Provided are an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of coping with a medium exceeding a transport limit of a pair of rollers in image formation in which the medium is transported with the medium interposed between the pair of rollers. In a case where a medium exceeding a transport limit of first transport means to which medium transport using a first roller and a second roller is applied is used, second transport means is used to assist in the medium transport performed by the first transport means. The driving of second driving means for driving the second transport means is controlled using a driving signal applied to the driving control of the first driving means for driving the first transport means. Medium transport in which synchronization is taken between the first transport means and the second transport means is realized.

An image recording apparatus includes a first motor, a feeding roller, a second motor, a first driven mechanism, a recorder, and a controller. The feeding roller is configured to rotate by receiving driving force from the first motor. The first driven mechanism is configured to be driven by receiving driving force from the second motor. The controller is configured to: perform a preparing operation in response to receiving first information that instructs starting image recording by the recorder; perform a driving operation of driving the second motor to drive the first driven mechanism, in response to completing the preparing operation and not receiving second information including a recording condition and printing data; and in response to receiving the second information, stop the second motor and drive the first motor to perform a feeding operation by the feeding roller.

A paper supply apparatus includes: a primary paper supply roller that feeds out and conveys a print medium from a paper tray on which the print medium is placed; resist rollers that a leading end of the print medium abuts to form a flexure in the print medium by temporarily ceasing conveyance, and rotate at a predetermined timing after this flexure is formed, to convey the print medium toward a conveyance mechanism; and a control unit that executes assist control that drives the primary paper supply roller during the time that the print medium is being conveyed by the resist rollers to assist conveyance of the print medium by the resist rollers. The control unit executes the assist control such that the flexure in the print medium remains at a point in time at which the leading end of the print medium reaches the conveyance mechanism.

In an image forming apparatus, a first motor causes a first rotor to rotate. The first motor rotates based on a first drive signal. A second motor causes a second rotor to rotate. The second motor rotates based on a second drive signal. A reading unit is provided between the first rotor and the second rotor. Based on a read signal, the reading unit reads a paper sheet being conveyed line by line. In a first period, a read signal generation unit generates the read signal in accordance with a frequency of the first drive signal. In a second period, the read signal generation unit generates, as the read signal, a signal for reading the paper sheet being conveyed at a reference speed.

A printing apparatus includes: a first roller pair disposed upstream of a print head; a second roller pair disposed downstream of the print head in the conveyance direction; and the printing apparatus configured to control the print head so as to perform ejection operation at an ejection timing according to the rotation detected by the first rotation detecting unit when the first roller pair conveys the print medium at the first conveyance speed before the second roller pair holds the print medium and when the second roller pair conveys the print medium at the second conveyance speed while holding the print medium whereas the first roller pair idly rotates by the one-way clutch.

A serial-type recording apparatus includes a controller configured to execute continuous recording processing in which, before completion of image recording on a first sheet fed before a second sheet, the second sheet is fed from a feed tray, wherein the controller is configured to: set a first current limit value in a first motor and drive the first motor having the first current limit value to feed the second sheet from the feed tray; and set a second current limit value in the first motor and drive the first motor having the second current limit value to refeed the second sheet from the feed tray, on condition that driving of a second motor has completed a last intermittent conveyance of the first sheet and feed failure of the second sheet has been determined based on a detection signal from a sheet sensor.

A digital printing press including a printing cylinder configured to transport a sheet, a driving device (41) configured to drive the printing cylinder, an encoder (44) configured to detect the phase of the printing cylinder, and first to fourth inkjet nozzle heads (23-26). The digital printing press further includes a floating detector (22) and configured to detect an abnormality of the sheet, and a control device (28) configured to control an operation of the driving device (41). The control device (28) stops the driving device (41) when the floating detector (22) detects a floating portion. The control device (28) operates the driving device (41) based on the phase of the printing cylinder when the floating detector (22) detects the floating portion and when the driving device (41) stops after floating detection and moving the floating portion detected by the floating detector (22) to a predetermined confirmation position.

A recording apparatus which is capable of suppressing or avoiding a concern on a defect such as a paper jam, deterioration of recording quality, or the like at the time of performing an overlapping transportation is provided.

For a printing apparatus, a first conveyance speed for a first printing medium is determined according to first print data to be printed on the first printing medium and a second conveyance speed for a second printing medium is determined according to second print data to be printed on the second printing medium that follows the first printing medium along a conveying path. In a case where the second conveyance speed is equal to the first conveyance speed, a conveyance operation of the second printing medium is started before the first printing medium is discharged from the conveying path. In a case where the second conveyance speed is different from the first conveyance speed, the conveyance operation of the second printing medium is started after the first printing medium is discharged from the conveying path.

When a sheet ejector ejects an unsuitable sheet from a transport path in a printing system, additional sheets downstream of said unsuitable sheet are generally discharged to preserve the image order as prescribed by the print instructions. This results in large amounts of waste material (sheets and ink). The amount of waste may be reduced by providing a controller which, when receiving print instructions concerning a first and a second set of images, schedules the images of the first and second sets into an alternating image sequence defining the print order. Sheets printed with images from the first set are designated to a first output holder while sheets printed with images from the second set are transported to the second output holder. When a sheet for the second image set is rejected, the first image set need not be discharged, resulting in a reduced amount of waste material.