Print Accounting allows you to validate, capture, and track cost-accounting information with each print job as the user prints it. Information obtained through Print Accounting is logged with other information in the Print Processing Log. You can use the print accounting information for these and other tasks:
You can configure print queues to require that Macintosh users enter accounting codes before printers will accept jobs from them. You decide how many accounting codes are required for each print queue, the names of the codes, and whether the codes are optional or required. When codes are required, Macintosh users cannot print a job until codes are entered. You may allow clients to browse a list of valid accounting codes or pick from the most recently used codes on their computer.
Each print accounting code is associated with a text file that contains valid codes and descriptions—for example, an employee number/name ( 2312, Jane Smith), or project number/name ( Q98331A, Mockup for Acme Corp Annual Report). When clients print to a queue, they are prompted to enter the print accounting codes based on the configuration on the server. Validation is performed against this text file when the client prints, so you can update these codes and descriptions on the server without having to reconfigure the client.