1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printing system for a document writing apparatus (word processors), and particularly to a printing system suitable for printing the content of text data created on a plurality of word processors.
2. Description of the Related Art
In document writing systems using thermal transfer printers or wire dot-matrix printers, it is a general convention to connect one printer to each word processor. When high-speed, high-quality printers, such as laser printers, are used, one printer is connected to a plurality of word processors, in general, because of their ability of short print time, as described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 61-282921 published on Dec. 13, 1986.
A conventional document printing system is described in the catalogue of Japanese word processor model Word Pal 860, manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd., published in 1985. This system allows a laser printer to be connected to two word processors, and performs fast printing using the single laser printer by transferring text data created on the two word processors to the printer alternately.
In the conventional document printing system, each word processor incorporates a controller for converting the text data into dot-matrix print data in a page unit, and the laser printer operates in accordance with the commands from each controller. On this account, even though only one laser printer is required, every word processor needs to have an individual controller, resulting unfavorably in a high system cost as a whole.