Patent ID: 7667860

Claim:
A printing system for producing prints from a print job, comprising: a first digital front end capable of decomposing the print job; a second digital front end capable of decomposing the print job; an image path, communicating selectively with said first digital front end and said second digital front end, for receiving a decomposed print job from said first digital front end when said first digital front end and said image path are configured in a first mode, and for receiving a decomposed print job from said second digital front end when said second digital front end and said image path are configured in a second mode; and a selection system for disposing either said first digital front end and said image path in the first mode, or said second digital front end and said image path in the second mode, wherein said selection system includes a first logical gate and a second logical gate, and wherein said first digital front end and said image path are disposed in the first mode when a first signal is output from said first logical gate, and said second digital front end and said image path are disposed in the second mode when a second signal is output from said second logical gate.