An information processing apparatus includes an operation device, a communication device, and a control device. The operation device receives an instruction according to an operation performed by a user. The communication device performs data communication with a plurality of image forming apparatuses. The control device acts as a calculator and a controller. The calculator calculates an evaluation value for each of one or more evaluation items designated by the user through the operation device and calculates a sum of the calculated evaluation values, as use priority, with respect to each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses. The controller transmits a print job, execution of which has been instructed by the user through the operation device, to the image forming apparatus that has gained highest user priority, via the communication device.

In a communication system, an image forming apparatus sends an address of a receiving section to an external device. The external device receives a selection of image data through plural thumbnails displayed on a display section, and wirelessly sends the selected image data to the image forming apparatus with the address. The image forming apparatus receives the selected image data sent with the address by the external device, and prints an image based on the selected image data. The image forming apparatus accepts a selection indicating whether a communication between the external device and the image forming apparatus is performed by a first communication system method or a second communication system method. The image forming apparatus performs sending and/or receiving the image data with the address by the first communication system method when the first communication system method is selected, and performs sending and/or receiving the image data with the address by the second communication system method when the second communication system method is selected.

Generally, a job management apparatus of the present embodiment which sends a print job to an image forming apparatus comprises a communication section and a controller. The communication section communicates with the image forming apparatus and a delivery apparatus configured to deliver a sheet printed by the image forming apparatus to a delivery destination. The controller calculates printing time relating to completion of execution of the print job by the image forming apparatus and first arrival time when the delivery apparatus reaches the image forming apparatus and enables the image forming apparatus to execute the print job at a timing when the image forming apparatus can complete the execution of the print job by the first arrival time.

A method of operating an image forming apparatus includes receiving a request to perform an image forming operation, performing a calibration operation based on obtained urgency level information in response to the request, when a condition to perform a calibration is determined to be satisfied, the urgency level indicating a level of urgency to perform the image forming operation and the calibration is to standardize standardizing color representation of the image to be formed, and performing the image forming operation after the calibration operation is performed.

An image processing apparatus includes a processing section and a control section configured to instruct operation of the processing section. The control section executes, before sending, to the processing section, a first instruction corresponding to an instruction that caused an error in the past, an error avoidance operation based on instruction history information and operation state history information acquired from a storing section that stores the instruction history information and the operation state history information, the instruction history information indicating an instruction given to the processing section by the control section, the operation state history information indicating an operation state of the processing section caused by the instruction.

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.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a terminal device. The terminal device converts a document into first print data, generates a second hash value corresponding to second object data in first print data, generates second print data, when the second hash value accords with the first hash value in a first storage device, by substituting the second object data in the first print data with the first hash value, and transmits the second print data to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus substitutes, upon receipt of the second print data, the first hash value included in the second print data with the first object data corresponding to the first hash value and stored in the second storage device, generates second bitmap data by analyzing the second print data subjected to the substitution, and causes an image forming device to execute a printing operation.

An image forming system includes: an image forming apparatus having a priority paper feed source setting function and a print server that executes predetermined image processing, transmits image data after the image processing to the image forming apparatus, and causes the image forming apparatus to print an image based on the image data after the image processing. The print server (a) acquires a setting value of a priority paper feed source setting from the image forming apparatus, (b) specifies a print sheet orientation of a paper feed source designated as a priority paper feed source based on the acquired setting value, and (c) generates the image data after the image processing by matching an orientation of the image based on the image data after the image processing with an orientation corresponding to the specified print sheet orientation.

A print system includes a printing apparatus to print content according to a print job, and a server system to provide at least one of video information or still image information for an online class to a client terminal as distribution information. The client terminal receives notification information indicating that printable study material for an online class is present as the print content, and a print job for printing the study material is issued.

Systems and methods are disclosed for managing workload among server clusters is disclosed. According to certain embodiments, the system may include a memory storing instructions and a processor. The processor may be configured to execute the instructions to determine historical behaviors of the server clusters in processing a workload. The processor may also be configured to execute the instructions to construct cost models for the server clusters based at least in part on the historical behaviors. The cost model is configured to predict a processor utilization demand of a workload. The processor may further be configured to execute the instructions to receive a workload and determine efficiencies of processing the workload by the server clusters based at least in part on at least one of the cost models or an execution plan of the workload.