An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that outputs an image to a transfer medium on the basis of a job and a control unit that controls the image forming unit. The control unit is capable of outputting all sheets and outputting designated sheets in outputting the job and, when outputting the designated sheets, changes output control content according to whether the designated sheets are output as sheets for replacement media.

The invention relates to a method for ejecting a stack of sheets from an output holder attached to a printing device, the output holder configured to hold a stack of sheets printed upon by the printing device according to a plurality of print jobs submitted to the printing device, the printing device comprising a control unit for controlling the receiving of the plurality of print jobs in a print job queue and the printing of the plurality of print jobs according to the print job queue, the method comprising the steps of receiving a trigger comprising information for an ejection of the stack for another reason than a full output holder, the stack ejection to be performed before the start of the printing of a print job residing in the print job queue or after the print job residing in the print job queue has been printed, and entering a task for the ejection of the stack at a position in the print job queue, the position determining an intended moment in time of the ejection of the stack corresponding to the information comprised in the trigger. The invention also relates to a printing system configured to execute the method according to the present invention.

At least one embodiment of a post-processing apparatus performs post-processing on a product printed by a printing apparatus, and transmits a command for a temporary stop of print processing for a first job and information indicating a reason for the temporary stop to the printing apparatus. At least one embodiment of the printing apparatus receives the command for the temporary stop of the print processing for the first job and the information indicating the reason for the temporary stop, stops the print processing for the first job according to the command for the temporary stop, and acquires a period of time during which the temporary stop continues based on the received information indicating the reason for the temporary stop.

At least one embodiment of a post-processing apparatus performs post-processing on a product printed by a printing apparatus, and transmits a command for a temporary stop of print processing for a first job and information indicating a period of time during which the temporary stop continues to the printing apparatus. At least one embodiment of the printing apparatus receives the command for the temporary stop of the print processing for the first job and the information indicating the period of time during which the temporary stop continues from the post-processing apparatus, stops the print processing for the first job according to the command for the temporary stop, and controls print processing for a second job based on the period of time during which the temporary stop continues.

Disclosed herein is an industrial printing operation and associated printing instructions that make use a non-die cutter operation to subdivide a media sheet, followed by a series of die-cutter operations each subdivision to take advantage of industrial printer efficiency. This printing operation is enabled by planning and impositioning phases that generate print instructions allows a change in media size from printer apparatus to dies. Specifically, during the planning phase of the print order, a printer apparatus and a die or set of dies are selected where the media size used by the printer apparatus is larger than the die(s) is/are designed for.

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.

An image processing device reduces influence from delay due to one or more post processors and efficiently utilizes resources of an image former, to improve productivity. The image processing device includes: a job taker configured to take a print job; and a print data producer configured to output print data to an image former, configured to form an image on a sheet, and control a cutter configured to cut, inline, the sheet having the image formed and the image former. When the job taker takes a first print job to use the cutter and then takes a second print job not to use the cutter, the print data producer executes the first print job concurrently with the second print job.

An information processing device includes: a processor configured to: acquire (i) names of items whose set values have been changed from a setting screen and (ii) changed set values of the items; display, on a file name setting screen, one or more user-operable elements each corresponding to a respective one of the items whose set values have been changed; and in response to a user instruction, create a file name that includes (i) a name of at least one of the items and (ii) the set value of the at least one of the items, in which the file name is created in accordance with an arranged order of the elements displayed on the file name setting screen.

A method and a serial communicator facilitating multiple and synchronous communication with three-dimensional (3D) printers are disclosed. The serial communicator establishes serial communication with a plurality of 3D printers. The serial communicator concurrently sends and receives commands, instructions and status message from each of the plurality of 3D printers. The serial communicator provides multiple and synchronous dimensionality for a user to execute 3D printing. A user accesses the serial communicator using a user device or user management system (UMS) for managing multiple series connections to multiple 3D printers. The serial communicator receives 3D modelling data containing a tool path (Gcode) from the UMS. The serial communicator assigns the 3D modelling data to available 3D printer for executing the 3D printing using the serial communication.

A printer is caused to perform a checking print for a job in a case that a predetermined user's instruction is received via a user interface. The printer is caused to perform the checking print for the job without receiving the predetermined user's instruction in a case that the job meets a predetermined condition.