JPH01165443A - printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the easy and quick locating of a setting position by a method wherein page memories are provided for a plurality of pages, a means for designating test pattern printing being provided, a test pattern showing a setting position on the basis of a predetermined form being developed in a vacant page in the page memories, and printing on a recording paper being effected. CONSTITUTION:When a test switch is pressed down, a vacant bit map memory is selected. Vertical and horizontal ruled lines are developed, and a setting position is marked on a sectioned area over which the vertical and horizontal ruled lines are developed. In a case where a setting position is limited by a top margin and left margin, the setting position is offset in accordance with the limitations by the top and left margins, and characters are developed at intersections between the ruled lines. Therefore, since the line and column of a printing initiation position can be located, when a top margin and left margin need to be provided, the necessary adjustment can be easily effected. In addition, since the development of test patterns and printing thereof is performed at a speed faster than that at which character data and graphic data are actually printed, a printing initiation position can be quickly located.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to printers, and more particularly to a page printer such as a laser printer that can easily and quickly determine the printing position.

With conventional dot printers and thermal printers, you can see the print head and know where to print from on the paper, but with page printers such as laser printers, you cannot tell where the print will start, and you can't tell where to start printing. Even after adjustment, there was a problem in that the only way to know the position of the print head was to actually output characters.

Purpose The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to solve the above-mentioned problems with conventional printers, and to easily and more quickly obtain information than by actually outputting characters. The goal is to provide a printer that can.

Configuration The above-mentioned object of the present invention is to provide a page printer that has a page memory and prints data on paper after expanding data for one page or less into the page memory, in which the page memory is provided for a plurality of pages, and a test pattern is stored in the page printer. A means for specifying printing is provided, and when a specification is received from the specifying means, a test pattern indicating the print position is written in a predetermined format on an empty page of the page memory marked in 1. This is accomplished by a printer that develops and prints on paper.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be explained in more detail based on examples.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printer that is an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a CPU that performs overall control, 2 is a ROM that stores control programs, etc., and RAM as a work memory, and 3 is a data input section that connects the host computer to the Centronics I/F. It has the function of receiving data from. Further, 4 is a page memory for writing characters and image data to be printed, and in this embodiment, it has a memory for two pages.

5 is a control panel consisting of a select switch, a form feed switch, a test switch, etc. Above C
The PUI and control panel 5 constitute a controller. 6 is the printer printing section, which has the function of actually printing images, etc. on paper, and what is the controller?
Connected via video I/F.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the above-mentioned controller. Data received from the data input section 11 is classified into control codes, character data, and image data. The image data is written as is into the bitmap memory by the graphic data development section 13. For character data, a character data expansion section 12 extracts the corresponding font image from RO and M, and expands the image into a bitmap memory. Among the control codes, when a print start command is received (14), the printer print unit 6 is activated and the contents of the bitmap memory are printed (14).
8). Also, when the form feed key on the key input section 15 of the panel is pressed (16), the contents of the bitmap memory are similarly printed (18).

The feature of this embodiment is that when the test switch on the control panel 5 is pressed (]7), a test pattern is developed in an empty bitmap memory in which no image is currently developed (19). ) in particular. The test pattern has a grid shape as shown in FIG. 3, and the interval between vertical ruled lines is equal to the character pitch, and the interval between horizontal ruled lines is equal to the line feed pitch.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation when the test switch is pressed. The characteristic operation of this embodiment will be explained below with reference to FIG.

When the test switch is pressed (step 21), first, in steps 22 to 24, an empty bitmap memory is selected. Next, expand the vertical ruled lines (step 2
5) Next, expand the horizontal ruled lines (step 26).

The position of the print head is marked on the developed grid area (step 27). The position of the print head is
If it is limited by the top margin, left margin, etc.
It is offset by that amount and marked in the shape shown in FIG. 3 (step 28).

Characters are expanded at the intersections of ruled lines.

According to the above embodiment, since it is possible to know which row and which column the printing start position is, when you want to set a top margin, a left margin, etc.
This has the advantage that the adjustment can be easily made. Furthermore, since this test pattern development and printing is much faster than when actually printing character data and graphic data, there is also the effect that the printing start position can be quickly determined.

The test pattern shown in the above embodiment is shown as an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, in a page printer that has a page memory and prints on paper after expanding data for one page or less into the page memory, the page memory can be used to store data for multiple pages. At the same time, means for specifying test pattern printing is provided, and when there is a specification from the specifying means, a printing position is indicated on an empty page in the page memory based on a predetermined format. Since the test pattern is developed and printed on paper, it has the remarkable effect of realizing the following.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a controller of a printer that is an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printer that is an embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a test pattern. , FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment. 1: CPU, 2: ROM and RAM, 3.11=
Data input section, 4: Page memory, 5: Control panel, 6
: Printer printing section, 12: Character data development section, 13 Nigella print data development section, 14: Print start command reception, 1
5: Key power part, 16: Form feed key pressed, 1
7: Test switch pressed, 18: Page memory printing section,
19: Pattern developing section 6 Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a page printer that has a page memory and prints on paper after expanding data for one page or less into the page memory, means for providing the page memory for a plurality of pages and specifying test pattern printing. and when there is a designation from the designation means, a test pattern indicating the printing position is developed on an empty page in the page memory based on a predetermined format and printed on paper. A printer characterized by: