Abstract: A CPU of an image forming apparatus, such as a color electrophotographic copying apparatus, reads print step information from a memory, such as a USB memory, that stores print image data and print step information relating to a plurality of print steps for producing a print of the print image data and a progress state of the print steps. The CPU updates the progress state of the print steps stored in the memory subsequent to the print step being performed by a printer in the image forming apparatus, displays a next print step to perform based on the read print step information, and controls the printer. The image forming apparatus thus avoids leaks of the print data, and prevents useless printing and erratic job processing. Thus, even an inexperienced operator can provide sophisticated high quality print service using the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A printing system which is capable of performing square back processing and preventing occurrence of a new trouble of inadvertently creating a saddle-stitched brochure defective in the appearance of a trimmed edge and/or print appearance, which is unexpected by an operator. A receiving unit receives a job of a first type for creating a saddle-stitched brochure subjected to square back processing and trimming processing or a second type creating a saddle-stitched brochure not subjected to the square back processing but subjected to the trimming processing. A controller controls a trimming position at an end of the sheet bundle for the job and/or an image printing position on a sheet included in the sheet bundle based on whether a job to be processed is of the first type or of the second type.

Abstract: A printing system which is capable of performing square back processing and has a mechanism that makes it possible to prevent occurrence of a new trouble of inadvertently creating a saddle-stitched brochure defective in appearance and/or stackability, which is unexpected by an operator. A printing apparatus receives plural jobs including a saddle-stitch job for creating a saddle-stitched brochure of a predetermined kind. In the saddle-stitch job, saddle-stitch processing and square back processing are carried out. The square back processing is performed by a saddle-stitching machine. The saddle-stitching machine forms a flat surface on the back of a saddle-stitched brochure. A controller permits or inhibits creating the saddle-stitched brochure of the predetermined kind for a job based on whether the job meets a predetermined condition.

Abstract: In order to build a convenient printing environment which can meet various needs associated with double-sided printing (e.g., a reduction of the load on the operator) from users upon double-sided printing and can cope with the POD environment, a user request associated with a double-sided printing job to be executed by a printing system which includes a printing apparatus that can execute a double-sided printing operation is accepted from the user via a user interface unit. When the user request accepted via the user interface unit is a specific user request, the printing apparatus is controlled to execute a series of double-sided printing operations using a function of adjusting a printing position of data to be printed on one of first side and second side of a printing medium in the double-sided printing job to be processed.

Abstract: An image forming system has an image forming apparatus which has a printing unit which can perform a printing process of data of a storage unit which can store data of a plurality of jobs and which has a conveying unit which can convey a sheet from the print unit to a sheet processing device which can perform sheet processing, including at least a gluing process, for sheets from the printing unit, the system comprising: a controller adapted to permit a predetermined process related to the gluing process when the job to be processed is a job which meets a predetermined condition, and to inhibit the predetermined process related to the gluing process when the job to be processed is not a job which meets the predetermined condition, thereby overcoming obstacles to realization of an image forming system capable of a gluing process.

Abstract: A printing system includes a receive controller that enables by using a user interface unit an input of an instruction during performing of first print processing with a print apparatus, and an operation controller that enables the print apparatus to perform check processing before completion of the first print processing in the case where the instruction is input, the check processing being second print processing by using print data which is used in the first print processing, the operation controller enabling the print apparatus to continue the first print processing after the second print processing.

Abstract: A job processing method for a print system (1000) adapted to be able to perform a processing concerning a job to be processed by a print apparatus (100), the method comprising the steps of: enabling (s1207) by using a user interface (204) an input of an instruction for performing both a first operation and a second operation, the first operation being an operation that needs to perform a first print-processing (operation 3 of FIG. 30B) for a first number of sets and needs to perform a first-processing (operation 4 of FIG. 30B), the second operation being an operation that needs to perform a second print-processing (operation 5 of FIG. 30B) for a second number of sets using print data which is used in the first print-processing and does not needs to perform the first-processing, and enabling (s1212) both the first operation and the second operation by using the print apparatus (100) after receiving the instruction.

Abstract: An image forming system has an image forming apparatus which has a printing unit which can perform a printing process of data of a storage unit which can store data of a plurality of jobs and which has a conveying unit which can convey a sheet from the print unit to a sheet processing device which can perform sheet processing, including at least a gluing process, for sheets from the printing unit, the system comprising: a controller adapted to permit a predetermined process related to the gluing process when the job to be processed is a job which meets a predetermined condition, and to inhibit the predetermined process related to the gluing process when the job to be processed is not a job which meets the predetermined condition, thereby overcoming obstacles to realization of an image forming system capable of a gluing process.

Abstract: In a print system constituted so as to enable a supplying of sheets from a printing apparatus to a sheet processing apparatus, wherein the printing apparatus having a print unit that executes a print process of data of a job stored in a storage unit can store data of a plurality of jobs, wherein the sheet processing apparatus having a sheet processing unit that executes a sheet processing operation to sheets of job printed by the printing apparatus, a controller unit allows the print unit to execute a print process of a second job required before a sheet process of the second job in case that a plurality of jobs including the second job after a first job are accepted and in case that a sheet process of the first job required after a print process of the first job is in execution by the sheet processing unit.

Abstract: In the event that the printing operations of a printing job have been interrupted by an interruption cause, and the cause of interruption for the interruption job is removed, resuming of the printing operations of the interrupted job is enabled with a resuming method corresponding to a user request, received from a user via a user interface, for a selection option that has been selected from multiple selection operations relating to resuming methods of the printing operations. This enables job resuming processing of a job regarding which printing has been interrupted to be suitably executed even under a printing environment such as a POD environment.

Abstract: A printing system capable of increasing the working efficiency of an operator engaged in a post-process necessary after printing can be provided. For this purpose, the user interface unit can execute a display which allows the operator to explicitly input, for each job, instruction information in consideration of a post-process necessary after a printing process in a job requiring a printing process by a printing apparatus in a printing system capable of stacking, on a stacking unit, printed materials having undergone the printing process. When the job to be processed is a job for which the operator inputs the instruction information via the display, printed materials of the job for which the operator inputs the instruction information are stacked on the stacking unit while the printed materials are classified every printed materials on the basis of the instruction information input by the operator for the job.

Abstract: In order to build a convenient printing environment which can meet various needs associated with double-sided printing (e.g., a reduction of the load on the operator) from users upon double-sided printing and can cope with the POD environment, a user request associated with a double-sided printing job to be executed by a printing system which includes a printing apparatus that can execute a double-sided printing operation is accepted from the user via a user interface unit. When the user request accepted via the user interface unit is a specific user request, the printing apparatus is controlled to execute a series of double-sided printing operations using a function of adjusting a printing position of data to be printed on one of first side and second side of a printing medium in the double-sided printing job to be processed.

Abstract: When authentication data input before execution of print processing based on a secure print job is authenticated, a copy is printed based on the secure print job (S1909). When print processing for the designated number of copies is to be executed after the print processing, the control prompts the user to input authentication data (S1914) before the print processing. When the authentication data is authenticated, print processing is executed based on the secure print job for the designated number of copies (S1916).

Abstract: For making use of a system as effectively as possible, a request related to distributed printing for performing printing process using a first printing apparatus and a second printing apparatus can be accepted, and printing process of data for the distributed printing can be performed by the second printing apparatus under processing conditions different from processing conditions in printing process of data for the distributed printing by the first printing apparatus.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to improve user friendliness of the box function. In a system having a storage means capable of storing data in a plurality of data storage boxes including first and second boxes, when the first job data transmitted without performing any predetermined operation by the user in the data generation apparatus is stored in the storage means, acceptance of a process request for the first job data from the first user via the first display associated with the first box on a user interface is permitted. When the second job data transmitted after performing the predetermined operation by the user is stored in the storage means, acceptance of a process request for the second job data from the first user via the first display associated with the first box on the user interface is permitted. In addition, acceptance of a process request for the second job data from the second user via the second display associated with the second box on the user interface is permitted.

Abstract: In a system in which a host computer and MFP are connected via a communication medium such as a network or the like, upon transmitting image data stored in a box of the MFP to the host computer, the transmission data size (file size) is displayed before transmission. The user can transmit image data with a desired file size. When the amount of transmission data is large, the load on resources such as a memory, CPU, and the like of a device as a destination of transmission can be reduced.

Abstract: In the event that job data to be transmitted from a first information processing device is first-type job data, but a second information processing device is not ready to immediately perform processing of the job data, the first information processing device can be inhibited from transmission of the job data. In the event that job data to be transmitted from the first information processing device is the first-type job data and the second information processing device is ready to immediately perform processing of the job data immediately, the first information processing device is permitted to transmit the job data. Thus, various types of problems or user demands that can occur in a situation in which a user accidentally or inadvertently transmits critical data such as secret documents or private documents or the like to a device which cannot process the job data immediately are handled as much as possible.

Abstract: An image forming system has an image forming apparatus which has a printing unit which can perform a printing process of data of a storage unit which can store data of a plurality of jobs and which has a conveying unit which can convey a sheet from the print unit to a sheet processing device which can perform sheet processing, including at least a gluing process, for sheets from the printing unit, the system comprising: a controller adapted to permit a predetermined process related to the gluing process when the job to be processed is a job which meets a predetermined condition, and to inhibit the predetermined process related to the gluing process when the job to be processed is not a job which meets the predetermined condition, thereby overcoming obstacles to realization of an image forming system capable of a gluing process.

Abstract: In order to maintain high security of a job that requires a high security level even after a print interrupt factor has been removed, and to achieve both the effect of maintaining high security of a job that requires a high security level even after the print process is interrupted, and the effect of improving the productivity of jobs other than a job of this type, when a print apparatus which can process a plurality of print jobs including a print job of a first type and that of a second type restarts a print operation of a print job, which is interrupted in the print apparatus, and when the print job is a print of the first type, the print apparatus is controlled to execute an authentication process, and then allowed to restart the print operation of the print job.

Abstract: A CPU of an image forming apparatus, such as a color electrophotographic copying apparatus, reads print step information from a memory, such as a USB memory, that stores print image data and print step information relating to a plurality of print steps for producing a print of the print image data and a progress state of the print steps. The CPU updates the progress state of the print steps stored in the memory subsequent to the print step being performed by a printer in the image forming apparatus, displays a next print step to perform based on the read print step information, and controls the printer. The image forming apparatus thus avoids leaks of the print data, and prevents useless printing and erratic job processing. Thus, even an inexperienced operator can provide sophisticated high quality print service using the image forming apparatus.