A printing apparatus of the present invention receives a print job from an information processing apparatus and performs printing. The printing apparatus obtains, from the information processing apparatus, information indicating the number of pages per copy of the print job, determines whether double-sided printing is to be performed for the print job, and determines, based on the obtained information, whether the print job is a print job in which the number of pages per copy is an odd number of pages. The printing apparatus controls to print by inserting a blank page before a page that is received first in the print job, based on a determination that, in the print job, the number of pages per copy is an odd number of pages.

In a printer, a controller determines a type of print medium currently mounted in a mount portion, and acquires a first set of print data correlated with a first medium type and a second set of print data correlated with a second medium type. In a case that a print medium of the first medium type is mounted in the mount portion, a print portion prints a first print image based on the first set of print data, and thereafter prints a second print image based on the second set of print data. In a case that a print medium of the second medium type is mounted in the mount portion, the print portion prints the second print image based on the second set of print data, and thereafter prints the first print image based on the first set of print data.

A terminal device may generate a first label file based on a specific label file. The specific label file may include one or more object regions in which a print target object is to be placed and first text information written in a first object region of the one or more object regions. The first label file may include the one or more object regions and does not include the first text information. The terminal device may generate a first database file associated with the first label file. The first database file may store a first field name corresponding to the first object region and a first text obtained by using the first text information in association with each other. The terminal device may generate first print data by using the first label file and the first database file, and send the first print data to a label printer.

Methods for identifying and generating a preview set of documents for use with variable data printing operations reduce the number of records that are previewed using filtering criteria. Records to be included in the preview set include text objects having text variables, image objects having image variables, and barcode objects having barcode variables. Records for the preview set also include those defined by rules and associated conditions based on data provided to generate the documents. A better representation of the variable data print job is provided.

In some implementations, a system may receive, from a camera, an image that depicts an object on a conveyor. The system may cause, based on an image processing model indicating that the image depicts the object, a robotic arm to attach to a label printer. The system may determine, using the image processing model, an object position of the object on the conveyor. The system may cause the robotic arm to move the label printer into an application position that corresponds to the object position on the conveyor. The system may cause the label printer to print a label. The system may cause the label printer to apply the label to the object.

An advertisement system has a printer and a posting server that can communicate with the printer. The advertisement system uses the printer to issue a flyer on which advertisement images are printed. The posting server acquires a plurality of advertisement images of different advertisers, and selects a plurality of advertisement images from the plurality of acquired advertisement images according to a distribution period for the flyer, the distribution period being set for each acquired advertisement image. The posting server then creates print data involved in printing the plurality of selected advertisement images, and transmits the created print data to the printer. The printer receives the print data created by the posting server. To issue the flyer, the printer executes printing according to the received print data.

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided to facilitate connections between devices, such as a printer and a cloud-based server, and to implement an adaptive application framework. In the context of an apparatus, a printer is provided comprising communications circuitry configured to facilitate communications with a network; and processing circuitry configured to transmit a connection request to the network; receive requested connection parameters from the network; transmit printer connection parameters to the network; and establish a first secure connection between the printer and the network. The printer comprising processing circuitry further configured to receive requested connection parameters comprising at least a signed security certificate and a DNS name for a server on the network and to verify the signed security certificate and the DNS name for the server. The printer comprising processing circuitry further configured to transmit printer connection parameters comprising at least a signed security certificate for the printer.

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.

An image forming apparatus includes a processor configured to: acquire information about a rendering engine from a first image forming apparatus out of plural image forming apparatuses connected to a network that are capable of performing printing using corresponding rendering engines each including predetermined plural setting items; display a setting item that is able to be changed, out of a setting item for the rendering engine acquired from the first image forming apparatus and a setting item for a rendering engine provided in the image forming apparatus; and receive a change of the setting item.

An intelligent seal with cloud computing-based anti-forgery capability and a method for using the same. In various embodiments, the seal is provided with a special-shaped anti-forgery mark. All data files and log files are stored collectively at a seal management cloud platform, thereby achieving anti-forgery through cloud computing at the cloud platform, preventing theft and tampering of user data and seal data, allowing real-time query of seal usage information, and enabling third-party verification and anti-forgery of the seal information.