A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing tray to place the sheet, a load tray provided on a downstream side of the processing tray in a transport direction, neat alignment plates provided outside a main body housing to shift in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction and to align opposite sides of the sheet, a sheet support surface provided in a different position adjacent to the processing tray to support a sheet inserted from a manual feed opening, a binding processing apparatus to perform binding processing on sheets placed on the sheet support surface, a regulation surface to regulate a side edge of the sheet located at a side of the load tray, and a width-direction drive mechanism to shift the neat alignment plates between an alignment position aligning a sheet on the load tray in the width direction and a retract position different from the alignment position.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing tray to place the sheet, a load tray provided on a downstream side of the processing tray in a transport direction, neat alignment plates provided outside a main body housing to shift in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction and to align opposite sides of the sheet, a sheet support surface provided in a different position adjacent to the processing tray to support a sheet inserted from a manual feed opening, a binding processing apparatus to perform binding processing on sheets placed on the sheet support surface, a regulation surface to regulate a side edge of the sheet located at a side of the load tray, and a width-direction drive mechanism to shift the neat alignment plates between an alignment position aligning a sheet on the load tray in the width direction and a retract position different from the alignment position.

Provided is a finisher including a post-processor and an online suppliers. The post processor including a binding path, a binding unit to perform any one or combination of processes of a saddle stitching process and a folding process on a sheet-type medium on the binding path, and a manual supply slot to manually be supplied with the sheet-type medium towards the binding path. The online supplier to receive the sheet-type medium from an external device and supply the sheet-type medium to the binding path. A housing accommodating the post-processor and the online supplier and including an online supply slot to receive the sheet-type medium through the online supply slot from the external device.

Provided is a finisher including a post-processor and an online suppliers. The post processor including a binding path, a binding unit to perform any one or combination of processes of a saddle stitching process and a folding process on a sheet-type medium on the binding path, and a manual supply slot to manually be supplied with the sheet-type medium towards the binding path. The online supplier to receive the sheet-type medium from an external device and supply the sheet-type medium to the binding path. A housing accommodating the post-processor and the online supplier and including an online supply slot to receive the sheet-type medium through the online supply slot from the external device.

A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a first sheet conveyance passage, a second sheet conveyance passage, a sheet folding portion, and a merging portion. The second sheet conveyance passage branches off from a branch portion on the first sheet conveyance passage. The merging portion is located downstream of the branch portion on the first sheet conveyance passage, and there a folding conveyance passage of the sheet folding portion merges with the first sheet conveyance passage. When performing a folding process on a sheet, a controller guides the sheet conveyed from a sheet introduction port into the first sheet conveyance passage via the branch portion to the second sheet conveyance passage, then reverses the conveyance direction to guide the sheet to the sheet folding portion to perform the folding process, and passes the sheet through the folding conveyance passage, merges the sheet into the first sheet conveyance passage at the merging portion.

A system and method for assembling booklets in document finishers such as saddle staplers includes first and second opposed rollers configured to receive an edge of a stapled crease of a stack of printed documents. The rollers apply both heat and pressure to the crease to form a tight fold. A second set of rollers provides further heat and pressure to the fold to increase tightness even further. Pressure and temperature of one or both roller sets is controllable to accommodate paper stacks having different numbers of pages or different paper characteristics.

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a printing engine, a paddle device, a stapler device, and a processor. The printing engine is to form an image on a printing paper. The paddle device is to move the printing paper ejected from the printing engine in a moving direction to align a first end of the printing paper. The stapler device is to staple the align printing paper. The processor is to control the paddle device and the stapler device to move a second end of the aligned printing paper in an opposite direction to the moving direction when the first end of the printing paper is aligned.

In case of simultaneously performing a punching process and a finishing process other than the punching process in an image forming apparatus, in order to prevent an unnecessary (ineffectual) finishing process from being performed, an information processing controller unit of a multifunction peripheral performs control of permitting to set in combination a double-punching center setting and a bookbinding setting, and of prohibiting to set in combination a punch setting, other than the double-punching center setting, and the bookbinding setting.

A post-processing device includes a processing tray on which a medium on which recording was performed by a recording unit is loaded, a rear end alignment unit that aligns a rear end (an example of an end portion) of the medium on the processing tray, a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on the medium aligned by the rear end alignment unit, and a pressing member that presses the rear end of the medium. The post-processing unit is configured to be movable. The pressing member is provided to be rotatable in conjunction with movement of the post-processing unit, in a state in which the pressing member is in contact with the medium aligned by the rear end alignment unit.

A post-processing apparatus includes a binding device, a closing device, a driver, and a changeover switch. The binding device binds a sheet bundle. The closing device closes an entrance to a binding position at which the binding device binds the sheet bundle. The driver moves the closing device to a closing position to close the entrance. The switch performs switching to implement a state in which the binding device is able to bind the sheet bundle when the closing device moves to the closing position. The closing device includes an avoidance operation portion to move to the closing position to operate the switch, and a drive coupler coupled to the avoidance operation portion to move the avoidance operation portion to the closing position. A coupling state between the avoidance operation portion and the drive coupler is released when movement of the avoidance operation portion to the closing position is prevented.