Patent ID: 8218171

Claim:
A printing system that accepts an order for photo prints and makes the photo prints, the system comprising: a reading unit that reads out a plurality of image data files recorded on a recording medium; a display that displays thereon an order screen containing at least one of a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of image data files read out by the reading unit; an inputting unit to be used for inputting order information containing the number of prints for an image being displayed on the display; a printing unit that prints on a paper an image to which the order information is given; and a print making control unit that controls the printing unit such that a photo print on the paper is made for at least one of the images displayed on the display, and to which the order information to request prints has been given, before the order information to request all of the prints has been completed; wherein the print making control unit controls such that photo prints are made each time when a new order screen is displayed first after the total number of images for each of which order information to request prints has been input with the inputting unit, reaches the first predetermined number; an image data storage section that stores image data files corresponding to at least one of the images to each of which order information has been given, in at least one of data folders; an order information storage section that stores therein order information; a storage control section that controls the image data storage section to store therein the image data file corresponding to the at least one of the images to each of which order information has been given, and controls the order information storage section to store therein order information corresponding to the at least one of the image data files stored in the image data storage section, before an order is determined for the at least one of the images to each of which order information has been given; a status information storage section that stores therein status information as to whether or not print processing has been started for image data files corresponding to images to each of which order information to request one or more prints has been given, of the image data files stored in each data folder provided in the image data storage section; and a judging section that judges, on the basis of status information being stored in the status information storage section, whether or not at least one of order information being stored in the order information storage section, and storage contents of the data folder, can be changed.