Print control method and image forming apparatus determines skip permission conditions to execute print processing for confidential job data

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a communication device,
• a printing device,
• a storage device,
• a user authentication processing device, and
• a confidential print control unit, wherein
• the communication device is capable of receiving job data including print data,
• the printing device is capable of executing print processing based on the print data,
• the storage device is capable of storing the print data,
• the user authentication processing device is capable of executing user authentication processing,
• when the communication device receives confidential job data including the print data and submission destination designation data for designating a submission destination, the confidential print control unit stores the confidential job data in the storage device, and thereafter, when user authentication corresponding to the submission destination designation data is successful, makes the printing device execute print processing based on the print data of the confidential job data,
• the user authentication processing device executes user authentication processing for collating input authentication data, having been input, with a plurality of pieces of registration authentication data in registration user data registered in advance,
• when the submission destination designation data of the confidential job data requested to be executed includes a plurality of pieces of user designation data assigned with prioritization orders, the confidential print control unit determines whether skip permission conditions set in advance for each of the plurality of pieces of user designation data are satisfied, thereby specifying the user designation data falling within a print permission range according to the prioritization orders, and makes the printing device execute confidential print control for the user designation data within the print permission range, and
• the confidential print control unit causes the printing device to execute the print processing for the confidential job data on condition that the input authentication data by which the user authentication processing is successful matches data corresponding to the user designation data among the plurality of pieces of registration authentication data.