Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and image forming method

An image forming system comprising:

• an image forming apparatus to distribute and eject a plurality of printed matters to one or more of a plurality of ejection destinations;
• and
• an information processing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus through a network, the information processing apparatus including circuitry to generate ejection-destination designating information designating one of the plurality of ejection destinations as an ejection destination of a first printed matter based on a first print job,
• the image forming apparatus including circuitry configured to
• perform, based on the ejection-destination designating information, a determination of whether to eject the first printed matter to a previous ejection destination to which a second printed matter has been ejected based on a second print job received one before the first print job;
• and
• select the ejection destination of the first printed matter according to the determination;
• and
• a sensor to detect whether the ejection destination of the first printed matter is in an ejectable state,
• wherein the circuitry switches between a first mode and a second mode, the first mode permitting the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by ejection-destination designating information to differ from a current ejection destination to which the first printed matter is to be ejected, and the second mode not permitting the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by the ejection-destination designating information to differ from the current ejection destination to which the first printed matter is to be ejected,
• wherein, when the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by the ejection-destination designing information is in an unejectable state and the first mode is executed, the circuitry sets another ejection destination in the ejectable state to the current ejection destination to which the first printed matter is to be ejected, and
• wherein, when the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by the ejection-destination designing information is in the unejectable state and the second mode is executed, the circuitry controls a printing process to stand by until the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by the ejection-destination designating information becomes in the ejectable state.

An image forming method comprising:

• receiving a first print job and ejection-destination designating information designating one of a plurality of ejection destinations as an ejection destination of a first printed matter based on the first print job;
• performing, based on the ejection-destination designating information, a determination of whether to eject the first printed matter to a previous ejection destination to which a second printed matter has been ejected based on a second print job received one before the first print job;
• selecting the ejection destination of the first printed matter according to the determination;
• detecting whether the ejection destination of the first printed matter is in an ejectable state:
• determining operation between one of a first mode and a second mode, the first mode permitting the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by ejection-destination designating information to differ from a current ejection destination to which the first printed matter is to be ejected, and the second mode not permitting the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by the ejection-destination designating information to differ from the current ejection destination to which the first printed matter is to be ejected;
• when the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by the ejection-destination designing information is in an unejectable state and the first mode is executed, setting another ejection destination in the ejectable state to the current ejection destination to which the first printed matter is to be ejected;
• and
• when the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by the ejection-destination designing information is in the unejectable state and the second mode is executed, controlling a printing process to stand by until the ejection destination of the first printed matter designated by the ejection-destination designating information becomes in the ejectable state.