Apparatus and method for print job redirection

A printing device comprising:

• a printing module configured to generate an image on media;
• a network interface configured to communicate with at least one other printing device;
• a controller coupled to the printing module and the network interface, the controller configured to control operations of the printing device;
• and
• a print job preference module coupled to the controller, the print job preference module configured to provide print job forwarding preference options, where the print job forwarding preference options include options for print job preferences based on printing device capabilities and where the print job preference module is configured to receive print job forwarding preferences, where the print job forwarding preferences include at least one mandatory print job preference that specifies a mandatory printing device capability for a specific print job and include at least one desirable print job preference that specifies a desirable printing device capability for the specific print job,
• wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the specific print job requires forwarding from the printing device to another printing device and configured to forward the specific print job for printing if the specific print job requires forwarding.

A computer-readable medium, comprising:

• a computer-usable data carrier storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by a controller, causing the controller to control a printing device by:
• providing print job forwarding preference options, where the print job forwarding preference options include options for print job preferences based on printing device capabilities;
• receiving print job forwarding preferences at the printing device, where the print job forwarding preferences include at least one mandatory print job preference that specifies a mandatory printing device capability for a specific print job and include at least one desirable print job preference that specifies a desirable printing device capability for the specific print job;
• determining whether the specific print job requires forwarding from the printing device to another printing device;
• and
• forwarding the specific print job for printing if the specific print job requires forwarding.