Printer, printer controller, and image input/output apparatus and method of printing

Abstract

A printer includes an intermediate code preparation section that converts print data into intermediate codes for each band, and the thus-converted intermediate code is stored in memory. The intermediate code is expanded to bit-map data, and the bit-map data are transferred to a print engine. An expansion time measurement section measures the time required for expanding the intermediate code for each band. A comparison-and-determination section determines, for each band, whether or not the time required for expanding the intermediate code into the bit-map data exceeds a threshold value, thereby preparing a band management table. With regard to only the bands which exceed a threshold value, an expansion management table is prepared by copying the band management table. The expansion management table is converted into a sorted expansion management table in which bands are sorted in descending order of expansion time. Intermediate codes for the bands are expanded beforehand into bit-map data in descending order from a higher band to a lower order band in the sorted expansion management table, so long as memory for expansion is reserved.