Control system for forming and outputting image, control apparatus for forming and outputting image, and recording medium storing a control program for forming and outputting image

An image output control apparatus used in a control system for forming and outputting an image, in which the image output control apparatus on which a program to use an image forming apparatus from an information processing apparatus is installed cooperates with another information processing apparatus on which a program to use the image forming apparatus is installed and instructs the image forming apparatus to form and output the image, comprising:

• an intermediate data storage processor to acquire an image to be output, acquire intermediate data as print data in a format supported by multiple software modules, and store the intermediate data in predetermined storage area by spooling the print data;
• an intermediate data acquisition unit to acquire the intermediate data via a software module during spooling of the print data;
• an additional processor to execute an additional process in outputting the image based on the acquired intermediate data;
• a print job generation controller to instruct a print job generator that generates a print job to instruct the image forming apparatus to execute forming and outputting the image to generate the print job based on the intermediate data.

A non-transitory recording medium storing a program that, when executed by a computer, causes a processor to implement a method of controlling a system for forming and outputting an image, in which an image output control apparatus on which a program to use an image forming apparatus from an information processing apparatus is installed cooperates with another information processing apparatus on which a program to use the image forming apparatus is installed and instructs the image forming apparatus to form and output the image, the method comprising:

• acquiring an image to be output and generate intermediate data as print data in format supported by multiple software modules;
• storing the generated intermediate data in a predetermined storage area by a spooling process of the print data;
• acquiring the intermediate data via a software module that stores the intermediate data during spooling of the print data;
• executing an additional process in outputting the image based on the acquired intermediate data;
• generating a print job to instruct the image forming apparatus to execute forming and outputting the image;
• and
• instructing to generate the print job based on the intermediate data.