Method and apparatus for routing pages to printers in a multi-print engine as a function of print job parameters

An apparatus for routing print jobs in a multi-engined printing system, according to print job parameters of a plurality of multi-page documents, comprising:

• means for configuring a virtual printer with a plurality of individual print engines, each print engine having associated printing characteristics;
• means for storing bit-mapped images, each formed of page data representing a page in a document downloaded from a print file and rendered into bit-mapped images and having print job parameters associated therewith in print buffers associated with said multi-engined printing system;
• and
• means for distributing said bit-mapped images to select ones of said print engines based upon matching ones of the print job parameters associated with said bit-mapped images with said printing characteristics of said print engine to be selected, the ones of the print job parameters only discernible after rendering.