Print server, print control system and print control method

A print control system in which a client device for transferring PDL data, a print server for receiving the PDL data and an image forming apparatus are connected with one another, through a communication network, the print server comprising:

• a RIP section for creating raster data by rasterizing the PDL data received from the client device;
• and
• a control section which compares a preparing time for an output when transferring the PDL data received from the client device to the image forming apparatus with a preparing time for the output when transferring the raster data created by the RIP section of the print server to the image forming apparatus, and transfers, to the image forming apparatus, one of the data which takes a shorter preparing time for the output,
• wherein the image forming apparatus comprises:
• a RIP section for creating the raster data by rasterizing the PDL data received from the print server;
• and
• a printer section for printing based on the raster data received from the print server or the raster data created by the RIP section of the image forming apparatus.

A print control method for a system in which a client device for transferring PDL data, a print server including a RIP section for creating raster data by rasterizing the PDL data, and an image forming apparatus including a RIP section for creating the raster data by rasterizing the PDL data are connected with one another through a communication network, the print control method comprising the steps, executed by the print server, of:

• receiving the PDL data from the client device;
• calculating the first required time period necessary for creating the raster data in the RIP section of the image forming apparatus and the second required time period necessary for creating the raster data in the RIP section of the print server, by referring to information, stored in advance, on processing capacities of the RIP section of the image forming apparatus and the RIP section of the print server;
• transferring the raster data created by the RIP section of the print server to the image forming apparatus when the first required time period is greater than the second required time period;
• and
• transferring the PDL data received from the client device to the image forming apparatus when the first required time period is equal to or smaller than the second required time period,
• wherein the print control method further comprises the steps, executed by the image forming apparatus, of:
• creating the raster data using the RIP section of the image forming apparatus when the PDL data has been received from the print server;
• and
• printing based on the raster data received from the print server or the raster data created by the RIP section of the image forming apparatus.

A print control method for a system in which a client device for transferring PDL data, a print server including a RIP section for creating raster data by rasterizing the PDL data, and an image forming apparatus including a RIP section for creating the raster data by rasterizing the PDL data are connected with one another through a communication network, the print control method comprising the steps, executed by the print server, of:

• receiving the PDL data from the client device;
• creating the raster data by rasterizing the received PDL data using the RIP section of the print server;
• storing the PDL data and the raster data;
• calculating the first required time period necessary for transferring the stored PDL data to the image forming apparatus and creating the raster data in the RIP section of the image forming apparatus and the second required time period necessary for transferring the stored raster data to the image forming apparatus by referring to information, stored in advance, on processing capacity of the RIP section of the image forming apparatus and on a data transfer capacity of the communication network when an instruction is given to print according to the stored data;
• transferring the stored raster data to the image forming apparatus when the first required time period is greater than the second required time period;
• and
• transferring the stored PDL data to the image forming apparatus when the first required time period is equal to or smaller than the second required time period,
• wherein the print control method further comprises the steps, executed by the image forming apparatus, of:
• creating the raster data using the RIP section of the image forming apparatus when the PDL data has been received from the print server;
• and
• printing based on the raster data received from the print server or the raster data created by the RIP section of the image forming apparatus.