A printing device comprises a housing, a communication interface configured to communicate with a server, and a controller. The printing device is configured to operate either in a contract mode or in a normal mode. The housing is configured such that one or more consumables including a first type consumable and a second type consumable are attachable. The first type consumable is dedicated for the contract printing, and the second type consumable is usable for printing in both the contract mode and the normal mode. The controller is configured to activate the contract mode in response to an activation instruction from the server. In a case where the second type consumable is attached to the housing when the contract mode is activated, the controller changes a state of the printing device to a contract printing state in which the contract printing is activated after activating the contract mode.

A printing device comprises a housing, a communication interface configured to communicate with a server, and a controller. The printing device is configured to operate either in a contract mode or in a normal mode. The housing is configured such that one or more consumables including a first type consumable and a second type consumable are attachable. The first type consumable is dedicated for the contract printing, and the second type consumable is usable for printing in both the contract mode and the normal mode. The controller is configured to activate the contract mode in response to an activation instruction from the server. In a case where the second type consumable is attached to the housing when the contract mode is activated, the controller changes a state of the printing device to a contract printing state in which the contract printing is activated after activating the contract mode.

A series of conveyance paths to convey a recording medium is formed across a printer and a post-processing device in a printing system. The printing system includes: a detection unit that detects that the post-processing device has entered a predetermined state; and a paper feeding control unit that limits the number of recording media fed to the conveyance path, when it is not detected that the post-processing device has entered the predetermined state, based on the number of recording media conveyable to the post-processing device after the post-processing device enters the predetermined state.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a control unit 111 which performs white paper cleaning by making remaining papers pass through a fixing device in automatic purge of conveying and discharging the remaining papers after an originating paper having caused a jam is removed when the jam has occurred in a paper conveyance path, and display units 115 and 111 which display the number of papers, which is obtained by subtracting the number of the papers having passed through the fixing device by the control unit for the white paper cleaning in the automatic purge from the set number of papers set in advance as the number of papers required to pass through the fixing device in the white paper cleaning, as the number of papers set for white paper cleaning after the automatic purge.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a control unit 111 which performs white paper cleaning by making remaining papers pass through a fixing device in automatic purge of conveying and discharging the remaining papers after an originating paper having caused a jam is removed when the jam has occurred in a paper conveyance path, and display units 115 and 111 which display the number of papers, which is obtained by subtracting the number of the papers having passed through the fixing device by the control unit for the white paper cleaning in the automatic purge from the set number of papers set in advance as the number of papers required to pass through the fixing device in the white paper cleaning, as the number of papers set for white paper cleaning after the automatic purge.

A printing device comprises a housing, a communication interface configured to communicate with a server, and a controller. The printing device is configured to operate either in a contract mode or in a normal mode. The housing is configured such that one or more consumables including a first type consumable and a second type consumable are attachable. The first type consumable is dedicated for the contract printing, and the second type consumable is usable for printing in both the contract mode and the normal mode. The controller is configured to activate the contract mode in response to an activation instruction from the server. In a case where the second type consumable is attached to the housing when the contract mode is activated, the controller changes a state of the printing device to a contract printing state in which the contract printing is activated after activating the contract mode.

A monitoring device is configured to monitor image recordation by a recorder using a recording material supplied from a first cartridge and a second cartridge. the monitoring device includes a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain number-of-sheet information indicating a number of sheets on which the image recordation has been performed, first consumption amount information indicating a consumption amount of a recording material consumed from the first cartridge, and second consumption amount information indicating a consumption amount of a recording material consumed from the second cartridge, determine ratio information indicating a ratio of the recording material consumed from the second cartridge to a total consumption amount of the recording material consumed from the first and second cartridges based on the obtained first and second consumption amount information, and store the obtained number-of-sheet information and the determined ratio information in the memory.

A monitoring device is configured to monitor image recordation by a recorder using a recording material supplied from a first cartridge and a second cartridge. the monitoring device includes a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain number-of-sheet information indicating a number of sheets on which the image recordation has been performed, first consumption amount information indicating a consumption amount of a recording material consumed from the first cartridge, and second consumption amount information indicating a consumption amount of a recording material consumed from the second cartridge, determine ratio information indicating a ratio of the recording material consumed from the second cartridge to a total consumption amount of the recording material consumed from the first and second cartridges based on the obtained first and second consumption amount information, and store the obtained number-of-sheet information and the determined ratio information in the memory.

A policy-based printing system is implemented to allow access to a private domain to print using a public domain. The private domain includes private servers that store documents. The public domain includes servers and a printing device. A public policy server uses a domain list and a protocol connection with a private authentication server to validate a user and identify which private domain to access. The public policy server receives requests from the printing device to process a print job of a document in the private domain. If the private server is off-line, then the printing device prints the document and a cost reimbursement request is submitted to account for the printed document.

A policy-based printing system is implemented to allow access to a private domain to print using a public domain. The private domain includes private servers that store documents. The public domain includes servers and a printing device. A public policy server uses a domain list and a protocol connection with a private authentication server to validate a user and identify which private domain to access. The public policy server receives requests from the printing device to process a print job of a document in the private domain. If the private server is off-line, then the printing device prints the document and a cost reimbursement request is submitted to account for the printed document.