Patent ID: 8223354

Claim:
A printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit that prints an image; an operation unit that enables user operation; a communication unit that enables communication with a terminal device; a receiving unit that receives a command to execute print processing issued by at least a first user to said printing apparatus by operating said operation unit or said terminal device; an obtaining unit that obtains via a reading device user identification information based on which at least the first user is identified, wherein said reading device is connected to the printing apparatus and reads the user identification information from a portable recording medium; a notification unit that transmits a notification to a user address of at least the first user; and a controller that, where said receiving unit receives a confidential print command comprising a command for execution of print processing in a manner that will keep a printed matter confidential from other persons, where user identification information for the first user who issued said confidential print command is read by said reading device, when no print processing based on a command issued by a second user other than the first user who issued said confidential print command via the operation of said operation unit is being executed by said printing unit, executes the print processing pertaining to said confidential print command, and when print processing based on a command issued by the second user is being executed by said printing unit, controls said printing unit such that the execution of the print processing pertaining to said confidential print command is put on hold, and when the print processing based on a command issued by the second user is completed, controls said printing unit such that the execution of the print processing pertaining to said confidential print command is begun, wherein following completion of the print processing pertaining to said command issued by said second user via the operation of said operation unit, and before execution of the print processing pertaining to said confidential print command issued by the first user, the notification unit transmits the notification to the user address of the first user who issued said confidential print command for the print processing put on hold, the notification indicating that it is possible to begin said print processing put on hold.