A printing control apparatus that can perform a binding processing without staples and a binding processing with staples includes a printing unit to print image data on a sheet, and a control unit that controls, in a case where image data is printed on sheets for test printing, a second binding unit to perform a binding processing for binding a plurality of printed sheets without staples, and controls, in a case where image data is printed on sheets after test printing, a first binding unit to perform a binding processing for binding a plurality of printed sheets with a staple.

A staple processing device includes a staple tray, a staple unit, a rear reference plate, a front reference plate, and an interlocking mechanism. The staple unit performs a staple process on a plurality of sheets loaded on the staple tray. The staple unit is movable along the ends of the sheets in a sheet width direction. The rear reference plate and the front reference plate abut the ends of the plurality of sheets and aligns the plurality of sheets. The interlocking mechanism moves the rear reference plate and the front reference plate in the sheet width direction in interlock with the movement of the staple unit.

A binding device includes a sheet-bundle forming unit; a binding unit that executes a series of operation including inserting a wire into a sheet bundle and bending the wire; a power supply unit; a detector that detects a first timing for transitioning from bending operation to recovery operation; a first timekeeper that measures time from a start point of the series of operation to a first time point, which is an end of a scheduled first-timing detection period; a unit-of-processing manager; and a supply power controller. When the first time point is reached before detection of the first timing, the controller causes the power supply unit to adjust the electric power before the first timing is reached, such that the first timing is detected before the first time point in the series of operation for a second bundle belonging to the same unit of processing as a first bundle.

A printing control apparatus performs binding processing for binding a plurality of sheets without using a staple to enable a user to easily separate a sheet from a sheet bundle after the binding processing. The printing control apparatus causes a binding unit to perform a binding processing for binding a plurality of sheets without using a staple, and then controls the binding unit to perform a binding processing for binding the plurality of sheets and a sheet different from the plurality of sheets.

A sheet processing device includes a collecting part configured to collect multiple sheets that are carried in; multiple lower-end-receiving members with which lower ends of the sheets collected to the collecting part are brought into contact, the lower ends being downstream ends in a carry-in direction; a binder configured to perform different kinds of binding on a part of an end portion of a sheet batch, the sheet batch being the multiple sheets collected to the collecting part, the end portion including the lower ends; and a mover-supporter supporting the binder and configured to move the binder around the end portion of the sheet batch in such a manner as to stop the binder at multiple stop positions including multiple binding positions, in which one of the multiple lower-end-receiving members is provided on a movable member that is movable in a widthwise direction that intersects the carry-in direction, in which the one lower-end-receiving member is provided with a conjugate movement mechanism configured to move the one lower-end-receiving member in conjunction with a movement of the binder, in which in response to the binder moving in a specific direction toward a predetermined one of the binding positions, the conjugate movement mechanism moves the one lower-end-receiving member in an opposite direction from a normal position by a predetermined distance, the opposite direction being opposite to the specific direction, and in which in response to the binder moving by a distance greater than the predetermined distance, the conjugate movement mechanism returns the one lower-end-receiving member to the normal position.