Page Counting

When a print job is received from PrintService, the data stream is analyzed. This enables a determination to be made as to whether it is a color print (at least one color page is included), how many B/W and how many color pages are included, the paper size, finishing options, etc.

If there are images embedded in pages, for performance reasons, these data are not fully analyzed to find out whether these are color or B/W images. In this case, one color page is always assumed. However, when printing on a device with an Embedded Client, the device determines whether the page is color or B/W and transmits the correct values to IQ4docs with page accuracy (see Exact Page Billing).

By default, all pages of a print job are analyzed. If printing problems occur in connection with the driver and the size of the print job (possibly more than 1,000 pages), the analysis can also be limited to fewer pages, see Special configuration settings.

As soon as the entire print job has been transmitted to the device, the entire job is billed. After the print job has been completely transmitted to the device, it is deleted from the file system. At this point, the job is considered to have been printed and it is fully billed accordingly.

Full billing is used for all devices without the Embedded Client.

To be able to use exact page billing, the Embedded Client must be in use on the corresponding device.

When using exact page billing with the Embedded Client, the device generates events for the pages printed which can then be recognized by the Embedded Client and be associated with a IQ4docs print job. Blank pages might not be recognized by the device and consequently no events will be sent to the Embedded Client and it will not be possible to bill these pages. This is the reason why it is also possible for duplex pages to counted as simplex. Furthermore, device settings which can affect the time of counting must also be taken into account. For example, for some Kyocera devices, the U parameter 260 can be used to specify when counting should take place. If the device is set so that the sheet is counted already as it leaves the paper tray, but a paper jam occurs afterward, the jammed sheets are billed as well.

At the end of the print job, the pages detected are billed. If the print job is canceled on the device prematurely, the pages printed up until then are billed. If the network connection between server and device is lost, no billing will take place.

Pay attention to the previous information about the peculiarities of billing with the Embedded Client. Depending on the settings of the device, pages are billed at different times.