Abstract: System and methods for efficient sheet map loading for print jobs. In one embodiment, a preflight system processes a print job to build a first sheet mapping for rasterizing and printing the print job, and stores the first sheet mapping. A job controller determines an estimate time to load the first sheet mapping from the memory using job properties as input to estimator logic. In response to determining that the estimate time for loading the first sheet mapping from the memory is shorter than a time threshold, the first sheet mapping is loaded from memory, and provided for rasterizing and printing. Otherwise, if the estimate time is longer than the time threshold, the job controller builds a second sheet mapping, and provides the second sheet mapping in increments for the rasterizing and the printing of the print job as the building of the second sheet mapping is in progress.