A communication system may include a printer and a terminal device. The printer may, in a case where a predetermined operation is accepted, execute a communication process and, in a case where sending of start information to a server fails in the communication process, execute an output process for causing an output unit to output communication information for communicating with the server and start related information obtained by using the start information. The terminal device may obtain the communication information and the start related information outputted by the printer and, in a case where the communication information and the start related information are obtained, send the start related information to the server using the communication information.

A device management apparatus has a providing means configured to provide a first screen for determining device specific information corresponding to a contract and a second screen for determining setting information to be distributed if a new device specified by the device specific information is detected; a search means configured to search a device via a network; and a distribution means configured to distribute the setting information that has been determined in the second screen according to a detection if a new device corresponding to the device specific information that has been determined in the first screen is detected by the search.

An embedded digital front end (DFE) of a printing device receives print jobs of documents from client devices. The print jobs are placed in a job queue within the DFE. Along with a received print job, the DFE also receives a graphic file corresponding to the print job. The graphic file is stored in a data storage on the DFE. The DFE provides the graphic file to a user interface connected to the DFE, to represent the print job. The user interface allows modifications be made to the job queue using the graphic files for the print jobs. Further, a client device connects to the user interface to modify the print order within the job queue.

A printer driver communicates with a printer using a predetermined print protocol to obtain first attribute information related to printing from the printer. The print driver generates a print job conforming to the predetermined print protocol based on data received from an application and transmits the generated print job to the extension application (S606). The extension application obtains attribute information in a different form from the first attribute information (S611). The extension application displays a user interface (UI) for print settings based on at least the second attribute information (S613). The extension application generates a print job to be transmitted to the printer based on settings made via the UI and the print job received from the printer driver.

An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store setting values of a plurality of setting items and identification information in association with each other, a receiving unit configured to receive an acquisition request for the identification information stored in the storage unit, from a predetermined print service, and a transmission unit configured to transmit, based on the received acquisition request, the stored identification information, and information for setting a first setting item unsettable in a predetermined print service associated with the identification information, in the predetermined print service, to the predetermined print service, and not to transmit information for setting a second setting item unsettable in the predetermined print service associated with the identification information, in the predetermined print service, to the predetermined print service.

An operating method of an image forming apparatus includes: receiving an input to select a selective eco mode which selectively applies an eco mode during an image forming job of a document; obtaining at least one area to be excluded from application of the eco mode from a preview of the document according to execution of the selective eco mode; generating a mask in which an area corresponding to at least one area of the document is set in an array corresponding to a preview image of the document, based on information about the at least one area of the document; and outputting the document to which the selective eco mode is applied based on the mask.

A server registers, into a first memory, user identification information and service information in a condition where a connection between the server and a target device via the Internet has not been established. The server registers, into a second memory, first device identification information in association with the user identification information and the service information registered in the first memory after receiving the first device identification information. After the connection between the server and the target device via the Internet has been established for a first time, the server causes a service providing server to provide the service to the user using the user identification information and the service information in the first memory in response to receiving the device identification information from a target device matching the first device identification information.

There is disclosed a method for management of printing jobs. In the method user identification is requested to identify the user, who then selects an artwork for the labels. Data regarding the selected artwork is retrieved from a data storage. Printing properties are defined for the selected artwork, and a set of available unique codes for the labels is determined on the basis of the user identification. A printing file is constructed including information related to at least the selected artwork and printing material selected for the printing job. The printing file is stored into a cloud storage linked with the identified user. A unique code is assigned for each label from the set of available unique codes. The unique code is assigned either in the printing file or when printing the labels.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: generate an identification image in response to at least one of a thread and a digital document posted on the thread being specified, the thread being displayed on a service screen of a message exchange service, the identification image being linked with information for accessing the thread; and perform control to output the generated identification image in a readable format.

An example image forming apparatus includes a communication interface device, a print engine, a processor, and a memory that stores instructions executable by the processor. The processor may execute the instructions, as an automatic document output function is performed, to detect access of a user terminal through the communication interface device, based on detecting the access of the user terminal, obtain a document to be automatically output using setting information of the automatic document output function, and output the obtained document by using the print engine.