Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ink estimation. One embodiment is a system for dynamic ink use estimation. The system includes a cloud computing system. The cloud computing system includes a cloud event service able to receive a print job and potential configurations of a printer selected for printing the print job, and to initialize virtual printers for the printer that each correspond with one of the potential configurations. The cloud computing system also includes the virtual printers, which are able to operate in parallel to estimate amounts of ink used for each configuration during printing of the print job, and to store the estimated amounts of ink in a cloud storage.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ink estimation. One embodiment is a system for dynamically revising ink estimation models. The system includes a memory storing a virtual machine for instantiating virtual printers that estimate amounts of ink used by a printer for print jobs, and a controller able, for each print job, to: identify estimated amounts of ink determined by the virtual printers according to each of multiple configurations for the printer, and identify a chosen configuration and a corresponding actual amount of ink used by the printer. The controller selects a configuration, determines that estimated amounts of ink for the selected configuration have less than a threshold difference from actual amounts of ink for each of multiple print jobs, and updates an ink estimation model at the virtual machine based on the estimated amounts of ink and corresponding print job data for the selected configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ink estimation. One embodiment is a system for dynamic ink use estimation. The system includes a cloud computing system. The cloud computing system includes a cloud event service able to receive a print job and potential configurations of a printer selected for printing the print job, and to initialize virtual printers for the printer that each correspond with one of the potential configurations. The cloud computing system also includes the virtual printers, which are able to operate in parallel to estimate amounts of ink used for each configuration during printing of the print job, and to store the estimated amounts of ink in a cloud storage.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ink estimation. One embodiment is a system for dynamically revising ink estimation models. The system includes a memory storing a virtual machine for instantiating virtual printers that estimate amounts of ink used by a printer for print jobs, and a controller able, for each print job, to: identify estimated amounts of ink determined by the virtual printers according to each of multiple configurations for the printer, and identify a chosen configuration and a corresponding actual amount of ink used by the printer. The controller selects a configuration, determines that estimated amounts of ink for the selected configuration have less than a threshold difference from actual amounts of ink for each of multiple print jobs, and updates an ink estimation model at the virtual machine based on the estimated amounts of ink and corresponding print job data for the selected configuration.

Abstract: System and methods for page alignment for tractorless paper. In one embodiment, an apparatus receives a print job to be printed on a continuous web of print media in a duplex format with multiple first pages across a front of the web and multiple second pages across a back of the web which correspond with the multiple first pages. The apparatus maps pages to sheetlet regions, and applies first offsets to the sheetlet regions on the front of the virtual continuous forms based on operator input. The controller also determines second offsets for the sheetlet regions on the back of the virtual continuous forms based on an additive inverse of the first offsets, and modifies processing of the print job by applying the second offsets to the sheetlet region on the back of the virtual continuous forms to maintain alignment of front pages and back pages across the web.

Abstract: System and methods for page alignment for tractorless paper. In one embodiment, an apparatus receives a print job to be printed on a continuous web of print media in a duplex format with multiple first pages across a front of the web and multiple second pages across a back of the web which correspond with the multiple first pages. The apparatus maps pages to sheetlet regions, and applies first offsets to the sheetlet regions on the front of the virtual continuous forms based on operator input. The controller also determines second offsets for the sheetlet regions on the back of the virtual continuous forms based on an additive inverse of the first offsets, and modifies processing of the print job by applying the second offsets to the sheetlet region on the back of the virtual continuous forms to maintain alignment of front pages and back pages across the web.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for scheduling high priority print jobs with minimal paper waste. One embodiment is a printing system that includes a print controller having a print data path with intermediate queues and a last queue to store print ready bitmap data. The print controller monitors the last queue to determine an estimate time for printing the print ready bitmap data stored in the last queue, determines whether the estimate time exceeds a time threshold, and determines whether a high priority print job is detected in the job storage system. In response to determining that the estimate time exceeds the time threshold and detecting the high priority print job, the print controller halts processing of at least one of the plurality of print jobs that is not the high priority print job, and advances processing of the high priority print job on the print data path.

Abstract: A printer is described. The printer includes a processor. A memory is coupled to the processor. The memory contains instructions that when processed by the processor cause a method to be performed. The method includes presenting a list of printing substitutions on a display. The printing substitutions are each associated with a respective printer profile. The list of printing substitutions identify which ones of the printing substitutions are enabled and which ones of the printing substitutions are disabled. The list also identifies the printer profiles that the substitutions are associated with, wherein at least one printer profile that is not enabled for a current print job is included in the list.

Abstract: A printer is described. The printer includes a processor. A memory is coupled to the processor. The memory contains instructions that when processed by the processor cause a method to be performed. The method includes presenting a list of printing substitutions on a display. The printing substitutions are each associated with a respective printer profile. The list of printing substitutions identify which ones of the printing substitutions are enabled and which ones of the printing substitutions are disabled. The list also identifies the printer profiles that the substitutions are associated with, wherein at least one printer profile that is not enabled for a current print job is included in the list.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a cartridge with a fluid container, a nozzle attached to the fluid container to provide fluid from the container to a printer, a cartridge identification card to identify the fluid in the fluid in the container to the printer when the cartridge identification card is connected to the printer, and a strap having two ends, a first end being attached to the fluid container and a second end being attached to the cartridge identification card.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program generating user defined marking settings to print marks to control post-processing devices. A user interface is generated to enable user input to define at least one marking setting comprising a name of the marking setting, a dimension of a marking, and a location of the marking on the print medium. Marking settings control a printer to output markings on a print medium. The outputted markings on the print medium control at least one post processor device to perform post processing operations on the print medium. User input is received from the user interface defining at least one marking setting. The user defined at least one marking setting is stored with an existing set of marking settings to control the printer.

Abstract: A color adjustment interface includes an original image thumbnail representing a version of an image prior to modification, a current image thumbnail representing a version of an image after a modification and a color polygon including a multitude of variation image thumbnails each representing a color variation. Each selection of a variation image thumbnail modifies the current image thumbnail in an adjustment towards a color represented by the selected variation image.

Abstract: A color adjustment interface includes an original image thumbnail representing a version of an image prior to modification, a current image thumbnail representing a version of an image after a modification and a color polygon including a multitude of variation image thumbnails each representing a color variation. Each selection of a variation image thumbnail modifies the current image thumbnail in an adjustment towards a color represented by the selected variation image.