Patent ID: 8270007

Claim:
A method for processing a print job implemented in a print job management apparatus for managing a plurality of printing devices, the method comprising: (a) receiving a print job, the print job specifying job ticket parameters representing printing requirements; (b) determining whether the job ticket parameters match settings of each of one or more pre-defined groups, wherein each group defines a printing device to print jobs assigned to that group; (c) if the job ticket parameters match the settings of a pre-defined group, assigning the print job to the matching group; (d1) for each of the plurality of printing devices, determining whether the printing device satisfies all printing requirements of the print job; (d2) from all printing devices that are determined to satisfy all printing requirements of the print job, selecting a printing device based on a priority preference of printing devices pre-defined by an operator; and (d3) submitting the print job to the selected printing device for printing; wherein steps (d1), (d2) and (d3) are performed if the job ticket parameters do not match the setting of any pre-defined group.