An image recording apparatus is shared by a plurality of users. A host computer
obtains information concerning a sheet discharge bin of discrimination names and
the like registered in the image recording apparatus by requested it to the image
recording apparatus. A mail box sheet discharge designation screen, based on the
obtained information concerning a sheet discharge bin, allows each user to designate
a plurality of sheet discharge addresses for each page of printing data and the
number of sheet discharge copies via the mail box sheet discharge designation screen.
The host computer prepares a printing job by including instructions based on operations
from users including each designation in one printing job and transmits the printing
job to the image recording apparatus. The image recording apparatus prepares page
information for a plurality of discrimination names designated by a page unit of
printing data included in one printing job received from the host computer and,
at the same time, retrieves a sheet discharge port in which a same discrimination
name as the plurality of discrimination names to designate each retrieved sheet
discharge port, and discharges the designated number of sheet discharge copies
corresponding to each prepared page information.
