An information processing method performs steps for an information processing apparatus to communicate with an image forming apparatus having first and second sheet output sections. The second sheet output section can be switched between a close position to serve to guide a sheet to the first sheet output section, and an open position not to guide the sheet to the first sheet output section but to stack the sheet. The method inputs a type of sheet, acquires information indicating whether the second sheet output section is in an open or closed state, and transmits image information to the image forming apparatus. When the sheet type recommends the sheet be output to the second sheet output section and the second sheet output section is in the closed state, a message is output to prompt to switch the second sheet output section into the open position before the image information is transmitted.

An information processing method performs steps for an information processing apparatus to communicate with an image forming apparatus having first and second sheet output sections. The second sheet output section can be switched between a close position to serve to guide a sheet to the first sheet output section, and an open position not to guide the sheet to the first sheet output section but to stack the sheet. The method inputs a type of sheet, acquires information indicating whether the second sheet output section is in an open or closed state, and transmits image information to the image forming apparatus. When the sheet type recommends the sheet be output to the second sheet output section and the second sheet output section is in the closed state, a message is output to prompt to switch the second sheet output section into the open position before the image information is transmitted.

An information processing method performs steps for an information processing apparatus to communicate with an image forming apparatus having first and second sheet output sections. The second sheet output section can be switched between a close position to serve to guide a sheet to the first sheet output section, and an open position not to guide the sheet to the first sheet output section but to stack the sheet. The method inputs a type of sheet, acquires information indicating whether the second sheet output section is in an open or closed state, and transmits image information to the image forming apparatus. When the sheet type recommends the sheet be output to the second sheet output section and the second sheet output section is in the closed state, a message is output to prompt to switch the second sheet output section into the open position before the image information is transmitted.

A medium processing apparatus includes a printer, a supporting member having a sheet-like shape and configured to support a discharged medium, and a winding unit configured to wind the supporting member and move with respect to the printer. The winding unit has a first case and a second case that rotatably support a winding shaft, and a placement portion placed at a flat surface. The first case and the second case in a state where axis lines of respective bearing portions that support the winding shaft are aligned with each other and in a state of being held so as to be mutually non-rotatable in a plane orthogonal to an axis line of the winding shaft, and when the winding unit is installed on a flat surface, the placement portion contacts the flat surface.

A medium processing apparatus includes a printer, a supporting member having a sheet-like shape and configured to support a discharged medium, and a winding unit configured to wind the supporting member and move with respect to the printer. The winding unit has a first case and a second case that rotatably support a winding shaft, and a placement portion placed at a flat surface. The first case and the second case in a state where axis lines of respective bearing portions that support the winding shaft are aligned with each other and in a state of being held so as to be mutually non-rotatable in a plane orthogonal to an axis line of the winding shaft, and when the winding unit is installed on a flat surface, the placement portion contacts the flat surface.

A sheet transport device includes a sheet load tray on which a sheet is loaded, a side-edge positioning unit, and a regulating unit. The side-edge positioning unit comes into contact with a side edge of the sheet in a direction intersecting a sheet transport direction at an upper surface of the sheet load tray and positions the side edge of the sheet to a normal position. The regulating unit is provided in a rotatable manner about a rotation shaft at a lower surface of the sheet load tray and regulates an output position of the sheet by rotating a stopper of the regulating unit to a position where the stopper is capable of colliding with a downstream edge of the sheet to be output in an output direction when the side-edge positioning unit moves to a position corresponding to a minimum width of the sheet.

A printing system executes printing of a plurality of copies of a document, and includes first and second paper eject trays. The printing system ejects a plurality of paper sheets of the document to the first or second paper eject tray; detects a full state or a near full state being a predetermined number of paper sheets less than the full state; and ejects the paper sheets of a next copy to the first paper eject tray until the first paper eject tray is full and subsequently to the second paper eject tray, in response to detecting that a total ejectable paper sheet number is greater than or equal to the number of paper sheets of the next copy, the total ejectable paper sheet number being obtained by adding together the numbers of paper sheets that can be ejected to the first and second paper eject trays.

A printing system executes printing of a plurality of copies of a document, and includes first and second paper eject trays. The printing system ejects a plurality of paper sheets of the document to the first or second paper eject tray; detects a full state or a near full state being a predetermined number of paper sheets less than the full state; and ejects the paper sheets of a next copy to the first paper eject tray until the first paper eject tray is full and subsequently to the second paper eject tray, in response to detecting that a total ejectable paper sheet number is greater than or equal to the number of paper sheets of the next copy, the total ejectable paper sheet number being obtained by adding together the numbers of paper sheets that can be ejected to the first and second paper eject trays.

A medium transport device includes a feed roller pair, a stack portion that receives a medium transported by the feed roller pair between a support surface for supporting the medium in an inclined posture in which a downstream side in a transport direction is directed downward and an opposing surface opposing the support surface and stacks the medium, an alignment portion that aligns a downstream end of the medium stacked in the stack portion, and a control unit that controls a distance between the support surface and the opposing surface, in which the stack portion is configured to be capable of changing the distance and the control unit adjusts the distance according to a condition.

An image processing apparatus according to the present invention has: an apparatus main body whose external appearance is configured from an upper casing, a lower casing, and a link casing that vertically links the upper casing and the lower casing and that has a paper discharge opening for discharging paper on one side face; a paper discharge portion that is formed as a space between the upper casing and the lower casing and that is to store paper discharged from the paper discharge opening; and an operation panel portion that is disposed in a vertically tiltable manner on a front face of the upper casing. When viewing the apparatus main body from the front side, an open space that allows paper discharged to the paper discharge portion to be viewed is provided between the operation panel portion and the link casing.