A computer-implemented method for providing a user tip during a running of an application is provided. The method includes: determining, by a computer processor, whether a user interface display screen displayed or to be displayed during the running of the application is similar to a screen template with which a tip object is associated; and responsive to a positive result of the determination, outputting, by the processor, an element defined by the tip object during the running of the application. The screen template to which the user interface display screen is determined to be similar to is also determined to be similar to other different user interface display screens.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a cleaning device detachably provided on a main assembly to clean toner remaining on the image bearing member, a main assembly feeding portion detachably provided on the main assembly to feed the toner discharged from the cleaning device, a collecting container detachably provided on the main assembly to collect the toner discharged from the main assembly feeding portion, a control portion, and an operating portion capable of inputting a predetermined instruction to the operating portion. Without an image forming operation based on the predetermined instruction, the control portion performs a discharging operation in which the main assembly feeding portion is caused to be driven to discharge the toner inside of the main assembly feeding portion.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus. In the image forming apparatus, a first controller designates consumable items that can supply a consumable material, as valid consumable items, generates consumable item setting information indicating the valid consumable items, causes a first communication device to transmit the consumable item setting information to the information processing apparatus, generates consumption information of the valid consumable items, when the first communication device receives a request for the consumption information, and causes the first communication device to transmit the consumption information to the information processing apparatus. In the information processing apparatus, a second controller causes a second communication device to transmit the request for the consumption information to the image forming apparatus, and stores the consumption information of each of the valid consumable items in a storage device, when the second communication device receives the consumption information.

A method of controlling a printing system including a printing apparatus that prints an image on a sheet and a charge eliminating apparatus that performs a charge eliminating process on the sheet on which the image is printed includes measuring an amount of charge on the sheet that has undergone the charge eliminating process performed by the charge eliminating apparatus, and displaying a message prompting a user to change a setting for charge elimination to be performed by the charge eliminating apparatus in a case where the amount of charge on the sheet measured in the measuring does not fall within a predetermined range.

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of feeding decks each containing a recording sheet, a display unit, an image forming unit that forms an image on the recording sheet conveyed from one of the plurality of feeding decks, a scanning unit that scans the image formed by the image forming unit, one or more processors and one or more memories cooperating to perform control to display information about the plurality of feeding decks on the display unit and select a feeding deck from among the plurality of feeding decks based on a user instruction, and a diagnosis unit that diagnoses a defective part in the image forming unit based on the image formed on the recording sheet by the image forming unit, the recording sheet being conveyed from the selected feeding deck, the image being obtained by scanning by the scanning unit.

An image forming apparatus includes: a receiver that receives a manual input instruction via an operation device and a voice instruction via a microphone; and a controller that executes a job on the basis of setting received by the receiver. The controller performs switching between a manual input dedicated mode in which only a manual input instruction is received by the receiver and a voice input possible mode in which a voice input and a manual input instruction are received by the receiver, and when an operation screen for receiving an input of information, an input of which through a voice instruction is prohibited in advance, is displayed on a display device by a display controller, the controller performs switching to the manual input dedicated mode.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, an open/close member, and a notification unit, wherein the fixing unit is movable by a user's operation between a first position where image forming is performed and a second position different from the first position, in a state where the open/close member is opened, wherein in a case where a paper jam occurs during the image forming, the notification unit notifies the user to open the open/close member and remove a recording medium, and wherein in a case where the user moves the fixing unit from the first position to the second position or the image forming apparatus detects a start of moving the fixing unit to the second position after the user is notified, the notification unit notifies the user to remove the recording medium after returning the fixing unit to the first position.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, an acquisition processing portion, and a display processing portion. The image forming portion forms a target image on a sheet. The acquisition processing portion acquires a sheet image obtained by reading the sheet. The display processing portion superimposes the target image on the sheet image and displays the target image and the sheet image as a preview screen.

A print system prints an image on a sheet according to a print job, stores a reference image in a storage, generates a scanned image by reading a printed sheet, inspects an image on the printed sheet, and detects sheet outage in a paper feeding unit that is a feed source for the print job. In a case the print job is accompanied by inspection, the sheet outage is detected in the paper feeding unit that is the feed source, and the reference image is generated by using print data of the print job, a screen is displayed to select a paper feeding unit that stores sheets whose size matches a sheet size set for the paper feeding unit that is the feed source, regardless of whether a type of the sheets matches a sheet type set for the paper feeding unit that is the feed source.

An image forming apparatus including: a main body including an image former; a display that displays various setting screens; an operation acceptor that receives an operation from a user; a storage that stores therein values set by the user in initial setup and a sequence of processing related to predetermined initial operations; and one or more controllers that control the image former, the display, the operation acceptor, and the storage, wherein in a case where the initial operations are carried out in parallel with the initial setup while the display is displaying a screen for the initial setup, the controllers cause, upon determining that an issue that interrupts a predetermined initial operation among the initial operations has occurred, the display to display a screen indicating the issue that interrupts the predetermined initial operation with priority over the screen for the initial setup.