Abstract: A method of providing machine usage data to a computer for a given user by setting the machine for transmission of the machine usage data to the computer and transmitting the machine usage data to the computer for various levels of usage. The computer converts the machine usage data into a format compatible for the given user, for example, converting to a generic ASCII type file format or to an MS Excel format.

Abstract: A printing system for producing prints, with each print including an image represented by image data, is provided. The printing system includes a memory for storing and buffering the image data of a selected print and an image output terminal, communicating with the memory, for printing the image of the selected print on a substrate. The printing system further includes marking software, operatively associated with the image output terminal, for determining a value for the maximum amount of memory to be used in printing selected ones of the prints, and a resource manager, communicating with the marking software and the memory, for managing the memory. In practice, the resource manager receives the value from the marking software and the substrate is fed to the image output terminal when the resource manager determines that the value corresponds with a selected amount of available memory space and that an additional predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A method of printing a job to produce a set of prints in a printing system with a print file, the print file being divided into a first buffer and a second buffer where the print file communicates with a marker. The marker employs a set of a first type of print-related information and a set of a second type of print-related information for producing the set of prints. The method includes the step of filling the first buffer with a first portion of the set of the first type of print-related information and the second buffer with the a first portion of the set of the second type of print-related information. The method further includes the step of reading, with the marker, the first portion of the set of the first type of print-related information from the first buffer and the first portion of the set of the second type of print-related information from the second buffer.