Method and apparatus for redirecting print job requests to digital alternatives

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for redirecting a print job request, the operations comprising:

• receiving the print job request;
• converting the print job request into a format of a digital alternative before the print job request is sent to a print spooler to be analyzed, wherein the format comprises a portable document format;
• analyzing the print job request to obtain one or more print job parameters;
• applying one or more print rules to the one or more print job parameters to determine that the print job request should be redirected to the digital alternative, wherein the applying comprises:
• determining a cost of the print job request based on the one or more print job parameters;
• and
• determining that the cost is greater than a cost threshold of the one or more print rules;
• providing an option to redirect the print job request to the digital alternative in response to the cost of the print job request being greater than the cost threshold;
• and
• providing the digital alternative when the option to redirect the print job request to the digital alternative is selected, wherein a client on an endpoint device performs the receiving, the converting, the analyzing, the applying, the providing the option and the providing the digital alternative before the print job request is sent to a printer.

A method for redirecting a print job request, comprising:

• receiving, by a processor, the print job request;
• converting, by the processor, the print job request into a digital alternative in a portable electronic document format before the print job request is sent to a print spooler to be analyzed for reading the digital alternative at a later time, for sharing the digital alternative electronically with another user or annotating the digital alternative;
• storing, by the processor, the digital alternative in an endpoint device of a requestor of the print job request without showing the digital alternative to the requestor;
• analyzing, by the processor, the print job request to obtain one or more print job parameters;
• applying, by the processor, one or more print rules to the one or more print job parameters to determine that the print job request should be redirected to the digital alternative due to a violation of a cost threshold or a potential security breach associated with the one or more print rules;
• providing, by the processor, an option to redirect the print job request to the digital alternative in response to a cost of the print job request violating the cost threshold or the potential security breach;
• providing, by the processor, the digital alternative that was previously stored when the option to redirect the print job request to the digital alternative is selected;
• deleting, by the processor, the print job request from a print queue;
• and
• notifying, by the processor, the requestor that the print job request was not printed, wherein a client on an endpoint device performs the receiving, the converting, the storing, the analyzing, the applying, the providing the option, the providing the digital alternative, the deleting and the notifying before the print job request is sent to a printer.