The printing apparatus of the present invention includes: a memory storing a program; at least one processor configured to execute the program and function as: an interpretation unit configured to interpret print data of the page to obtain objects contained in the page; an optimization prediction unit configured to check each of the obtained objects to identify the at least one object to be subject to the predetermined conversion process, and to predict, in accordance with the identified object, characteristics of the new objects which are to be obtained by the predetermined conversion process without performing the predetermined conversion process; and an estimation unit configured to estimate a time required for the rendering process of the page, based on at least parameter values corresponding to the predicted characteristics.

A reusable sequence of display list objects is determined, by extending the repeated sequence to further consecutive display list objects, each occurrence of the reusable sequence being associated with a z-order position in a corresponding display list. At least one display list is divided, at the z-order position of the reusable sequence in the display list, into a plurality of z-bands including a reusable z-band for the determined reusable sequence. A reusable intermediate graphical representation is generated for the determined reusable sequence and a further intermediate graphical representation for at least one other z-band. The further intermediate graphical representation is merged with the reusable intermediate graphical representation in accordance with an order of the z-bands. The page description language (PDL) document is rendered using the merged representations.

Systems and methods associated with resource provisioning are disclosed. One example method includes dividing a set of printing resources into a first partition and a second partition. The example method also includes provisioning the first partition to handle print jobs from a print queue that have a specified attribute. The first partition may be provisioned when print jobs having the specified attribute exceed a first predefined threshold.

A method and system for rendering rectangle drawing objects are provided. For at least a first rectangle drawing object and a second rectangle drawing object, a determination is made if the second rectangle drawing object satisfies a predetermined condition with respect to the first rectangle drawing object. If the predetermined condition is satisfied, one-line raster image data associated with the second rectangle drawing object is generated and stored in a data buffer. The one-line raster image data indicates a filling color of the second rectangle drawing object over a first extent in a first direction. Subsequently, the one-line raster image data may be used a number of times over a second extent in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to fill a drawing region corresponding to at least the second rectangle drawing object.

An image forming apparatus capable of coping with speedup of a printing operation without requiring a design change of a controller is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image generating unit configured to generate image data, an image forming unit configured to control image formation based on the image data, a storage unit that is provided between the image generating unit and the image forming unit and temporarily stores the image data, a first connecting unit that connects the image generating unit and the storage unit and performs transferring of the image data at a first operating frequency, and a second connecting unit that connects the storage unit and the image forming unit and performs transferring of the image data at a second operating frequency higher than the first operating frequency. When a predetermined data amount is accumulated in the storage unit, the accumulated image data is transferred to the image forming unit.

A data state manager may include a production intent module to define a production intent, a capability module to identify a number of capabilities of a plurality of media printing devices to which the data state manager is coupled, and a data stream module to, through a plurality of communication links to the media printing devices, stream a plurality of data streams to the plurality of media printing devices in a synchronized manner based on a number of characteristics of the streamed data and the identified capabilities of the media printing devices, with the data streams defining the production intent.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus, a sheet processing device, and control circuitry. The image forming apparatus forms an image on a sheet. The sheet processing device performs post-processing on the sheet. The sheet processing device includes a first conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed and subjected to the post-processing and a second conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed without the post-processing. In response to an instruction of print jobs including both a print job of one or N copies subjected to the post-processing and a print job not subjected to the post-processing, the circuitry executes the job not subjected to the post-processing during execution of an M-th copy of the job subjected to the post-processing and causes the sheet to be conveyed through the second conveyance path, where N is two or greater and M satisfies 1≤M<N.

A print management apparatus includes an allocation unit, a schedule reception unit, and a command reception unit. The allocation unit allocates a schedule item for processing related to generation of a printed material to an operation period of a process for generating the printed material based on print information. The schedule reception unit receives a change of the allocated schedule item from an operator or receives an addition of a schedule item for processing related to the generation of the printed material from the operator. The command reception unit receives a command for prioritizing one of a new schedule item obtained as a result of the change or the addition and an existing schedule item as a command for processing to be performed when the new schedule item partially or entirely overlaps with the existing schedule item.

An image processing apparatus includes a print engine, a communication interface, a memory, and a controller configured to receive a print job via the communication interface, acquire authentication information associated with the print job, perform authentication based on the acquired authentication information, and determine whether the authentication is successful, when determining that the authentication is successful, cause the print engine to print, on a sheet, an image based on the print job, and regardless of whether the authentication is successful, transmit predetermined image data based on the print job via the communication interface.

A server for receiving a print job from a print service that has received the print job from an information processing apparatus is provided. The server includes an access unit configured to access the print service, a condition management unit configured to manage a condition concerning access to the print service, an access management unit configured to manage a status of past access to the print service, and a determination unit configured to determine, based on the status of past access, whether the condition is not to be satisfied by newly accessing the print service. In a case where it is determined that the condition is not to be satisfied, the access unit does not newly access the print service.