A method for controlling the order of print operations for a printer comprises the following steps of: determining whether a printer engine is performing a print operation if print operation information has been received from one or more computers connected to a network; storing the print operation information if the printer engine is performing the print operation; requesting a computer that has transmitted the print operation information to transmit print data if the printer engine is not performing the print operation, and initializing a counter if the print data is received from the computer; counting a print time period and determining whether the counted time period exceeds a predetermined print time period; detecting print operation information, which satisfies a predetermined condition, from stored print operation information if a counted time period exceeds a predetermined print time period; stopping temporarily the print operation for the print data transmitted from the computer if the print operation information which satisfies a predetermined condition is detected, and receiving print data from the computer and printing the print data; receiving continuously print data from the computer and resuming the temporarily stopped print operation, if the print operation is completed.
When a printing requirement is made, in the case where the internal temperature of a printer is equal to or lower than 40.degree. C., print data is to be generated using a LUT for a normal state (S170), while in the case where the temperature is higher than 40.degree. C., the user is allowed to select a subsequent operation via a high-temperature state selection screen (S120 and S130). When a print continuation button is pressed, print data is to be generated using a LUT for a high-temperature state (S180), while when a print standby button is pressed, a cooling command is to be sent out, and then print data is to be generated using the LUT for a normal state after waiting until the internal temperature becomes lower than 40.degree. C. (S140 to S170).
A printer server is connected to a plurality of terminals. The printer server includes a terminal status detecting unit that receives a piece of operation information `key` indicating that a operation has been performed from each terminal, measures an elapsed time since each piece of operation information `key` was received by referring to a timer, and sets a non-operational status `status` for each terminal according to the length of the elapsed time, a priority determining unit that determines a priority level from the non-operational status `status`, and a print job processing unit that has print job processing performed by, when a plurality of print jobs are waiting to be processed, giving preference to print jobs transmitted from terminals with higher priority levels.
