Method and system for minimizing the amount of paper utilized by a network printer

#The present invention relates to network printer output and more specifically to a method and system for reducing the amount of paper usage when multiple users are printing to one or more network printers.

#Many offices typically have several or a large number of computers linked to one or more network printers. When multiple users of these computers print documents to one or more of the network printers, typically a printer banner page must be printed for each individual print job in order to identify the owner of each set of document output pages. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating print jobs 12a-12c which have been printed by a network printer 10, the first page 14a-14c of each print job 12a-12c comprising a separate banner page 14a-14c and output pages 15a-15c which contain the text of the desired documents. FIG. 2 illustrates a print job 12 which includes a banner page 14 and an output page 15. The banner 14 also serves as a separator between individual print jobs. The banner page 14 typically contains text identifying the owner of the document. The banner page may also be printed on paper of varying single colors. If the paper is of a different color than the output text pages, typically the banner paper will be loaded in a separate print tray of the printer.

#The use of separate banner sheets of paper results in a waste of paper, since each sheet of banner paper is typically used only as an identification and sorting mechanism and is then discarded. This problem has been addressed partially by U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,279 ('279 patent), dated May 31, 1994, and assigned to Xerox Corporation. The '279 patent describes a system whereby banner pages may be perforated in order to separate the banner portion from the output or text portion of the page. However, in this system there is still difficulty in identifying one print job from another due to the lack of contrast between the pages. Hence, the separation of one print job from another may not be readily apparent. Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for identifying different users' output from a network printer without having to print separate banner sheets of paper, thereby resulting in less paper waste as well as direct savings on paper purchases. In addition, there should be a clear indication that a new print job has been delivered. The present invention addresses such a need.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating print jobs which have been printed by a network printer, the first page of each print job consisting of a separate banner page.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a print job that includes a banner page and an output page.

#FIG. 3 is an illustrative embodiment of a first page of a print job in accordance with the present invention.

#The present invention relates to network printer output and more specifically to a method and system for reducing the amount of paper usage when multiple users are printing to one or more network printers. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.

#In a method and system in accordance with the present invention, a perforation is added to a two-toned page (i.e., a sheet of paper of two colors or of one color and white) of the print job, such that the two-toned sheet of paper can be separated into first and second sections. The banner text can then be placed on a section of the paper which is one color to identify the recipient of the print job, and the other section of the two-toned paper which is a second color can contain the output page of the print job. The remaining pages of the print job would be in a conventional manner/can be provided thereafter.

#By utilizing two-toned sheets of paper, new or modified printing hardware is not needed. Only the software printer driver may need to be modified. It would also be possible to print the last two-toned page that contains the banner text in a different orientation than the output text of the print job. In so doing, less paper is wasted resulting in savings in direct purchases of the paper. To more particularly describe the present invention in the context of a specific embodiment, refer now to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying figures.