An apparatus and method for a printing system is provided which determines whether image data input by execution of an input job is a blank and, in a case where the image data is determined to be a blank, the printing system records information indicating the determination of a blank as history information of the input job. Thus, in a case where image data input by execution of an input job is not output by execution of an output job, the user is able to easily confirm the cause of the output failure of the input image data.

Systems, methods, and media for optimizing and facilitating 3D printing services in a marketplace environment are provided. In one example, a system comprises a hosting system to enhance a 3D printing service marketplace environment including marketplace participants and a federated network of 3D printing service providers. In one aspect, operations include receiving a 3D printing request to print a 3D object selected from among a selection of 3D objects, responsive to the 3D printing request and the 3D object selected from among the selection of 3D objects, listing at least some of the 3D printing service providers based on a 3D printer identifier metric, wherein the 3D printer identifier metric includes one or more of a 3D printing quality metric, a 3D printer model number, a 3D printer serial number, and a 3D digital model type. The operations further include receiving a selection of a preferred 3D printing service provider from among the list of at least some of the 3D printing service providers.

A printing system includes an offline estimation device that provides estimates for ink or toner use for a print job at a target printing device. The offline estimation device retrieves digital front end (DFE) version information, configuration setting information, and color printing resources from the target printing device. Using the DFE version information, the offline estimation device selects a raster image processor (RIP) from a plurality of RIPs of software versions available within the printing system. The offline estimation device configures the RIP with configuration settings of the configuration setting information. The color printing resources also are pushed to the RIP. The offline estimation device provides the ink or toner use estimate using the configured RIP.

A printing system for processing entries in a distributed ledger manages documents or transactions based on printing or scanning operations. A computing platform within the system receives a first entry having a variable set of data. The computing platform determines a partial chain hash of the first entry using the variable set of data. The computing platform generates at least one additional entry having at least one additional variable set of data. The computing platform updates the partial chain hash with the at least one additional variable set of data of the at least one additional entry. The computing platform generates a block having a block header for a blockchain using the partial chain hash when a condition is met. The block includes transactions or documents to be printed at a printing device using the distributed ledger.

A workflow method for creating a printed sheet from a graphics file and an associated job description. The graphics file and an associated job definition are received in a digital front end (DFE), and a raster imaging processor (RIP) in the DFE converts the graphics file from a native format to RIPped data and stores the RIPped data in digital storage. A print controller retrieves the RIPped data from the digital storage and streams the RIPped data as an output. A communication interface, connected to a screening engine processor, receives the streamed RIPped data and the job definition from the DFE and converts the streamed RIPped data to converted RIPped data having a format readable by the screening engine processor, and to pass information from the screening engine processor to the DFE.

A server includes: a memory storing printing configuration rules for interfacing with a printing system; a communications interface configured to communicate with a client device; a processor interconnected with the memory and the communications interface, the processor configured to: generate a print system network identifier mapped to the printing system, the print system network identifier configured for identifying print parameters for print jobs; receive, via the communications interface, a print request from the client device, the print request generated based on the print system network identifier and including one or more print parameters for a print job; and send a print instruction to the printing system to initiate the print job at the printing system according to the one or more print parameters, the print instruction generated according to the printing configuration rules.

A printing system includes an offline estimation device that provides estimates for ink or toner use for a print job at a target printing device. The offline estimation device retrieves digital front end (DFE) version information, configuration setting information, and color printing resources from the target printing device. Using the DFE version information, the offline estimation device selects a raster image processor (RIP) from a plurality of RIPs of software versions available within the printing system. The offline estimation device configures the RIP with configuration settings of the configuration setting information. The color printing resources also are pushed to the RIP. The offline estimation device provides the ink or toner use estimate using the configured RIP.

Previous information generating devices or printers were designed to print a paper copy of data and/or receipts which causes a disconnect with modem day data manipulation. This information redirector can redirect generated data to and receive data from the internet and hand held devices which will open up extremely fast data exchange and data manipulation for consumers, cities, states and the federal government without the expense of having to purchase complete new systems. By simply adding the redirector we can connect all old computer systems with modem day systems that now have the ability to manipulate data automatically.

A method of controlling an information processing apparatus includes displaying an edit screen including an obtained image and a print range frame based on obtained print setting information, accepting an edit operation of arrangement of the image in the edit screen, generating image data based on an edited image, and transmitting the generated image data and the print setting information to the image forming apparatus as a print job. Where the image has been edited such that there is a region where the image is not arranged in the print range frame, combining processing in which a predetermined image is added in the region is performed and whereby image data including the image and predetermined image is generated, and where the image has been edited such that there is no region where the image is not arranged in the print range frame, the combining processing is not performed.

A print control apparatus includes a processor configured to receive printing information including the number of prints to be printed in accordance with one of print jobs, acquire the numbers of containable sheets left for multiple respective container units that contain printing media printed in accordance with the print jobs, and perform control if a maximum value of the acquired numbers of containable sheets left for the respective container units is higher than or equal to the number of prints in one of the print jobs that is to be executed subsequently. The control is performed to discharge one of the printing media that is printed in accordance with the print job to a container unit of the multiple container units that has the maximum value of the numbers of containable sheets left.