Patent ID: 6471314
Filing Date: 2002-10-29
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing control method comprising:a first step of creating, based on a printing object containing a document and/or an image, printing data composed of a character printing command providing an instruction for printing each of characters making up said document and/or a graphics drawing command providing an instruction for drawing a straight line and/or a curve making up said image and of calculating an amount of each of two or more kinds of printing agents each having a different color predicted to be consumed to do printing on a printing medium based on said printing data, and a second step of doing printing on said printing medium based on said printing data when a measured residual amount of each of said two or more kinds of said printing agents each having said different color is larger than an amount of each of said two or more kinds of said printing agents each having said different color predicted to be consumed to do printing and of providing, if said measured residual amount of each of said two or more kinds of said printing agents each having said different color is smaller than said amount of each of said two or more kinds of said printing agents each having said different color predicted to be consumed to do printing, a notification about this condition.