SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING A SUBSTITUTE PAPER STOCK FOR UNAVAILABLE PAPER STOCK WHEN PRINTING A JOB

A process is provided for operating an electronic printing system at a job site for producing print jobs from image signals, the electronic printing system having programming means for inputting printing instructions for the print jobs and a plurality of supply trays for supplying print media, including the steps of: identifying stock characteristics currently available for loading in the print media supply trays when printing the print jobs; identifying stock characteristics potentially selectable but not available at the site for loading in the print media supply trays; mapping individual ones of the unavailable stock characteristics with at least one of the available stock characteristics; on input of a print job, comparing a requested stock characteristic of the print job with the stock characteristics available; and where the requested stock characteristic is unavailable, using the mapping step to substitute a corresponding available stock characteristic for the unavailable, requested stock characteristic.