Abstract: A print control method and system for use with a printer which includes means for setting a printing magnification therefor and is capable of printing print data with the set magnification. In this method and system, print data of the same printing magnification as set in the other data which have a magnification or magnifications different from that set in the printer. After completion of printing of the print data of the same magnification, the printer is permitted to start printing with another magnification. According to necessity, time limit may be introduced in the preferential printing of the data of the same magnification. In this case, the set of the magnification in the printer may compulsively be changed after lapse of time limit to equalize the printing priority of the data.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for controlling a duplex page printer, which performs a printing operation in such a manner that printing data is converting into dot patterns, and dot patterns for a plurality of pages are stored in a full-dot memory and then read out from the memory to be printed on the pages, are disclosed. According to the method and apparatus, in order to storing dot patterns in the memory while performing a printing operation, when printing data for both surface of the first sheet of paper is converted into dot patterns and the dot patterns are stored in the memory, a printing operation is stored, and printing data for the following sheets of paper is converted into dot patterns at the same time as the printing operation is performed. Further, each time two storage areas of the memory, each of which corresponds to one page, become empty, dot patterns for one of the remaining sheets of paper are stored in two empty storage areas.

Abstract: A print control apparatus includes a page memory and a format memory respectively for receiving and storing a plurality of page data items and a plurality of format data entries which are supplied from a host computer, and is adapted to expand the corresponding page data and format data stored in the memories into dot data to perform overlay operation to thereby output the print data to a printer. The format memory is divided into a plurality of blocks, and the in-use and unused states of each of the blocks are controlled by a control table. The format data is prefetched into blocks in a free state detected by the control table, to thereby prevent the printing operation from being interrupted in case of changing the format data.

Abstract: In order that print data edited by a host computer may be printed out by means of a printer having a shorter printing width than the length of the character line thereof, the edited print data is converted into a print pattern in an arrangement which is rotated by 90 degrees. This conversion is conducted by determining the coordinate positions of dots when the edited data is converted into a print pattern without being rotated, by rotating the coordinate positions by 90 degrees to determine the addresses of the rotated coordinate positions, and by writing these positions in the addresses of a page memory for writing the print pattern for one page. The print pattern is read in the order of the addresses out of the page memory and is fed to a printer.

Abstract: A printer control device reading out printing data and format data stored separately from each other for superposing these data to send these data to a printer in a superposed state is disclosed. An identifier indicating a position where printing data is to be superposed on format data is contained in the format data in order to superpose the printing data on the format data with a predetermined positional relation therebetween. As soon as the identifier is read out in course of an operation for reading out the format data, the printing data is read out, and the read-out printing data is combined with the format data.

Abstract: A laser beam printer using a film, in which a fixed form of format information such as a ruled line is printed off, and having a format overlay function is disclosed in which a photosensitive drum is line-scanned by a laser beam having been modulated in accordance with print information and having passed through the film, the film is moved in synchronism with the rotation of the photosensitive drum, and thus a latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum in a manner that the format information in the film is superposed on the print information for modulating the laser beam.

Abstract: A control system for controlling a laser beam printer in which a light-sensitive drum surface is scanned on a line base with a laser beam modulated in accordance with data to be printed. The width of scanning lines is broadened so that the adjacent scanning lines are partially superposed each other at those portions where both of the adjacent lines are to be irradiated with the laser light beam, while at those portions where at least one of the adjacent lines are not to be irradiated, the scanning line is reduced in width.

Abstract: A laser beam printer in which latent images are produced on a light-sensitive drum through line scanning with a laser beam modulated with print information to be printed. The laser beam is modulated with the information to be printed in such a manner that the light sensitive drum is irradiated with the laser beam except for those portions which are to be printed. The line scanning is effected with the laser beam modulated in accordance with the print information in a non-superposed manner on one hand and on the other hand with the laser beam which is modulated by information synthesized from the printing information for every two adjacent line scanning so that these two adjacent line scannings are partially covered by the line scanning based on the synthesized information.