Image forming apparatus, print control method, and computer product

A print control method applied to an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit that forms a toner image based on image data, a conveyor unit that conveys a transfer medium onto which the toner image is to be transferred, and a printing unit that prints the toner image onto the transfer medium, the print control method comprising:

• detecting a print command for each image including information on printing mode, the printing mode including single-sided printing and double-sided printing;
• acquiring, upon detection of a print command for an image, image data of the image to output the image data to the image forming unit;
• first controlling the conveyor unit to feed a transfer medium from a feed tray to the printing unit in response to a first print command for printing a first side by double-sided printing, and to feed the transfer medium to the printing unit from a conveying path, where the transfer medium is temporarily kept after the first side is printed, in response to a second print command for printing a second side by double-sided printing;
• and
• second controlling the conveyor unit to convey the transfer medium to the conveying path after the first side is printed, and to eject the transfer medium after the second side is printed, wherein
• the first controlling includes controlling the conveyor unit not to feed a transfer medium from the feed tray to the printing unit when the second print command is not detected within a predetermined time after detection of the first print command.

A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program that causes a computer to implement a print control method on an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit that forms a toner image based on image data, a conveyor unit that conveys a transfer medium onto which the toner image is to be transferred, and a printing unit that prints the toner image onto the transfer medium, the computer program causing the computer to execute:

• detecting a print command for each image including information on printing mode, the printing mode including single-sided printing and double-sided printing;
• acquiring, upon detection of a print command for an image, image data of the image to output the image data to the image forming unit;
• first controlling the conveyor unit to feed a transfer medium from a feed tray to the printing unit in response to a first print command for printing a first side by double-sided printing, and to feed the transfer medium to the printing unit from a conveying path, where the transfer medium is temporarily kept after the first side is printed, in response to a second print command for printing a second side by double-sided printing;
• and
• second controlling the conveyor unit to convey the transfer medium to the conveying path after the first side is printed, and to eject the transfer medium after the second side is printed, wherein
• the first controlling includes controlling the conveyor unit not to feed a transfer medium from the feed tray to the printing unit when the second print command is not detected within a predetermined time after detection of the first print command.