An information processing apparatus includes circuitry to control a display to display a setting screen for a background pattern that allows a user to designate a special consumable material as a color to be used for information specified as the background pattern; generate print data using the designated special consumable material; and transmit the print data to an image forming apparatus.

An image forming method and apparatus, includes setting a processing order of a plurality of operations of a same image data and detailed setup information of the plurality of operations, and executing the plurality of operations using the detailed setup information according to the set processing order.

An image processing apparatus includes: a controller configured to: control a reader to read an image on a reading medium; determine whether a preview image corresponding to the read image is to be displayed on a display, based on a setting value for a setting item, reading-obtained information, or the setting value and the reading-obtained information, in a case where the controller determines that the preview image is to be displayed, control the display to display the preview image, and execute a particular processing based on obtained read-image data in a case where a processing instruction is input after the preview image is displayed; and in a case where the controller determines that the preview image is not to be displayed, execute the particular processing based on the read-image data without displaying the preview image.

An image forming apparatus includes an image former, an informing unit, and a hardware processor. The image former prints an image on continuous paper by: forming an electrostatic latent image on an image holder based on image information of a job; developing the electrostatic latent image with toner, thereby forming a toner image on the image holder; and transferring the toner image onto the continuous paper. Based on the image information of the job, the hardware processor calculates a coverage of the image to be printed on the continuous paper. Based on the calculated coverage, the hardware processor determines a continuously printable distance on the continuous paper. The hardware processor causes the informing unit to inform a user of the continuously printable distance before the image former starts the printing.

An image forming apparatus includes circuitry to acquire a voice instructing to set a plurality of setting items to be used for executing image forming, control a display to display a setting screen indicating a plurality of setting items having been set using one or more keywords recognized from the voice instructing to set the plurality of setting items, and perform image forming based on the plurality of setting items having been set based on the voice.

An image processing apparatus capable of shifting to a power saving mode. The image processing apparatus includes a storing unit configured to store a document in a storage device, a notification unit configured to periodically notify an apparatus of a predetermined destination of information about a document that has been newly stored by the storing unit into the storage device, and a control unit configured to restrict shifting to a power saving mode in which the notification unit cannot make the notification after storage of a document by the storing unit has been completed and until the notification unit notifies at least information about the document.

A printing apparatus capable of producing a product having the optimum image layout dependent on a discharge destination even when saddle-stitching is canceled due to input of image data for sheets in excess of a limit of a saddle-stitchable number of sheets. The number of output sheets per one copy is calculated based on image data. When the number of output sheets per one copy exceeds a saddle-stitchable number of sheets, it is selected whether to perform the center folding processing on the sheets on which images are printed without performing the saddle stitching processing thereon or to perform neither the saddle stitching processing nor the center folding processing on the sheets on which images are printed.

An image processing apparatus receives a number of pages to be included in one file from a user, and reads an original. The image communication apparatus divides image data of the read original at each set of the received number of pages, and creates a file including the image data for each division of the divided image data.

A post-processing apparatus that performs, by one or more functional units which can be switched one another, predetermined post-processing corresponding to a function of the one or more functional units on a conveyed paper includes: a plurality of slots in which the one or more functional units can be loaded at respective loading positions along a conveyance path; a loading detector that detects that the one or more functional units are loaded in the slots; and a condition output part that outputs a condition that allows the post-processing depending on the loading positions of the slots in which the one or more functional units are loaded.

An image forming apparatus which prevents a user from being confused when print data comprised of a plurality of sections is printed by the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is able to perform test printing of print data for which a plurality of copies are to be printed. Whether or not a plurality of sections are included in selected print data is determined, and when it is determined that a plurality of sections are included in the selected print data, execution of the test printing is restricted.