An image scanning apparatus includes an image sensor to scan a manuscript, a transfer apparatus to pick up the manuscript and move the manuscript to a manuscript transfer path, and a loading apparatus to load the manuscript scanned by the image sensor. The loading apparatus includes a discharge tray to hold a discharged manuscript and a guide member to have one end rotatably disposed on the manuscript above an upper part of the discharge tray at an angle formed relative to the discharge tray based on a type of the manuscript.

A printing method for printing an image exceeding an available size constraint of a printer comprises the steps of: providing a digital raster image comprising a plurality of pixels, the raster image comprising color and height information for each pixel; providing an algorithm for determining an optimal division of the digital image into a plurality of parts based on the information of the plurality of pixels of the raster image; image processing of the raster image comprising the step of applying the algorithm to the raster image to obtain a plurality of partial images defined by a plurality of accompanying contours; providing a substrate; printing an obtained partial image; cutting a panel from the substrate in accordance with an accompanying contour of a partial image. The present invention further relates to a printed object manufactured with the invented method and to a printer comprising a controller configured for performing the invented method.

An image reading apparatus includes a first stacking unit, a feeding unit, a reading unit, a second stacking unit onto which a document whose image is read by the reading unit is discharged, a rotating shaft, and protrusions. The first stacking unit includes a sheet stacking surface on which the document is stacked and includes an abutment portion on which one end portion of the document abuts. The feeding unit feeds the document stacked on the first stacking unit in a feed direction. The reading unit reads an image of the document conveyed by the feeding unit. The rotating shaft extends in the feed direction and supports the first stacking unit so as to be rotationally movable. The protrusions extends in a direction at a predetermined angle with respect to the feed direction, is arranged on the sheet stacking surface, and protrudes from the sheet stacking surface.

A sheet cutting apparatus includes: a cutting unit that includes a plurality of cutting blades for cutting a sheet along a conveyance direction of the sheet, the plurality of cutting blades configured to be able to move to a cutting position and a retracted position; and a control unit. The plurality of cutting blades are provided at different positions in a widthwise direction that is perpendicular to the conveyance direction and a perpendicular direction perpendicular to a surface of the sheet. The control unit is configured to set a first cutting blade to the cutting position or the retracted position by changing a position in the perpendicular direction of the first cutting blade and set a second cutting blade to the cutting position or the retracted position by changing a position in the widthwise direction of the second cutting blade.

An image scanning apparatus includes an image sensor to scan a manuscript, a transfer apparatus to pick up the manuscript and move the manuscript to a manuscript transfer path, and a loading apparatus to load the manuscript scanned by the image sensor. The loading apparatus includes a discharge tray to hold a discharged manuscript and a guide member to have one end rotatably disposed on the manuscript above an upper part of the discharge tray at an angle formed relative to the discharge tray based on a type of the manuscript.

An image forming system includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry generates print image data to for printing a first image included in print job data, on a conveyance medium. The processing circuitry controls printing on the conveyance medium based on the print image data. The processing circuitry sets an area for printing a second image including identification information to identify each page of the conveyance medium, in a first area where the first image is not printed, to generate the print image data.

An image forming apparatus includes: a document reading device that reads a plurality of original documents on a document support surface in a batch; an individual image cutouter that cuts individual images of the original documents out of image data obtained by batch reading; a character recognizer that recognizes, for each individual image, characters in the individual image; a document determiner that determines, for each individual image, whether the recognized characters contain a type name; an acquirer that acquires, from the characters determined to contain the type name, a plurality of informative character strings associated one-to-one with a plurality of item names; a data generator that generates, for each individual image, a piece of document data in which the type name is associated with the plurality of acquired informative character strings; and a document data storage that stores the pieces of document data generated one for each individual image.

A recording device includes a recording unit configured to perform recording on a recording target medium, a first conveyance path that is a conveyance path of the recording target medium including an opposite position that faces the recording unit, and conveyance of the recording target medium in a first direction, a second conveyance path being coupled to the first conveyance path at a position downstream of the recording unit in the first direction, the second conveyance path being coupled to the first conveyance path also at a position upstream of the recording unit in the first direction and configured for conveyance of the recording target medium to the first conveyance path with a surface of the recording target medium inverted, and an insertion port configured to enable insertion of a recording target medium as an insertion material to the second conveyance path from outside.

A post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a processing tray, a post-processing section, a sensor, and a control section. A sheet supplied from an image forming apparatus is led into the processing tray through a lead-in path. The post-processing section applies post-processing to the sheet sent from the processing tray. The sensor detects an object passing a detection space in the lead-in path. The control section controls operation of the post-processing section based on a time in which the sensor detects the object.

A medium-discharging device includes: a device main body including a medium-discharging section that discharges a medium; a medium-receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section; and a pressing member that is configured to be attached to and detached from to the device main body and presses the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section against the medium-receiving tray in a state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, in which the pressing member is configured to switch, in the state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, between a first state in which the pressing member comes into contact with the medium-receiving tray and a second state in which the pressing member retreats upward so as to be apart from the medium-receiving tray.