Patent ID: 7564575

Claim:
An image forming apparatus having a printer unit which prints print data transmitted, and a printer controller which controls a printing operation of the printer unit, wherein the printer controller comprises: a first storage section to store registered division management identification information of a division which is to be permitted to print the print data; a detection section which detects input identification information added to a printing job at a printing request time of the printing job; a judgment section which judges whether or not the input identification information detected by the detection section agrees with the registered division management identification information stored in the first storage section; a first printing control section which permits the printer unit to print the printing job in a case where the judgment section judges that the information agree with each other and which does not permit the printing of the printing job at the time of disagreement; a second storage section which stores information of a division limited sheet number in order to manage the number of printed sheets with respect to the division; a second printing control section which counts the number of the printed sheets at the printing request time of the division and which judges whether or not the division limited sheet number stored in the second storage section is exceeded and which permits the printer unit to print the data within the limited sheet number and which does not permit the printer unit in a case where the limited sheet number is exceeded; a memory which stores a test page or a set page; and a control section which prints the test page or the set page when the detection section detects an input of special division management identification information wherein the divisional printing limitation is not applied when the input of the special division management identification information is detected.