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 method for asset routing including receiving a digital asset, determining a set of print partners for the digital asset, determining a set of candidate batches for the digital asset, selecting a print partner for the digital asset, optionally determining a print partner for an unmatched digital asset, and routing the digital asset to the print partner.

A printing management apparatus includes a processor configured to acquire an order quantity being a quantity of paper required for printing, acquire a stock quantity for each attribute of paper, the stock quantity being a quantity of paper having at least one or more attributes in common with attributes of the paper which is required for the printing and is in stock by a printer, and, when the order quantity is greater than the stock quantity and a sum of at least two stock quantities is equal to or greater than the order quantity, display the printer as a printer capable of accepting an order.

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 printing management apparatus includes a processor configured to acquire an order quantity being a quantity of paper required for printing, acquire a stock quantity for each attribute of paper, the stock quantity being a quantity of paper having at least one or more attributes in common with attributes of the paper which is required for the printing and is in stock by a printer, and, when the order quantity is greater than the stock quantity and a sum of at least two stock quantities is equal to or greater than the order quantity, display the printer as a printer capable of accepting an order.

A method of forming a data-hiding watermark on a surface may include encoding data within an image using the chrominance data of the of the image, adjusting at least one characteristic of the image to enhance the prominence of the encoded data within the image, and printing the adjusted, encoded image onto the surface.

The customer order fulfillment system includes an order collection unit for collecting information associated with a plurality of customer orders having items and generating customer order data. Each of the plurality of customer order includes one or more items associated therewith. An order generating unit for receiving the customer order data and generating in response consolidated order fulfillment data, a pick tour generating subsystem for receiving the consolidated order fulfillment data and in response thereto generating pick tour instructions associated with a pick tour, and a bulk pick order fulfillment unit for grouping together similar ones of the items associated with the plurality of customer orders to form a plurality of bulk picks. An automated fulfillment system receives the consolidated order fulfillment data from the order generating unit and automatically selects one or more of the items from one or more carousels, employing the pick tour or the bulk pick.

A server may execute a first shipping process for shipping a first consumable article for a printer and store first identification information in a memory. The server may receive consumable article information from an external device, determine whether a notification condition is satisfied and determine whether the first identification information matches second identification information included in the consumable article information. In a case where it is determined that the notification condition is satisfied and the first identification information matches the second identification information, the server may send a first notification to external. In a case where it is determined that the notification condition is not satisfied, the first notification is not sent, and in a case where it is determined that the first identification information does not match the second identification information, the first notification is not sent.

A management device that manages an image processing device via a network includes a first acquisition unit acquiring application information for each application which is installed in the image processing device; a creation unit creating a task for monitoring an operation of an application in the image processing device; and a second acquisition unit acquiring resource information on resources which are required for using an application in the image processing device in accordance with the created task. An instruction on processing of a second type of application installed in the image processing device is executed when the acquired resource information satisfies predetermined conditions.