TIFF-file data structure for driverless, selectable multi-option TIFF printing

Abstract

A TIFF-file data structure for use by a printer to print a plural-page print job relating to serially-paginated pages, in the context of implementation by the printer of a driverless, page-image-data-independent printing method, where the data structure exists in the form of an otherwise conventional TIFF-file data structure which has been modified by the selective alteration therein of solely at least one of (a) the order, and (b) the orientation, of page printing from a multi-page TIFF file. The subject data structure includes (a) plural, page-specific page-data units, one for each page in a print job, and (b) for each page-data unit, an associated path pointer which, during printing, defines the relative order of specific page-data-unit printing, such path pointers collectively being internally data-constructed to direct a printing operation in a manner whereby not all successively page-numbered page-data units are printed successively in regular serial order.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.