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.

An information processing apparatus includes a controller. The controller receives a first e-mail from an external device. The first e-mail has a print file attached thereto and is addressed to a device e-mail address assigned to a printing device. The controller determines a fee to be charged for image formation based on the attached print file. The controller generates a second e-mail including: a first amount that is the amount of the determined fee; and a first URL for a payment page for paying the first amount. The controller transmits the generated second e-mail to the external device in reply to the received first e-mail. After payment of the first amount is completed through access to the first URL included in the transmitted second e-mail, the controller transmits to the external device either print data based on the print file or storage destination information for the print data.

A system for publishing digital images wherein a mobile device (14) that stores at least one digital image generates output signals in response to operator commands. The mobile device (14) communicates with a source of digital instructions (18) thorough a communication network (16) such that digital instructions are downloaded to the mobile device. The mobile device is thereafter in selective communication with a server (12) that stores digital images, maintains a user profile corresponding to the user of the mobile device, and publishes digital images to at least one digital address (24, 26, 28, 30).

A printing system includes a company server and a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus is used in business-use printing and private-use printing. The printing apparatus includes: a printing section performing printing on a medium by using a printing agent; and a waste agent collecting section collecting as a waste agent, the portion of the printing agent that is consumed by the printing section but is discarded without being used in printing on the medium. The printing system includes a determination section and an estimation section. The determination section determines whether the printing agent as the waste agent is discarded in business-use printing or private-use printing. The estimation section estimates an amount of printing agent determined by the determination section to be discarded in business-use printing.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: acquire a specification of print data and information to be used for printing the print data by each of multiple order receivers; and calculate a cost for placing an order for printing the print data for each order receiver based on the acquired specification of the print data and the acquired information and present the cost.

A printing system includes a first terminal apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a first server. The first terminal apparatus acquires a mail address of the printing apparatus by near field communication with the printing apparatus or from a code displayed on the printing apparatus and transmits the acquired mail address to the first server. The first server transmits electronic data corresponding to the first terminal apparatus to the printing apparatus through a third communication path based on the received mail address.

A system and method for generating culturally appropriate customizable cards on multifunction peripherals includes a touchscreen user interface that displays customizable cards that can be selected and customized by users. A processor generates an electronic image of a customized card, and a document processing engine of the multifunction peripheral renders printed output from the electronic image. The multifunction peripheral sends identifying information to a card template server that provides culturally relevant customizable card templates to the multifunction peripheral based on an identified culture associated with the users of the multifunction peripheral, the geographic region where the multifunction peripheral is located, and the date.

An information processing apparatus includes a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver receives an image associated with attribute information. When detecting a use of the image, the transmitter transmits information related to the use of the image. In a further modification of the invention, the image may be an image corresponding to an object.

A server system includes one or more memories that store instructions, and one or more processors that execute the instructions to perform registration processing for registering names of a plurality of applications and charging destinations of the applications designated in a client terminal in association with each other, transmit, to the client terminal, information about a first user interface for prompting a user to select a name of an application of a file to be printed among the registered names of the plurality of applications, receive the name of the application selected on the first user interface and the file to be printed from the client terminal, and perform charging processing to a charging destination registered in association with the received name of the application based on printing of the file to be printed.

An image forming apparatus includes a management application and a common application. The management application manages a counter. The common application is other than the management application. The management application causes the image forming apparatus to function as: a counter managing unit that manages the counter that counts a count of executions of specific processing by the common application; and an execution count unit that counts the count of executions using the counter managed by the counter managing unit.