Patent ID: 7584242

Claim:
A printing control system comprising: a previewer that is activated by a first session for a first operator when the first operator has input an instruction of printing with a preview function from an application; a print processor that, when a preview mode is not set, reads print data from a spool file, and causes a printer graphic driver to generate data to be supplied to a printer and that, when the preview mode is set, reads print data from a spool file, causes the printer graphic driver to generate bitmap data causes said previewer activated by the first session to display the generated bitmap data as a preview image, temporarily stops a printing process without sending print data to a downstream module until an operator inputs a command to begin printing while said previewer activated by the first session is displaying the preview image, and sends the print data to the downstream module when the command to begin printing is input by the operator in response to the preview image displayed by said previewer activated by the first session; and a status monitor that is activated by a second session for a second operator when the second operator has input an instruction of printing from an application, communicates with a printer to display a status of the printer based on information obtained from the printer, issues a status request to said print processor, and displays a status indicating that said print processor is displaying the preview image when said print processor has transmitted a status indicating that said print processor is displaying the preview image responsive to the status request, wherein, when said print processor receives a request from said status monitor activated by the second session before the operator inputs the command to begin printing in response to the preview image displayed by said previewer activated by the first session during displaying the preview image, said print processor informs said status monitor activated by the second session that the preview image is being displayed.