Abstract: In a multi function printer, an upper limit of printable sheets is set for each user requesting a print job. The multi function printer includes a settings change instructing section for making an inquiry to a manager terminal whether to authorize changing the upper limit as requested by a user, and an authorization confirming section for confirming a reply to the inquiry, and changing the upper limit if the manager terminal authorizes the change. This reduces the cost of print job, and enables a print job to be efficiently carried out by changing print restrictions as required by the print job.

Abstract: A printer implements printing(printer jobs) of the data received from personal computers and printing(copier jobs) of the data scanned through a copier functional device. When a user approaches the printer, a user identifying portion identifies the ID number(user name) of this user. If a printer job of this user name has been registered in the management memory of the printer, it is determined whether the printer job of this user name is ‘allowed’ to make an interrupt and whether the priority of this printer job is higher than that of the copier job. After confirmation of these facts, the printer job of this user name is started by making an interrupt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a normal print mode in which input image data for a plurality of pages are processed into images on the same number of pages of paper, and a trial print mode in which the input image data are processed into minified images on fewer pages of the paper for trial output such that a user can check an output result to be obtained in the normal mode beforehand. In the trial print mode, a blank page detector detects a blank page from the input image data, and an image data minifier converts the image data stored in an image data buffer into minified image data and stores the data in a second buffer. Then, a plotting section develops the minified image data read from the second data buffer into a plotting pattern, which is then written to a page buffer. In an output section, the plotting pattern read from the page buffer is processed into a visible image. At this time, an image corresponding to the blank page detected by the blank page detector is not formed.

Abstract: A printer implements printing(printer jobs) of the data received from personal computers and printing(copier jobs) of the data scanned through a copier functional device. When a user approaches the printer, a user identifying portion identifies the ID number(user name) of this user. If a printer job of this user name has been registered in the management memory of the printer, it is determined whether the printer job of this user name is ‘allowed’ to make an interrupt and whether the priority of this printer job is higher than that of the copier job. After confirmation of these facts, the printer job of this user name is started by making an interrupt.