Patent ID: 8134754

Claim:
An image forming apparatus which executes an image creation on the basis of image creation data including a first document identifier, comprising: an input unit which inputs said image creation data including the first document identifier; a storing unit which previously stores one or more second document identifiers for limiting an output; a setting unit for receiving an entry of a new second document identifier in an input field, judging whether the new second document identifier is correct and i) displaying a message showing that the new second document identifier is incorrect if the new second document identifier is determined to be incorrect, or ii) setting the new second document identifier into the storing unit as one of the one or more second document identifiers if the new second document identifier is determined to be correct, wherein the setting unit further judges whether or not a correct page number has been inputted to a second input field and if the correct page number is not inputted to the second input field, a message showing that the page number is incorrect is displayed; a discriminating unit which discriminates permission or inhibition of the output on the basis of said one or more second document identifiers stored in said storing unit and said first document identifier included in the inputted image creation data, wherein the setting unit accepts an input including a wild card indicative of an arbitrary character train as a second document identifier, wherein, when the wild card is not included in the second document identifier, the discriminating unit discriminates about coincidence or dissidence between the first document identifier and the second document identifier, and if the first document identifier does not coincide with the second document identifier, the discriminating unit determines that the printing is not permitted, and if the first document identifier coincides with the second document identifier, the discriminating unit determines that the printing is permitted, and wherein, when the wild card is included in the second document identifier, the discriminating unit discriminates about coincidence or dissidence between the first document identifier and the second document identifier by regarding each character of the arbitrary character train as being coincident with a corresponding character of the first document identifier, and if the first document identifier is discriminated as being dissident from the second document identifier, the discriminating unit determines that the printing is not permitted, and if the first document identifier is discriminated as being coincident with the second document identifier, the discriminating unit determines that the printing is permitted.