Image forming system, apparatus, method and computer readable medium for selecting print requests according to post-processing speeds

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming unit that forms an image on paper sheets;
• a detector that detects a connected post-processor;
• a calculator that calculates a waiting period for image forming that post-processing by a post-processor in response to a first print request entails;
• a selector that selects out of succeeding print requests a print request that requires the use of a different post-processor from the post-processor being used for the first print request as a second print request according to the waiting period calculated by the calculator;
• and
• an image forming controller that controls the image forming unit so as to execute image forming in response to the second print request selected by the selector in the waiting period in response to the first print request.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

• calculating a waiting period for image forming that post-processing by a post-processor in response to a first print request entails;
• selecting out of succeeding print requests a print request that requires the use of a different post-processor from the post-processor being used for the first print request as a second print request according to the calculated waiting period;
• and
• executing image forming in response to the selected second print request in the waiting period in response to the first print request.

An image forming method comprising:

• calculating a waiting period for image forming that post-processing by a post-processor in response to a first print request entails;
• selecting out of succeeding print requests a print request that requires the use of a different post-processor from the post-processor being used for the first print request as a second print request according to the calculated waiting period;
• and
• executing image forming in response to the selected second print request in the waiting period in response to the first print request.