Patent ID: 8823956

Claim:
A print controller for use with a printing system including a printer having a plurality of resource saving functions capable of contributing to resource savings and a plurality of post-treatment functions for a print, at least one of the functions being able to be selected, the printer being adapted to start to perform printing in accordance with a print start instruction, with a selected function activated, the system further including a print data file generator for generating a print data file for the printing, one of the printer and the generator being adapted to control the printing according to stepwise print control instructions received from said print controller, said stepwise print control instructions comprising: a first step of waiting until at least one of the post-treatment functions is selected, or until the print start instruction is entered; a second step of determining whether a specific post-treatment function of the post-treatment functions is selected, when the print start instruction is detected; and a third step of enabling at least one of the resource saving functions to be selected only if the specific post-treatment function is not selected, and of starting the printing if the print start instruction is detected again after enabling at least one of the resource saving functions to be selected, wherein the post-treatment functions for a print are first post-treatment functions for a print involving treating the print mechanically, including at least a stapling, punching or folding of the print, and second post-treatment functions for a print involving physical manipulation thereof that does not mechanically alter the print by operations such as stapling, punching and folding of the same, the specific post-treatment function being one of the first post-treatment functions.