Printer driver extension and related method

1. A method of customizing a standard user interface associated with a universal printer driver comprising the steps of:

associating each item of a first plurality of items of a standard user interface data structure associated with the universal printer driver with a respective first object of a first plurality of first objects, each first object of the first plurality of first objects communicating with the universal printer driver and each first object of the first plurality of first objects having a first object interface through which it communicates with a respective item of the first plurality of items;

associating each item of a second plurality of items of a customized user interface with a respective second object of a second plurality of second objects, each second object of the second plurality of second objects having a second object interface through which it communicates with a respective item of the second plurality of items;

linking a first identifier of each respective first object of the first plurality of first objects to a second identifier of each respective second object of the second plurality of second objects through a software interface, the software interface facilitating communication between each respective first and second object that are linked together by linking the first object interface of the respective first object to the second object interface of the respective second object;

setting a parameter of each respective item of the first plurality of items of the standard user interface data structure to a value that hides each respective item of the first plurality of items of the standard user interface data structure from view of a user;

replacing the standard user interface with the customized user interface;

displaying only the customized user interface while hiding the standard user interface from the view of the user; and

enabling each item of the second plurality of items to communicate with the universal printer driver through the customized user interface by accessing each respective first object of the first plurality of first objects through the respective second object to which it is linked.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying comprises accessing a definition file, the definition file comprising information related to the customized user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the information related to the customized user interface comprises at least one additional item compatible with the standard user interface structure.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of filtering at least one item of the standard user interface data structure based upon whether the at least one item is supported by a printer selected by the user prior to the displaying step.

5. The method of 4 wherein the filtering step comprises writing to a file, the file comprising data related to a state of at least one constant, the state of the at least one constant being determinative of inclusion in the standard user interface data structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of extending a rendering capability of the universal printer driver by associating object type information with a banding bitmap of the universal printer driver, the banding bitmap for use in rendering image information, wherein the step of extending the rendering capability of the universal printer driver includes:

generating a tagging bitmap, the tagging bitmap having substantially similar boundaries as the banding bitmap of the universal printer driver;

intercepting a drawing call to the banding bitmap, the drawing call comprising a drawing function and an object type related to the drawing function;

storing the object type associated with the drawing call in the tagging bitmap;

performing error correction of the object type stored in the tagging bitmap; and

incorporating the object type stored in the tagging bitmap with the image information of the banding bitmap to render a final output.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising a step of preprocessing the image information of the banding bitmap by alpha-blending a watermark image with the image information.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of performing error correction comprises performing error correction related to raster operation functions.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of storing comprises storing information related to a half-tone filter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the information related to the half-tone filter comprises information determinative of the half-tone filter to apply to the image information on a pixel by pixel basis.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of storing comprises storing information related to color management.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the color management relates to converting from an input color space to an output color space on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the color management relates to black-generation.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the object type stored in the tagging bitmap facilitates white space skipping.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein the object type stored in the tagging bitmap facilitates transition determination.

16. Computer software, residing on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising a set of instructions that cause a computer to customize a standard user interface associated with a universal printer driver by:

associating each item of a first plurality of items of a standard user interface data structure associated with the universal printer driver with a respective first object of a first plurality of first objects, each first object of the first plurality of first objects communicating with the universal printer driver and each first object of the first plurality of first objects having a first object interface through which it communicates with a respective item of the first plurality of items;

associating each item of a second plurality of items of a customized user interface with a respective second object of a second plurality of second objects, each second object of the second plurality of second objects having a second object interface through which it communicates with a respective item of the second plurality of items;

linking a first identifier of each respective first object of the first plurality of first objects to a second identifier of each respective second object of the second plurality of second objects through a software interface, the software interface facilitating communication between each respective first and second object that are linked together by linking the first object interface of the respective first object to the second object interface of the respective second object;

setting a parameter of each respective item of the first plurality of items of the standard user interface data structure to a value that hides each respective item of the first plurality of items of the standard user interface data structure from view of a user;

replacing the standard user interface with the customized user interface; and

displaying only the customized user interface while hiding the standard user interface from the view of the user; and

enabling each item of the second plurality of items to communicate with the universal printer driver through the customized user interface by accessing each respective first object of the first plurality of first objects through the respective second object to which it is linked.

17. The computer software of claim 16 , wherein the set of instructions further cause the computer to customize the standard interface associated with the universal printer driver by extending a rendering capability of the universal printer driver by associating object type information with a banding bitmap of the universal printer driver, the banding bitmap for use in rendering image information, wherein extending the rendering capability of the universal printer driver includes:

generating a tagging bitmap, the tagging bitmap having substantially similar boundaries as the banding bitmap of the universal printer driver;

intercepting a drawing call to the banding bitmap, the drawing call comprising a drawing function and an object type related to the drawing function;

storing the object type associated with the drawing call in the tagging bitmap;

performing error correction of the object type stored in the tagging bitmap; and

incorporating the object type stored in the tagging bitmap with the image information of the banding bitmap to render a final output.