Printing system, print preview method, and preview method using a printer driver

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a memory and at least one processor;
• a driver;
• a print processor;
• and
• a previewer,
• wherein an application requests a graphics device interface to initialize the driver and return a resolution,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the request to initialize the driver initializes the driver and requests printer information of the driver,
• wherein the driver in response to the request for printer information returns the printer information depending on a print resolution to the application when a flag indicating initialization for previewing is not set,
• wherein the application in response to the return of the print information depending on the print resolution creates print data based on the print resolution and outputs the created print data to the graphics device interface,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the output print data spools the print data according to a standard spool file format and requests the print processor to start printing,
• wherein the print processor in response to the request to start the printing, when previewing is necessary, sets the flag indicating initialization for previewing and requests the graphics device interface to initialize the driver and return the resolution,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the request to initialize the driver initializes the driver and requests printer information of the driver,
• wherein the driver in response to the request for the printer information returns the printer information depending on a preview resolution to the print processor when the flag indicating initialization for previewing is set,
• wherein the print processor in response to the print information depending on the preview resolution requests the graphics device interface to output print data based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the request to output the print data based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution performs coordinate transformation based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution on the print data created and spooled based on the printer information of the print resolution, and outputs the transformed print data to the driver,
• wherein the driver in response to the output transformed print data rasterizes the transformed print data and stores the rasterized print data into a preview file, and
• wherein the previewer previews the print data in the preview file.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program module, the program module comprising:

• a driver;
• a print processor;
• and
• a previewer,
• wherein an application requests a graphics device interface to initialize the driver and to return a resolution,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the request to initialize the driver initializes the driver and requests printer information of the driver,
• wherein the driver in response to the request for printer information returns the printer information depending on a print resolution to the application when a flag indicating initialization for previewing is not set,
• wherein the application in response to the return of the print information depending on the print resolution creates print data based on the print resolution and outputs the created print data to the graphics device interface,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the output print data spools the print data according to a standard spool file format and requests the print processor to start printing,
• wherein the print processor in response to the request to start the printing, when previewing is necessary, sets the flag indicating initialization for previewing and requests the graphics device interface to initialize the driver and return the resolution,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the request to initialize the driver initializes the driver and requests printer information of the driver,
• wherein the driver in response to the request for the printer information returns the printer information depending on a preview resolution to the print processor when the flag indicating initialization for previewing is set,
• wherein the print processor in response to the print information depending on the preview resolution requests the graphics device interface to output print data based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the request to output the print data based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution performs coordinate transformation based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution on the print data created and spooled based on the printer information of the print resolution, and outputs the transformed print data to the driver,
• wherein the driver in response to the output transformed print data rasterizes the transformed print data and stores the rasterized print data into a preview file, and
• wherein the previewer previews the print data in the preview file.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program module, the program module comprising:

• a driver;
• a print processor;
• and
• a previewer,
• wherein a graphics device interface in response to input of print data spools the print data according to a standard spool file format and requests the print processor to start printing,
• wherein the print processor in response to the request to start the printing, when previewing is necessary, sets a flag indicating initialization for previewing and requests the graphics device interface to initialize the driver and to return a resolution,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the request to initialize the driver initializes the driver and requests printer information to the driver,
• wherein the driver in response to the request for the printer information returns the printer information depending on a preview resolution to the print processor when the flag indicating initialization for previewing is set,
• wherein the print processor in response to the print information depending on the preview resolution requests the graphics device interface to output print data based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution,
• wherein the graphics device interface in response to the request to output the print data based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution performs coordinate transformation based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution on the print data created and spooled based on the printer information of the print resolution, and outputs the transformed print data to the driver,
• wherein the driver in response to the output transformed print data rasterizes the transformed print data and stores the rasterized print data into a preview file, and
• wherein the previewer previews the print data in the preview file.

A preview method executed by an information processing apparatus comprising:

• a processor of the information processing apparatus performing the steps of:
• requesting a graphics device interface from an application to initialize a driver and to return a resolution;
• initializing the driver and requesting printer information of the driver in response to the request to the graphics device interface to initialize the driver;
• returning the printer information depending on a print resolution to the application, in response to the request to the driver for the printer information, when a flag indicating initialization for preview is not set;
• creating print data based on the printer information depending on the print resolution and outputs the created print data to the graphics device interface in response to the return of the printer information to the application;
• spooling the print data according to a standard spool file format and requesting a print processor to start printing in response to the output print data to the graphics device interface;
• setting the flag indicating initialization for previewing when previewing is necessary and requesting the graphics device interface to initialize the driver and to return the resolution in response to the request to the print processor to start the printing;
• initializing the driver and requesting for the printer information in response to the request to the graphics device interface to initialize the driver;
• returning the printer information depending on a preview resolution to the print processor when the flag indicating initialization for previewing is set, in response to the request to the driver for the printer information;
• requesting the graphics device interface to output print data based on the print information depending on the preview resolution in response to the return of the printer information depending on the preview resolution to the print processor;
• performing coordinate transformation based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution on the print data created and spooled based on the printer information depending on the print resolution and outputting the transformed print data to the driver, in response to the request to the graphics device interface to output the print data based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution;
• rasterizing the transformed print data and storing the rasterized print data into a preview file in response to the output transformed print data to the driver;
• and
• previewing the print data in the preview file by a previewer.

A preview method executed by an information processing apparatus comprising:

• a processor of the information processing apparatus performing the steps of:
• spooling print data according to a standard spool file format and requesting a print processor to start printing in response to output of the print data to a graphics device interface;
• setting a flag indicating initialization for previewing when previewing is necessary and requesting the graphics device interface to initialize a driver and to return a resolution in response to the request to the print processor to start the printing;
• initializing the driver and requesting for printer information in response to the request to the graphics device interface to initialize the driver;
• returning the printer information depending on a preview resolution to the print processor when the flag indicating initialization for previewing is set, in response to the request to the driver for the printer information;
• requesting the graphics device interface to output print data based on the print information depending on the preview resolution in response to the return of the printer information depending on the preview resolution to the print processor;
• performing coordinate transformation based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution on the print data created and spooled based on the printer information depending on the print resolution and outputting the transformed print data to the driver, in response to the request to the graphics device interface to output the print data based on the printer information depending on the preview resolution;
• rasterizing the transformed print data and storing the rasterized print data into a preview file in response to the output transformed print data to the driver;
• and
• previewing the print data in the preview file by a previewer.