Abstract: In a print control method, a print request is made designating a physical or logical printer which is to perform printing, and when the designated physical or logical printer is printing, the print request is automatically switched to a physical or logical printer other than the designated printer. A system includes a printer, a data processing apparatus, a data transmitting apparatus and a print control apparatus for implementing the print control method, a printing system using these apparatues, and a recording medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute such print control. For printing, a table showing whether physical or logical printers which can accept a print request are operating or not, is referred to in order to judge operating statuses of the printer, and a print request is made automatically selecting a physical or logical printer which is “unoccupied.

Abstract: On the side of a microcomputer for creating image data, a unique code for showing the page alignment is added to the created image data, and on the printer device side, the unique code is detected independently from the ordinary data analysis. The unique code is constituted by a sequence of a predetermined number or more of identical data of one or more bytes. Based on the results of detection of the unique code, page control and recovery process are executed.

Abstract: The invention provides a print control method in which a print request is made designating a physical or logical printer which is to perform printing, and when the designated printer is printing, the print request is automatically switched to other printer than the designated printer. The invention also provides a printer, a data processing apparatus, a data transmitting apparatus and a print control apparatus for implementing the print control method, a printing system using these apparatuses, and a recording medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute such print control.

Abstract: In a pen type plotting apparatus, a pen type X-Y recording mechanism is provided for driving a carriage supporting a pen, a recording paper and the pen to their operative positions. The driving operation of the X-Y recording mechanism is controlled by a recording control portion comprising a recording control means which provides a first operational mode for carrying out an ordinary recording operation and a second operational mode for reprinting a predetermined amount of initially recorded patterns for a predetermined number of times, and means for selecting the second operational mode when a recording operation is initiated by turning a power source for the apparatus to on.