Providing enhanced utilization of printing devices in a cluster printing environment

Systems and methods for redirecting all or part of a print job to one or more alternate printing devices in a local, remote or network printing environment, prior to or after the print job has been despooled to a printing device. Implementation takes place in association with one or more print jobs initiated for rendering in a printing environment. In at least one implementation, a method is provided for selectively allocating at least a portion of a print job from a lead printing device to an alternate printing device, the method comprising the steps for providing a printer cluster that includes a lead printing device and one or more alternate printing devices; identifying an availability of the alternate printing devices; identifying one or more capabilities of the alternate printing devices; and receiving print job distribution input at the lead printing device to determine distribution of a print job, wherein the print job is distributed at the lead printing device, and wherein the print job distribution is from the lead printing device or a client computer device.