| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique allowing for efficient print processing executed by a plurality of printers.SOLUTION: A print controller controls a number-of-copies cluster print job which executes printout for a plurality of copies by a plurality of printers. First, the number of print copies is temporarily calculated for each of a plurality of printers, 10a, 10b, and 10c. Then, consumption information associated with the residual amount of a consumable supply in each printer is acquired to predict the lack of the consumable supply. When the lack of a consumable supply (e.g. paper) is predicted in the printer 10b, one of operations CB1, CB2, and CB3 is determined as an optimal operation, CB1 for redistributing the residual number of print copies ("20 copies") in the printer 10b when the lack of consumable supply is generated, to at least a different printer, and outputting printed copies; and CB2 and CB3 for continuously outputting the residual number of print copies by the printer 10b itself, and outputting printed copies. In order to execute the optimal operation, the number of print copies for each of the plurality of printers is adjusted. |
