Image forming apparatus that notifies a server, based on data size information, whether a portable document format is supported, and related method of controlling printing and printing system

A control method of controlling an image processing apparatus communicable with a saver and using an image forming unit to print an image from a print job on a sheet, the apparatus comprising a controller having a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to perform the control method, the control method comprising:

• executing a process for obtaining, from the server, (i) a print job including print data, (ii) data size information of the print data, the data size information not including print data in a Portable Document Format (PDF) format, and (iii) size information of the print job, the size information not including print data of the print job;
• initially providing a notification indicating that both of a PDF formal and a format that is different from the PDF format are supported, wherein the image processing apparatus waits for receipt of complete print data of a print job in the PDF format before performing image processing, and the image processing apparatus is capable of starting the image processing before receipt of complete print data of a print job in the format that is different from the PDP format;
• providing, after obtaining the data size Information, an updated notification to the server in a case in which the obtained data size information indicates a data size that is greater than a predetermined size, wherein the update notification is used to indicate that the PDF format is not supported, but the format that is different from the PDF format is supported, to the server, wherein the image processing apparatus is capable of stating the image processing before receipt of the complete data of the print job in the format that is different from the PDF format;
• and
• providing a notification indicating that both of the PDF format and the format that is different from the PDF are supported again, after the updated notification is provided to the server, in a case in which, the obtained data size information indicates a data size that is greater than the predetermined size, and after printing the image from the print job.

An image forming system comprising:

• (A) an image processing apparatus;
• and
• (B) a server configured to communicate with the image processing apparatus, the server including:
• (a) a memory that stores instructions;
• and
• (b) a server controller having a processor that executes the instructions stored on the memory to function as:
• (i) a transmitting unit configured to transmit data size information of print data in a Portable Document Format (PDF) format generated based on a specific document, based on information indicating that the image processing apparatus supports at least the PDF format;
• and
• (ii) an obtaining unit configured to obtain a print job including print data, and data size information that (1) includes print data in a format that is different from the PDF format, and (2) is generated based on the specific document, based on information indicating that the image processing apparatus does not support the PDF format, but does support the format that is different from the PDF format,
• wherein the image processing apparatus comprises:
• (a) a memory that stores instructions;
• and
• (b) an apparatus controller having a processor that executes the instructions to function as:
• (i) an obtaining unit configured to obtain, from the server, the print job and the data size information of the print data, the data size information not including the print data in the PDF format;
• and
• (ii) a notification unit configured:
• (1) to initially provide a notification indicating that both of a PDF format and a format that is different from the PDF format are supported;
• and
• (2) to provide, after receiving the data size information, an updated notification to the server in a case in which the obtained data size information indicates a data size that is greater than a predetermined size, wherein the updated notification indicates that the PDF format is not supported, but the format that is different from the PDF format is supported.