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

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a sheet conveying section configured to convey a long sheet;
• an image forming/fixing section configured to execute an image forming/fixing operation to form and fix a toner image on the long sheet to be conveyed by the sheet conveying section;
• a skew detection section configured to detect a skew of the long sheet to be conveyed by the sheet conveying section;
• a skew correction section configured to execute a skew correction operation to correct the skew of the long sheet detected by the skew detection section;
• and
• a control section configured to perform control to execute the skew correction operation without suspending the image forming/fixing operation when the skew has been detected by the skew detection section in a first area where the skew correction operation does not affect the image forming/fixing operation, and perform control to execute the skew correction operation after suspending the image forming/fixing operation when the skew has been detected by the skew detection section in a second area where the skew correction operation affects the image forming/fixing operation.

A skew correction method comprising:

• detecting a skew of a long sheet to be conveyed during an image forming/fixing operation to form and fix a toner image on the long sheet;
• and
• executing a skew correction operation to correct the detected skew of the long sheet during the operation, wherein
• the skew correction operation is executed without suspending the image forming/fixing operation when the skew has been detected in a first area where the skew correction operation does not affect the image forming/fixing operation, and
• the skew correction operation is executed after suspending the image forming/fixing operation when the skew has been detected in a second area where the skew correction operation affects the image forming/fixing operation.