriate to activate the spot color printing (orange spot color printing) to print the pixels having the RGB values corresponding to orange in orange, for example. By employing this spot color setting screen 402, the user can select the color to be used as the spot color while visually checking the multiple spot colors that the user can designate. Moreover, since the separate check boxes are provided, it is possible to perform the setting in such a way as to activate the fluorescent pink spot color printing while inactivating the orange spot color printing, for example.
Thereafter, in the case where the setting screen of the printer driver 203 is closed by using an OK button 405, the setting is transmitted to the application 202. Then, in the case where the printing is instructed by the application 202, the printing apparatus 102 performs the printing by using the fluorescent pink spot color ink on the condition that the corresponding RGB values (R=255, G=0, and B=255) are included in the print data created by the printer driver 203. In the case where the check box 403 is turned off on the spot color setting screen 402, the printing apparatus 102 does not use the spot color ink even if the corresponding RGB values (R=255, G=0, and B=255) are included in the print data created by the printer driver 203. In the latter case, the printing apparatus 102 forms an image at a portion having the corresponding RGB values by expressing the RGB values with process color inks such as the CMYK inks.
For example, in the case of printing the values R=255, G=0, and B=255 as fluorescent pink as shown in
The present embodiment shows the example of printing each of the corresponding RGB values in a fluorescent spot color by using the fluorescent pink ink. Instead, spot colors using other special color inks such as silver and gold may be allocated to arbitrary RGB values. The printer driver 203 retains information on the designated RGB values, the display RGB values, and the corresponding commands which correspond to these spot colors.
Note that the setting concerning the spot color is not limited only to the above-described method. For example, the image output apparatus 102 first displays an item on the printer driver 203 for accepting the setting as to whether or not it is appropriate to activate the spot color printing. Then, the setting as to whether or not it is appropriate to activate the spot color printing of each color may be accepted on the screen shown in
In the case where the print data creation processing is started, the graphics processing unit 205 creates a command for printing the RGB values selected on the spot color setting screen 402 as the spot color by the control of the CPU 111 in S601. Thereafter, in S602, the graphics processing unit 205 adds the command designating the spot color to the print data obtained by converting the image to be printed into the format interpretable by the printing apparatus 102 by the control of the CPU 111, and transmits the print data to the printing apparatus 102. In other words, the CPU 111 transmits special color information to the printing apparatus 102. In this instance, the graphics processing unit 205 adds the command corresponding to the set spot color described in
As described above, in the present embodiment, the multiple spot colors that can be designated are displayed on the spot color setting screen. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, screens do not have to be switched in the case of designating the multiple spot colors, and it is easier to recognize which RGB values are set to the spot color. As a consequence, it is possible to realize an information processing apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium, which are capable of suppressing the occurrence of an unintended print result.
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the basic configuration of the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Accordingly, characteristic structures of the present embodiment will be described below.
The poster data creation application 315 of the present embodiment includes a check box 801 and a pallet 802 of the spot colors so as to enable selection and setting of the spot color on the poster data creation application 315.
In the case where the spot color display processing of the present embodiment is started, the poster data creation application 315 accesses the SDK I/F 206 of the printer driver 203 for the printer selected by using the control item 310 by the control of the CPU 111 in S901. Then, the poster data creation application 315 (the application 202) obtains the information on the spot colors compatible with (supported by) the printer driver 203. In this instance, the printer driver 203 returns the information on all the compatible spot colors to the poster data creation application 315 (the application 202) as shown in
Thereafter, based on the information on the printing apparatus 102 and the like obtained by the information obtaining unit 207, the poster data creation application 315 determines whether or not the spot colors that can be designated are included in the obtained information on the spot colors by the control of the CPU 111 in S902. In the case where there are the spot colors that can be designated, the processing goes to S903 to display the check box 801 to set on and off of the spot color and to display the pallet 802 of the settable spot colors, and then the processing is terminated. On the other hand, in the case where there are no colors that can be designated in the information obtained in S902, the processing goes to S904 to terminate the processing without displaying the check box 801 to set on and off of the spot color or displaying the pallet 802 of the settable spot colors.
Then, in the case where the user designates the spot color, the user selects an object that the user wishes to print in the spot color on the poster data creation application 315. In
Then, the poster data creation application 315 accesses the SDK I/F 206 of the printer driver 203, and sets the color having the values R=255, G=0, and B=255 in the printer driver 203 as the spot color. In this instance, the printer driver 203 sets the color having the values R=255, G=0, and B=255 to an on-state as the spot color in S1002 as shown in
Thereafter, in the case where the user presses the print button 311 (see
Here, the color to be expressed as the spot color on the screen in
Meanwhile, in the case of setting the spot color off in the spot color check box 801, the colors in the object 303 and the color 306 are displayed by using the designated RGB values instead of the display RGB values.
As described above, the multiple spot colors that can be designated are displayed on the data creation application. In this way, it is possible to realize an information processing apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium, which are capable of suppressing the occurrence of an unintended print result.
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the basic configuration of the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Accordingly, characteristic structures of the present embodiment will be described below.
In the first embodiment, the printer driver 203 includes the data shown in
The print setting dialog 1102 includes an obtain information button 1100 for obtaining the information on the spot colors from the printing apparatus 102. Now, the spot color information update processing of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart of
The spot color information update processing is started in the case where the obtain information button 1100 is pressed by the user. In 51201, the information obtaining unit 207 of the printer driver 203 obtains the information on the spot colors as shown in
In the case of rewriting the internal data by the control of the CPU 111 in S1203, the printer driver 203 displays a new spot color setting screen 1101 based on the rewritten data (such as the data shown in
Meanwhile, after updating the internal data with the information on the spot colors obtained from the printing apparatus 102, the printer driver 203 also updates the values of the spot colors returned to the application 202 by the SDK I/F 206 with the data shown in
Here, the multiple spot colors available for the printing with the printing apparatus 102 have degrees of clearness that are different from one another. Accordingly, priorities defined in such a way as to rank a clearer spot color that commands attraction higher may be added to the information obtained from the printing apparatus 102 and to the information returned from the SDK I/F 206 to the application. Then, a spot color setting screen 901 of the printer driver 203 and the order to line up options of the spot colors of the application 202 may be changed based on the priorities.
As described above, the spot color setting screen is displayed by obtaining the information on the spot colors from the printing apparatus by using the information obtaining unit of the printer driver. Thus, it is possible to realize an information processing apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium, which are capable of suppressing the occurrence of an unintended print result. Moreover, by obtaining the information on the spot colors from the printing apparatus, it is possible to perform the printing in the spot color appropriately even in a case where the printing apparatus carries new spot colors. On the other hand, even in a case where the printing apparatus is no longer compatible with the spot color printing, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an unintended print result by allowing the user to disable the spot color setting.
Embodiment(s) of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-019318 filed Feb. 9, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference wherein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-019318 | Feb 2021 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17591742 | Feb 2022 | US |
| Child | 18134717 | US |
