An image forming apparatus includes a first sheet storage, a second sheet storage, an image forming unit, a sheet conveyer configured to convey sheets from the first and second sheet storages to the image forming unit, and a controller. The controller is configured to set new sheets as a type of sheets stored in the first sheet storage and image-decolored sheets as a type of sheets stored in the second sheet storage, switch a sheet feeding source from the first sheet storage to the second sheet storage when the first sheet storage runs out of sheets during execution of a first image forming job that includes no sheet post-processing, and stop image forming by the image forming unit when the first sheet storage runs out of sheets during execution of a second image forming job that includes sheet post-processing.

In a printing system capable of supplying a sheet of a job having undergone print processing by the printing unit of a printing apparatus to a post-processing unit capable of executing at least a specific type of post-processing among a plurality of types of post-processes, when the target job requires the specific type of post-processing, the printing apparatus is inhibited from executing print processing of the job without explicitly determining a sheet necessary for the print processing of the job by a user using a user interface unit. When the target job does not require the specific type of post-processing, the printing apparatus is permitted to execute print processing of the job without explicitly determining a sheet necessary for the print processing of the job by the user using the user interface unit.

A sheet processing apparatus, including: a conveyance path in which a sheet is conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction; a rotary member pair configured to nip the sheet conveyed in the conveyance path and rotate to perform folding processing on the sheet; and a guide portion provided between one rotary member of the rotary member pair and the conveyance path and configured to guide a downstream edge of a sheet conveyed in the predetermined conveyance direction, wherein, in case that a sheet is conveyed in the conveyance path in the predetermined conveyance direction, the guide portion guides a downstream edge of the sheet in the predetermined conveyance direction in a state in which the guide portion is held in contact with the one rotary member.

In a printing system capable of supplying a sheet of a job having undergone print processing by the printing unit of a printing apparatus to a post-processing unit capable of executing at least a specific type of post-processing among a plurality of types of post-processes, when the target job requires the specific type of post-processing, the printing apparatus is inhibited from executing print processing of the job without explicitly determining a sheet necessary for the print processing of the job by a user using a user interface unit. When the target job does not require the specific type of post-processing, the printing apparatus is permitted to execute print processing of the job without explicitly determining a sheet necessary for the print processing of the job by the user using the user interface unit.

An apparatus for folding sheets or sheet stacks, including at least two folding/transport rollers, transport device and knife, the transport device defining transport plane E for sheets or sheet stacks fed in transport direction R, knife being movable substantially perpendicularly to and through transport plane E, folding/transport rollers being arranged above transport plane E, oppositely on both sides of knife, axis of rotation A of folding/transport rollers extending substantially perpendicularly to transport plane E, and at least two folding/transport rollers each having, at their end facing toward transport plane E, rounded portion, such that narrowing gap S is formed between the at least two folding/transport rollers, into which gap sheets or sheet stacks can be introduced by means of knife so as to be folded there and at same time conveyed away in transport direction R, and to corresponding method.

A sheet conveying apparatus (20) includes a first sheet conveyance passage (3), a second sheet conveyance passage (5), a pair of feed rollers (3r1), a first pair of conveyance rollers (50), and a contact-release mechanism (60). The second sheet conveyance passage (5) branches from a branch section (31) on the first sheet conveyance passage (3). The first pair of conveyance rollers (50) has a first roller (51) and a second roller (52) and conveys a sheet along the first sheet conveyance passage (3). When, in the branch section (31), a sheet is conveyed from upstream with respect to the sheet conveyance direction in the first sheet conveyance passage (3) toward the second sheet conveyance passage (5), the sheet conveying apparatus (20) makes the contact-release mechanism (60) move the second roller (52) away from the first roller (51) and makes the pair of feed rollers (3r1) convey the sheet.

A folding arrangement including a flap lifting assembly located at a drop conveyor discharge end and including a pivoting arm with a flap engaging surface that is movable between a first, flap-lifting position and a second, pass-through position is provided. A folding assembly includes a receiving conveyor with a receiving conveyor feed end positioned below the drop conveyor discharge end, and a folding finger above the receiving conveyor feed end. The product-substrate combination is driven by the drop conveyor into contact with the flap engaging surface in the first position to lift the flap as the product-substrate combination is discharged from the drop conveyor discharge end towards the receiving conveyor feed end, and the folding finger contacts the flap of the product-substrate combination to complete folding of the flap to a second angled position onto the product as the product-substrate combination pivots the flap engaging surface to the second position.

A continuous body folding device includes a conveying part having a moving surface that moves while suctioning and holding a first region of a continuous body, the conveying part conveying the continuous body in the longitudinal direction thereof; a first folding reference part in which a first endless belt, which moves in a first circulatory pathway along a first virtual plane including the moving surface, moves along a first reference segment adjacent to a virtual line of the continuous body in the same direction at the same speed as the moving surface; and first guiding members that are disposed along the first reference segment, contact a second region of the continuous body, and fold the continuous body along the virtual line and move the second region toward the first region so that the angle formed by the first and second regions becomes smaller as the continuous body is conveyed downstream.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus configured to print images on a plurality of sheets; a plurality of folding apparatuses configured to perform a folding process on the plurality of sheets; a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to switch between the plurality of folding apparatuses for each of the plurality of sheets such that the folding process is performed on the plurality of sheets in continuous printing, and eject one or more sheets on which the folding process is performed by each of the plurality of folding apparatuses to a corresponding ejection tray, wherein an order of the images to be printed on the plurality of sheets in the continuous printing is changeable.

An image forming apparatus includes a first sheet storage, a second sheet storage, an image forming unit, a sheet conveyer configured to convey sheets from the first and second sheet storages to the image forming unit, and a controller. The controller is configured to set new sheets as a type of sheets stored in the first sheet storage and image-decolored sheets as a type of sheets stored in the second sheet storage, switch a sheet feeding source from the first sheet storage to the second sheet storage when the first sheet storage runs out of sheets during execution of a first image forming job that includes no sheet post-processing, and stop image forming by the image forming unit when the first sheet storage runs out of sheets during execution of a second image forming job that includes sheet post-processing.