Print server, printing system, and computer program product configured to send print data to an image forming apparatus based on obtained designation of the image forming apparatus

A printing system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a print server connected to the plurality of image forming apparatuses via a network, the printing system comprising:

• a print-command acquisition unit configured to acquire a print command containing designation of one of the image forming apparatuses as a printing-assigned apparatus, to which printing is assigned, and designation of to-be-printed data;
• a determining unit configured to,
• determine whether or not the printing-assigned apparatus is defined in advance as a speed-oriented apparatus, the speed-oriented apparatus being an image forming apparatus that is to put a high priority on processing speed, and
• determine whether or not the printing-assigned apparatus is defined in advance as a decompression-capable apparatus, the decompression-capable apparatus being an image forming apparatus capable of decompressing compressed data;
• a raster image processing unit configured to, when the printing-assigned apparatus is not the speed-oriented apparatus, obtain rasterized data by performing raster image processing on the to-be-printed data designated in the print command and written in a page description language;
• a compressing unit configured to compress data based on whether or not the determining unit determines the printing-assigned apparatus is defined in advance as a decompression-capable apparatus;
• and
• a transmitting unit configured to transmit any one of the rasterized data and the to-be-printed data to the printing-assigned apparatus in such a manner that when the printing-assigned apparatus is not the speed-oriented apparatus, the transmitting unit transmits the rasterized data, whereas when the printing-assigned apparatus is the speed-oriented apparatus, the transmitting unit transmits the to-be-printed data,
• wherein, the printing system is configured such that:
• when the printing-assigned apparatus is the decompression-capable apparatus but is not the speed-oriented apparatus, the compressing unit compresses the rasterized data, whereas when the printing-assigned apparatus is the decompression-capable apparatus and also is the speed-oriented apparatus, the compressing unit compresses the to-be-printed data.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium that contains a computer program having instructions that, when executed by a computer connected to a plurality of image forming apparatuses via a network and including a storage unit that stores a speed-oriented apparatus that is to put a high priority on processing speed, cause the computer to function as:

• a print-command acquisition unit configured to acquire a print command containing designation of one of the image forming apparatuses as a printing-assigned apparatus, to which printing is assigned, and designation of to-be-printed data;
• a determining unit configured to,
• determine whether or not the printing-assigned apparatus is defined in advance as the speed-oriented apparatus, and
• determine whether or not the printing-assigned apparatus is defined in advance as a decompression-capable apparatus;
• a raster image processing unit configured to, when the printing-assigned apparatus is not the speed-oriented apparatus, obtain rasterized data by performing raster image processing on the to-be-printed data designated in the print command and written in a page description language;
• a compressing unit configured to compress data based on whether or not the determining unit determines the printing-assigned apparatus is defined in advance as a decompression-capable apparatus;
• and
• a transmitting unit configured to transmit any one of the rasterized data and the to-be-printed data to the printing-assigned apparatus in such a manner that when the printing-assigned apparatus is not the speed-oriented apparatus, the transmitting unit transmits the rasterized data, whereas when the printing-assigned apparatus is the speed-oriented apparatus, the transmitting unit transmits the to-be-printed data,
• wherein the computer program includes further instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to function such that,
• when the printing-assigned apparatus is the decompression-capable apparatus but is not the speed-oriented apparatus, the compressing unit compresses the rasterized data, whereas when the printing-assigned apparatus is the decompression-capable apparatus and also is the speed-oriented apparatus, the compressing unit compresses the to-be-printed data.