Printing system and bottleneck obviation through print job sequencing

A printing method comprising:

• determining a plurality of sub-jobs within a continuous sequential job stream, each sub-job having a sequence of consecutive sheets as a portion of the continuous sequential job stream that corresponds to one print job, including a disproportionate page type and a dwell time;
• maintaining a system model of a printing system including a plurality of interconnected processing units, the system model indicating characteristics of each processing unit;
• scheduling the plurality of sub-jobs for processing in a first order into direct print and pre-print batches;
• processing the direct print and pre-print batches using the plurality of interconnected processing units whereby at least one pre-print batch is staged in a hopper and at least one direct print batch is transported sequentially to a destination;
• and,
• sequencing the sub-jobs in a second order whereby the at least one pre-print batch from said hopper is transferred independently through the plurality of interconnected processing units in its entirety to the destination wherein the sub-jobs are collated with one another.

A printing method comprising:

• determining a plurality of sub-jobs within a continuous sequential job stream, each sub-job having a sequence of consecutive sheets as a portion of the continuous sequential job stream corresponds to one print job, including a disproportionate page type and a dwell time;
• maintaining a system model of a printing system including a plurality of interconnected processing units, the system model indicating characteristics of each processing unit;
• comparing the dwell time of each of the plurality of sub-jobs;
• scheduling the plurality of sub-jobs for processing in a first order into direct print and pre-print batches whereby the overall dwell time is minimized for the job stream;
• processing the direct print and pre-print batches using the plurality of interconnected processing units whereby at least one pre-print batch is non-sequentially processed with at least another batch and, wherein the at least one pre-print batch is staged in a hopper and at least one direct print batch is transported to a destination;
• and,
• sequencing the sub-jobs in a second order whereby at least a selected one of the sub-jobs is processed as both a pre-print batch and a direct print batch.