Patent ID: 7505179
Filing Date: 2009-03-17
Classification: B42D,H04N

Abstract:
1. A print control apparatus that generates print image data of a particular color space representing a print object document in the form of a plurality of color components into which the document has been separated by performing predetermined processing of document information of the print object document, in order to print the document with a printer using coloring agents of the plurality of color components, the print control apparatus comprising: an identification image controller that controls identification image data given as data of the particular color space representing an identification image in the form of separated color components, to add the identification image data to the print image data without color space conversion being performed when the printer prints the document in which the identification image is composed; a plurality of printer drivers; and a decomposer, wherein the identification image comprises an embedding image including only one particular color component from among the plurality of color components, and an embedded image including color components from the plurality of color components other than the particular color component, the embedding image and the embedded image are formed to be superposed on each other, the embedded image is processed in advance so that visual identification of the embedding image is difficult under visible light when the embedding image and the embedded image are printed, the predetermined processing comprises first processing that converts document information of the print object document into intermediate print data described in a page description language by the printer driver, and second processing that expands the intermediate print data into the print image data by the decomposer, the plurality of printer drivers includes a plurality of types of printer drivers, each performing different processing within the first processing, the plurality of types of printer drivers further includes a particular printer driver which can perform printing without once converting print object data of the particular color space into data of another color space, the particular printer driver has a first print mode that performs printing without once converting print object data of the particular color space into data of another color space, and a second print mode that performs printing with once converting print object data of the particular color space into data of another color space, the identification image controller executes control causing the particular printer driver to perform the first processing in the first print mode for the document information to which the identification image data is added, the second processing includes a first print mode that performs printing without once converting print object data of the particular color space included in the intermediate print data into data of another color space, and a second print mode that performs printing with once converting print object data of particular color space into data of another color space, print mode specifying information, for specifying the print mode in the second processing, is set by the printer drivers in the intermediate print data, and the identification image controller adds the identification image data to the intermediate print data and rewrites the print mode specifying information as information specifying the first print mode, when an instruction for printing the document with the identification image composed thereon is given.