PRIORITY INTERRUPT DURING EDITING MODE

A document copier, having a copier operation that includes image editing for inputting data of a production run, which data both (1) specifies special features and (2) defines areas of an original document for treatment by the special features. An interrupt mode interrupts the image editing and the image forming so that a job of higher priority can be processed. The special features specifying data and the area defining data of a production run are stored only for areas which are completely defined at the time of interrupt of the copier operation. The higher priority job is limited to a single image frame such that duplex copies and multi-color copies which require more than one image frame to produce are excluded. A job image buffer capable of holding a predetermined amount of data is provided. The interrupt operation is disabled when there is insufficient space in the job image buffer for storing the data for the higher priority job. Data for the higher priority job is erased from the job image buffer after only one copy is produced, whereby multiple copies of said high priority job cannot be produced.