Abstract: The present invention concerns a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for selecting one of a plurality of printers attached to a server with a user interface installed on a computer networked to the server. The computer would first query a cache or the server for a first set of print options supported by at least one of the printers. The user interface is then updated to include the first set of print options. After the user interface program is used to select a print option from the first set, the computer then determines a second set of print options available with the previously selected print option. Each print option in the second set is supported by at least one of the printers that also supports the print option selected from the first set. The user interface program is then updated to include the second set of print options.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for creating a job ticket on a computer, wherein the job ticket includes information on components and print attributes of a print job. The created job ticket includes an identification record including information identifying the job ticket, a document record including information on a document included in the print job and print attributes for the document, and an item record including information on an item that is a component of the document and print attributes for the item. The item may be a print image file. The job ticket may further include a record including information on scheduling options for the print job. The item record is arranged in a lower hierarchical relationship to the document record such that the print attributes for the document apply to the item. After creating the job ticket, the present invention processes the job ticket and, then, transmits the processed job ticket to a printer.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for organizing files associated with a job ticket, including raster image process (RIP) files. The files and job ticket are in a storage device attached to a computer system. The job ticket includes information on print files included in a print job, print file location information indicating a location of the print files in the storage device, and RIP file location information indicating a location of the RIP version of a print file in the storage device. The print files include data representing graphical images and the RIP version is generated from the print file. When the job ticket is submitted for printing, a RIP version is submitted in lieu of the print file if the RIP version was modified after the print file was modified. Any generated RIP versions may be saved in the storage device with their location indicated in the RIP file location information.