To provide a post-processor capable of executing alignment processing with high accuracy.

Configuring a post-processor including: a recording material loader on which a recording material conveyed through a conveyance path is loaded; an aligner that aligns the recording material in the recording material loader; a driver that moves the aligner; and a controller that receives information of a physical property value of the recording material acquired by a medium sensor and determines an operation parameter of alignment processing that drives the driver based on the information of the physical property value.

A paper feeder includes a processor configured to, in a case of lowering a paper feed tray on which paper is placed in an accommodation section that accommodates paper and replenishing paper, the paper feed tray being controlled to be raised/lowered in a case of replenishing paper, control a lowering amount of the paper feed tray according to a number of sheets of paper to be replenished.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a suction feeder, a lifting mechanism, an elevation detection sensor, an elevation detection sensor, a feed detection sensor, and processing circuitry. The air blower blows air to float an uppermost sheet of sheets stacked on the sheet stacker. The processing circuitry drives the lifting mechanism such that the sheet stacker is lifted by an elevation amount determined based on a sheet thickness of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacker, each time a sheet is detected when a number of sheets detected is smaller than a threshold number of sheets, and stops lifting of the sheet stacker until a sheet is not detected when the number of sheets reaches the threshold number of sheets, while repeatedly feeding the uppermost sheet and counting the number of sheets.

The sheet discharge apparatus sets a discharge speed at which a sheet is discharged by a discharge device to a first discharge speed when a bundle of sheets includes a first number of sheets and sets the discharge speed to a second discharge speed that is lower than the first discharge speed when the bundle of sheets includes a second number of sheets that is greater than the first number of sheets.

The sheet discharge apparatus sets a discharge speed at which a sheet is discharged by a discharge device to a first discharge speed when a bundle of sheets includes a first number of sheets and sets the discharge speed to a second discharge speed that is lower than the first discharge speed when the bundle of sheets includes a second number of sheets that is greater than the first number of sheets.

In an example, a method may include determining a range of motion of a pick arm during lifting of the pick arm from a media stack position to a hard stop position in an image forming apparatus. The pick arm may have a pick roller at one end for picking a media sheet from a media stack and pivotally mounted at an opposite end to enable angular movement of the pick arm relative to the media stack. Further, the method may include estimating a height of the media stack based on the determined range of motion of the pick arm from the media stack position to the hard stop position. Furthermore, the method may include indicating an amount of media sheets remaining in the media stack corresponding to the estimated height.

According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which are stored computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to receive a first sheet count before execution of a print job, receive a second sheet count after execution of the print job, and determine a number of sheets printed for the print job based on the first sheet count and the second sheet count. The processor may update a pick mechanism activation counter value based on the determined number of printed sheets. Based on a determination that the updated pick mechanism activation counter value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the processor may cause a pick mechanism to be actuated to sense a media stack height of print media.

According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which are stored computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to receive a first sheet count before execution of a print job, receive a second sheet count after execution of the print job, and determine a number of sheets printed for the print job based on the first sheet count and the second sheet count. The processor may update a pick mechanism activation counter value based on the determined number of printed sheets. Based on a determination that the updated pick mechanism activation counter value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the processor may cause a pick mechanism to be actuated to sense a media stack height of print media.

A system and control method are provided for determining an amount of a product dispensed from or added to a product formation. At defined intervals, a mark is projected with a light source imager onto an aspect of the product formation that changes as the amount of product is depleted or added to the product formation. A digital image is taken of the aspect of the product formation that captures the projected mark and is transmitted to a digital imager processor, wherein a feature of the projected mark is analyzed that changes as the product formation decreases or increases in size as the product is dispensed or added. The analyzed feature is compared with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the product formation to determine an actual amount of the product on the product formation, or amount of product depleted from or added to the product formation.

A system and control method are provided for determining an amount of a product dispensed from or added to a product formation. At defined intervals, a mark is projected with a light source imager onto an aspect of the product formation that changes as the amount of product is depleted or added to the product formation. A digital image is taken of the aspect of the product formation that captures the projected mark and is transmitted to a digital imager processor, wherein a feature of the projected mark is analyzed that changes as the product formation decreases or increases in size as the product is dispensed or added. The analyzed feature is compared with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the product formation to determine an actual amount of the product on the product formation, or amount of product depleted from or added to the product formation.