Image forming apparatus providing configurable options for paper information initialization, image forming system and computer readable medium

An image forming system comprising:

• a print instruction terminal that sends print jobs;
• and
• an image forming apparatus that execute the print jobs and includes:
• a receiving unit that receives the print jobs;
• a paper information storing unit that, when the received print jobs are executed according to a given order and each time one page of a document in a print job having reached its turn in the order of printing is printed, stores paper information preset in the printed page;
• an initializing unit that initializes the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit during a period between the printing of the print job having reached its turn in the given order and the printing of the next print job after the print job in the given order;
• a paper information comparing unit that compares the paper information of the page to be printed in the print job having reached its turn in the order of printing with the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit;
• a temporary stopping unit that temporarily stops printing in the case that the paper information of the page to be printed is different from the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit as the result of the comparison;
• and
• a printing unit that prints the print data of the page to be printed in the case that the paper information of the page to be printed is the same as the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit as the result of the comparison or the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit has been initialized,
• wherein:
• the initializing unit initializes the paper information after each of the print jobs ends;
• the paper information comparing unit compares the paper information to be printed next with the paper information printed immediately before;
• in response to the paper information of the page to be printed being the same as the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit as the result of the comparison, the printing unit prints the print data of the page to be printed without an instruction from a user;
• in response to the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit being initialized, the printing unit prints the print data of the page to be printed without the instruction from the user;
• and
• in response to the paper information of the page to be printed not being the same as the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit as the result of the comparison and the paper information stored in the paper information storing unit not being initialized, the image forming apparatus temporarily stops the printing and displays a message prompting the user to carry out over replacement on an operation panel.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for image forming, the process comprising:

• receiving print jobs;
• when the received print jobs are executed according to a given order and each time one page of a document in a print job having reached its turn in the order of printing is printed, storing paper information preset in the printed page;
• initializing the paper information during a period between the printing of the print job having reached its turn in the given order and the printing of the next print job after the print job in the given order;
• comparing the paper information of the page to be printed in the print job having reached its turn in the order of printing with the stored paper information;
• temporarily stopping printing in the case that the paper information of the page to be printed is different from the stored paper information as the result of the comparison;
• and
• printing the print data of the page to be printed in the case that the paper information of the page to be printed is the same as the stored paper information as the result of the comparison or the stored paper information has been initialized,
• wherein:
• the paper information is initialized after each of the print jobs ends;
• the paper information to be printed next is compared with the paper information printed immediately before;
• in response to the paper information of the page to be printed being the same as the stored paper information as the result of the comparison, printing the print data of the page to be printed without an instruction from a user;
• in response to the stored paper information being initialized, printing the print data of the page to be printed without the instruction from the user;
• and
• in response to the paper information of the page to be printed not being the same as the stored paper information as the result of the comparison and the stored paper information not being initialized, temporarily stopping the printing and displaying a message prompting the user to carry out paper replacement on an operation panel.