An information processing apparatus includes a printer driver configured to generate a print command compliant with a predetermined printing protocol based on print data obtained from a data generation application, one or more extension modules configured to generate a print command compliant with another printing protocol different from the predetermined printing protocol, a storage unit configured to store information associating the one or more extension modules to be used for generating the print command compliant with said another printing protocol with the printer driver, and an output unit configured to output the print command compliant with said another printing protocol, the print command being obtained through processing of the print data obtained by the printer driver, and the processing being performed by the one or more modules indicated by the information.

An information processing system includes a management device configured to manage print data including plural print data elements, and one or more processing devices configured to process the print data elements for printing. The management device includes a first processor. The first processor is configured to manage the print data and the plural print data elements in association with each other, output each of the print data elements to the processing device associated with the print data element, and in response to specification of a possibility of reprinting of the print data, output the print data element to the processing device while associating information indicating the possibility of reprinting with the print data element. Each of the processing devices includes a second processor. The second processor is configured to process the print data element output from the management device, cause a memory to store the print data element associated with the information indicating the possibility of reprinting, and in response to a reprinting instruction from the management device, process the print data element associated with the information indicating the possibility of reprinting by reading the print data element from the memory.

An approach is provided for managing 3D printing processes using a 3D printing management service in a cloud-based environment. Configuration data is received corresponding to one or more available 3D printing devices which may be used to complete a 3D printing job. Build data is received corresponding to one or more 3D printing jobs requested for the one or more available 3D printing devices. The 3D printing management service utilizes the configuration data and the build data to select at least a particular 3D printing device to perform at least a particular 3D printing job based on a resourced load balancing determination. The build data is transformed to a format communicable to the particular selected 3D printer to allow it to perform the particular 3D printing job.

Digital watermarking is adapted for the variable data printing. A reference signal serves as a proxy for optimizing the embedding a watermark in a host image to be printed. Using the reference signal, embedding parameters are generated, which are a function of constraints such as visual quality and robustness of the machine readable data. Adjustments needed to embed a unique payload in each printed piece are generated using the embedding parameters. These adjustments are stored in a manner that enables them to be efficiently obtained and applied within the RIP or press during operation of the press. Various other methods, system configurations and applications are also detailed.

A printing apparatus connectable to an inspection apparatus in a communicable manner according to the present invention includes a reception unit configured to receive an inspection job including at least information indicating whether a correct answer image is to be registered, an analysis unit configured to analyze the received inspection job, and, a control unit configured to perform control so that the correct answer image is transmitted to the inspection apparatus in a case where the correct answer image is to be registered, and to perform control so that an instruction to select the correct answer image is transmitted to the inspection apparatus in a case where the correct answer image is not to be registered, as a result of the analysis.

A mobile terminal that is capable of preventing an unnecessary notification from being provided. A wireless communication apparatus designated by a user is registered. When radio waves transmitted by the wireless communication are received, a notification is provided for confirming with a user whether or not to give an instruction to a wireless communication apparatus as a transmission source of the received radio waves transmitted by the wireless communication. It is determined whether or not the wireless communication apparatus as the transmission source has already been registered, and when it is determined that the wireless communication apparatus as the transmission source has already been registered, the notification is provided.

A printing method performed by an image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus receives job information of content, and generates payment amount information based on the job information of the content. The image forming apparatus receives payment method information from a user, and generates billing information by using the payment amount information and the payment method information. The image forming apparatus transmits the billing information to a payment system.

Systems and methods are provided for handling print data. One embodiment is a system that includes an interface that receives rasterized print data, a memory that stores the rasterized print data; and a print controller that compresses each scanline of the rasterized print data by culling a region of leading whitespace, culling a region of trailing whitespace, compressing a data region disposed between the leading whitespace and the trailing whitespace, and inserting a tag having whitespace offset information for the data region within the scanline.

A system includes a printer and a server system in which registration of print data to be printed by a printer is performed. The server system includes a reception unit that receives a first message, which is transmitted from a message app operating in a client terminal to request the registration of the print data, via a message app server, a first transmission unit that transmits, in response to the message, a URL of a registration form of the print data to the message app via the message app server, a registration unit that registers the print data, which is transmitted by a browser operating in the client terminal by using the registration form, and a second transmission unit that transmits a print code corresponding to the print data to the message app via the message app server. The printer then executes printing based on the registered print data.

An image processing apparatus reserves a plurality of regions including a region of log information; converts image data from a first region into data in a predetermined format: controls execution of conversion if a conversion condition is satisfied and storage of the converted data in a second region; externally transmits log information that includes job attribute information corresponding to converted data based on the converted data that are stored in the second region; executes conversion of unprocessed image data and transmission of log information based on the converted data even if the conversion condition is not satisfied if an amount of job-related information that is stored in the first region or the second region satisfies a predetermined condition.