An image forming system includes an image forming portion, a stack portion, a specific image processing portion, and a setting processing portion. The image forming portion forms an image on a sheet based on image data. The stack portion stores a stack of sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming portion. The specific image processing portion causes the image forming portion to form a specific image on a specific sheet that is discharged to the stack portion before or after one or more sheets on which one or more images have been formed by the image forming portion based on the image data. The setting processing portion sets a specific image formation position on the specific sheet so that the specific image is formed at the specific image formation position.

An image forming system includes an image forming portion, a stack portion, a specific image processing portion, and a setting processing portion. The image forming portion forms an image on a sheet based on image data. The stack portion stores a stack of sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming portion. The specific image processing portion causes the image forming portion to form a specific image on a specific sheet that is discharged to the stack portion before or after one or more sheets on which one or more images have been formed by the image forming portion based on the image data. The setting processing portion sets a specific image formation position on the specific sheet so that the specific image is formed at the specific image formation position.

A system and a method for automatically processing a plurality of sheets. The method includes receiving printing instructions, receiving finishing instructions, after printing, in order to form a stack of printed and finished sheets, the finishing instructions includes an instruction to create a new target stack edge extending in a direction of a stack height on each of the plurality of sheets, printing a mark on each sheet of a group of sheets of the plurality of sheets, the mark intended to hit the new target stack edge in a group of at least one target hit point, and finishing the plurality of printed sheets according to the finishing instructions to create a new actual stack edge. A plurality of actual hit points form a pattern on the new actual stack edge and comprises a continuous proportional indication for a degree of correctness of the printing and/or finishing operation.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that prints an image on a transfer medium based on image data; a conveyance unit that conveys the transfer medium; a duplex printing mechanism that inverts and conveys the transfer medium on one surface of which an image is formed, and conveys the transfer medium to a conveyance direction upstream side of the image forming unit; and a control unit that controls the image forming unit and the conveyance unit, the control unit has a function of printing a first additional image outside an image forming area of the transfer medium by the image forming unit, and when printing the first additional image, the control unit is capable of control of inhibiting printing of the first additional image on one or both of a leading transfer medium and a final transfer medium in a bundle of piled up transfer media.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that prints an image on a transfer medium based on image data; a conveyance unit that conveys the transfer medium; a duplex printing mechanism that inverts and conveys the transfer medium on one surface of which an image is formed, and conveys the transfer medium to a conveyance direction upstream side of the image forming unit; and a control unit that controls the image forming unit and the conveyance unit, the control unit has a function of printing a first additional image outside an image forming area of the transfer medium by the image forming unit, and when printing the first additional image, the control unit is capable of control of inhibiting printing of the first additional image on one or both of a leading transfer medium and a final transfer medium in a bundle of piled up transfer media.

A system and a method for automatically processing a plurality of sheets. The method includes receiving printing instructions, receiving finishing instructions, after printing, in order to form a stack of printed and finished sheets, the finishing instructions includes an instruction to create a new target stack edge extending in a direction of a stack height on each of the plurality of sheets, printing a mark on each sheet of a group of sheets of the plurality of sheets, the mark intended to hit the new target stack edge in a group of at least one target hit point, and finishing the plurality of printed sheets according to the finishing instructions to create a new actual stack edge. A plurality of actual hit points form a pattern on the new actual stack edge and comprises a continuous proportional indication for a degree of correctness of the printing and/or finishing operation.