An image formation apparatus to combine a plurality of processes to execute a job related to image formation, the image formation apparatus including: a communicator that sends and receives data to and from an external application via a network, an image data acquirer that acquires image data, an image former that forms an image based on the image data, a storage that stores temporary intermediate data involved in the image formation, a display that displays a message for a user, and a controller that controls the communicator, the image data acquirer, the image former, the storage, and the display; wherein upon performing a process of the plurality of processes, the controller determines whether a next process is present.

Systems and methods are provided for handling print jobs. One embodiment is a system that includes a print server that serves a print shop having printers which exhibit different capabilities. The print server includes an interface that receives print jobs that each include content in the form of a Job Definition Format (JDF) job ticket and Portable Document Format (PDF) print data, a memory that stores the print jobs, and a controller. The controller schedules the print jobs for printing at the printers, and converts content of at least one of the print jobs to a different implementation, such that print jobs scheduled for printing at different printers include different implementations of content, based on the capabilities of the printer that they are scheduled for printing at.

A printing device includes a print engine, and a controller. The print engine performs an index print to print a plurality of images on one or more sheets, the plurality of images corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of files stored in an external memory. The controller controls the print engine. The controller performs determining a type of each of the plurality of files stored in the external device. The controller converts each file, which is determined as a non-image file and includes a page description language, to an image file representing contents of the each file by interpreting the page description language included in the each file. The controller generates a print command for the index print by referring to each image file which is stored in the external memory and each image file generated in the converting.

A facility for managing a document conversion environment is described. In various embodiments, the facility includes a native application associated with a native document type and an isolation service. The isolation service determines whether a native application associated with the native document type has started and when it has not started, starts the native application and causes the started native application to load and convert a native document to a common document format, wherein the isolation service starts a single instance of the native application and monitors the single instance of the native application so that it complies with specified a parameter, condition, or setting of operation.

In a case where a print queue of a printing apparatus is registered in operating system standard print software but is not registered in print control software, a process of registering a print queue of a printing apparatus in print control software configured to generate print data in predetermined format. In a case where the print queue of the printing apparatus is registered in the print control software but is not registered in the operating system standard print software, a process of registering the print queue of the printing apparatus in operating system standard print software configured to generate print data in the different format from the predetermined format are executed.

In a system in which communication between an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus is possible, the information processing apparatus detects that communication with the printing apparatus has become possible and, in response to detection that such communication has become possible, generates print data based upon data that the information processing apparatus is displaying on a display unit connected to or built in the information processing apparatus, and transfers the generated print data to the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus prints the data received from the information processing apparatus.

In a system in which communication between an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus is possible, the information processing apparatus detects that communication with the printing apparatus has become possible and, in response to detection that such communication has become possible, generates print data based upon data that the information processing apparatus is displaying on a display unit connected to or built in the information processing apparatus, and transfers the generated print data to the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus prints the data received from the information processing apparatus.

A method for page management for use with an image forming apparatus includes receiving a request from a user for processing one or more pages of one or more documents. Further, the method includes displaying on a display (a) a thumbnail image generated for each page and (b) a plurality of options for processing the one or more pages. Furthermore, the method includes receiving a selection by the user of at least one option of the plurality of options. Thereafter, the method includes processing the one or more pages, according to the at least one option of the selection received from the user.

A method for page management for use with an image forming apparatus includes receiving a request from a user for processing one or more pages of one or more documents. Further, the method includes displaying on a display (a) a thumbnail image generated for each page and (b) a plurality of options for processing the one or more pages. Furthermore, the method includes receiving a selection by the user of at least one option of the plurality of options. Thereafter, the method includes processing the one or more pages, according to the at least one option of the selection received from the user.

An information processing apparatus described in this specification includes a selection unit configured to select a print queue to be used from among print queues registered in a server system, a control unit configured to display, when a print queue is selected in which print data transmitted by the server system is to be received without intermediation of another server system configured to convert a format of the print data, a print setting screen with which a predetermined setting item is allowed to be set, and to display, when a print queue is selected in which the print data is to be received via the other server system, a print setting screen with which the predetermined setting item is not allowed to be set, and a transmission unit configured to transmit, to the server system, print data based on a print setting which is set via the print setting screen.