Systems and methods are described according to the present invention by
which users operating in an arrangement wherein all documents to be
printed are sent to a central print station remote from the users and
their computers. The invention permits a user in such an environment to
determine whether a document desired to be printed may be accorded and
maintained as a private document or not. If the job is not "private", the
remote printer proceeds to print the job. If the job is "private", a
unique privacy token is generated at the user's computer and made
available to the user. The print job goes into a special queue and the
user goes to the printer at the central print station and checks to see
whether his particular job is displayed on the printer panel. If so, the
user enters the privacy token PIN on the printer keyboard and the printer
initiates processing of the job while the user is present, thus assuring
the privacy nature of the document.