Patent ID: 8228514

Claim:
An information processing apparatus having a CPU and transmitting print data to an image forming apparatus connectable with a post processing apparatus performing a post process including a staple operation on a recording paper on which an image is formed, the information processing apparatus comprising: a storage unit configured to store a maximum acceptable number of sheets of the recording paper that can be processed by the post processing apparatus; a post process setting unit configured to set the post process to be performed by the post processing apparatus; a setting unit capable of setting a number of pages which are laid out on the recording paper; a determining unit configured to determine whether the post process can be performed for a printed material based on the print data according to a number of sheets of the printed material obtained based on the number of pages set by said setting unit and the print data and the maximum acceptable number stored in the storage unit; a layout setting candidate evaluating unit configured to evaluate one or more layout settings as candidates for printing of the print data, by calculating a number of sheets used for printing the print data with each of the layout settings, and determining whether each layout setting limits the number of printed sheets to the maximum acceptable number; and a display control unit configured, in a case where the determining unit determines that the post process cannot be performed, to display one or more layout setting candidates that limit a number of sheets of the printed material based on the print data to the maximum acceptable number, and to display one or more layout setting candidates that do not limit the number of sheets of the printed material based on the print data to the maximum acceptable number, wherein the layout setting candidates that do limit the number of sheets to the maximum number are displayed in a manner that is different from a manner in which the layout setting candidates that do not limit the number of sheets to the maximum number are displayed.