A data processing method processes data using a processor including N (N is an integer equal to or more than 2) cores and a memory. The data processing method includes: searching a new character as a character whose raster data is not stored in the memory among a plurality of characters specified by character data included in print data to count a count of the searched new characters; generating M (M is an integer equal to or less than the N) threads, wherein the M is a count determined based on the count of the counted new characters among the N; dividing and allocating the plurality of characters to the M threads to generate raster data for the new characters using any one of the N cores for each of the M threads; and rendering the plurality of characters using raster data corresponding to the character data.

In a printing system capable of supplying a sheet of a job having undergone print processing by the printing unit of a printing apparatus to a post-processing unit capable of executing at least a specific type of post-processing among a plurality of types of post-processes, when the target job requires the specific type of post-processing, the printing apparatus is inhibited from executing print processing of the job without explicitly determining a sheet necessary for the print processing of the job by a user using a user interface unit. When the target job does not require the specific type of post-processing, the printing apparatus is permitted to execute print processing of the job without explicitly determining a sheet necessary for the print processing of the job by the user using the user interface unit.

A print control apparatus includes a network interface to receive, from an external device, print job data including a plurality of ordered separate document files and two sequential serial page numbers in the plurality of ordered separate document files for specifying sequential target pages to be printed. The print job data has been generated and sent by the external device. One of the two sequential serial page numbers indicates, as an initial page, a page of one of the plurality of ordered document files, and the other of the sequential serial page numbers indicates, as a last page, a page of another one of the plurality of ordered document files. A rasterizer rasterizes at least the sequential target pages specified by the two sequential serial page numbers, and does not rasterize one or more pages of one or more document files that do not include the sequential target pages.

Functionality for issuing instructions related to the status of a printing device can be added to a control device capable of connecting to a printing device while suppressing modification of programs installed on the control device. A network system 1 includes a printer 9 that prints on recording media, and a control device 8 capable of communicating with the printer 9. The control device 8 has a control unit that generates and outputs by a printing program a command instructing the printer 9 to print; and a management unit that adds a maintenance command issuing an instruction related to the status of the printer 9 to the command output by the control unit, and sends the command with the added maintenance command to the printer 9, by a maintenance program that is different from the printing program.

An image forming apparatus comprises a first display device and a second display device that is arranged in a position different from the first display device. The first display device functions as a main display device, and the second display device functions as a sub-display device. The main display device is displayed with a main screen including predetermined contents. The main screen includes contents related to the image forming apparatus. The main screen is a setting screen, an operating screen, a preview screen, etc. The sub-display device is displayed with a sub-screen including contents related to the content included in the main screen. Support information, guidance information, an auxiliary input key, etc. are displayed in the sub-screen.

An image forming apparatus includes a display section, an operation acceptance section, a printing section, an external terminal, a display control section, a readout control section, an interpreter section, and a control section. The readout control section reads metadata on a print job from a USB memory connected to the external terminal. The display control section uses a result of analysis of the metadata in the interpreter section to allow the display section to display a display prompting a user to specify a print target area in document data generated as the print job. The readout control section uses the result of analysis to read from the USB memory a portion of data corresponding to the specified print target area. The control section allows the printing section to perform print processing based on the read portion of data corresponding to the print target area.

An image forming apparatus includes a display section, an operation acceptance section, a printing section, an external terminal, a display control section, a readout control section, an interpreter section, and a control section. The readout control section reads metadata on a print job from a USB memory connected to the external terminal. The display control section uses a result of analysis of the metadata in the interpreter section to allow the display section to display a display prompting a user to specify a print target area in document data generated as the print job. The readout control section uses the result of analysis to read from the USB memory a portion of data corresponding to the specified print target area. The control section allows the printing section to perform print processing based on the read portion of data corresponding to the print target area.

A print control apparatus includes a print controller including one or more processors and at least one memory. The print controller functions as a receiving unit to receive, from an external device, a print job that includes a plurality of ordered document files, a print page range indicating sequential target pages, an initial page in the sequential target pages corresponding to a print start page in one of the plurality of ordered document files, and a last page in the sequential target pages corresponding to a print end page in another one of the plurality of ordered document files, and a rasterizing unit to selectively rasterize pages of the received print job based on the print page range, so that the sequential target pages, including at least (i) pages between the print start page and a last page of the one document file and (ii) pages between a first page and the print end page of the other one document file, are rasterized, and the pages other than the sequential target pages are not rasterized. The sequential target pages are printed and the pages of the print job other than the sequential target pages are not printed.

Delaying processing based on received commands is suppressed while preventing executing parallel processes involving operation of hardware. Servers can send printing commands and non-printing commands to a printing device. When a printing command is received from a first server and a printing command is then received from another server different from the first server while a process based on the printing command received from the first server is executing, the printing device does not execute the process based on the printing command received from the other server; but if a non-printing command is received from another server, the printing device executes a process based on the non-printing command received from the other server parallel to the process based on the printing command received from the first server.

Systems and methods relating to generated printed products are provided. One system includes a transceiver configured to transmit commands to a printing press, the commands used by the printing press to execute print operations to generate printed products. The system further includes a processing circuit configured to receive data indicating a first amount of a printed product for a print operation. The processing circuit is further configured to determine a second amount of the printed product to be printed by modifying the first amount using a characteristic of the printed product. The processing circuit is further configured to transmit, using the transceiver, a first command to the printing press configured to cause the printing press to print the second amount of the printed product. In some implementations, a plant selection system determines where to print the product based on the amount to be printed and/or characteristics of the product.