Image forming apparatus having multiple medium paths to a fixing unit

A method for operating an image forming apparatus comprising:

• a medium holder configured to store a first medium;
• an image forming unit configured to form an image on the first medium at an image forming position;
• a fixing unit configured to fix the image on the first medium by heating the first medium at a first temperature;
• and
• a conveying unit configured to convey the first medium to the fixing unit through a first path extending from the medium holder to the fixing unit through the image forming position and convey a second medium to the fixing unit through a second path that branches off from the first path at a position between the medium holder and the image forming unit and merges with the first path at a position between the image forming position and the fixing unit,
• the method comprising:
• determining whether or not the conveying unit is conveying the second medium to the fixing unit through the second path;
• and
• controlling the fixing unit to be at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, when the conveying unit is determined to be conveying the second medium to the fixing unit through the second path.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image forming unit configured to form an image on a first medium at an image forming position;
• a fixing unit configured to fix the image formed on the first medium by heating the first medium at a first temperature;
• a first medium holder;
• a second medium holder;
• a guiding unit configured to guide a medium from the fixing unit to the first medium holder and the second medium holder;
• and
• a conveying unit configured to convey the first medium to the fixing unit through a first path extending from the image forming position to the fixing unit, convey a second medium to the fixing unit through a second path that merges with the first path at a position between the image forming position and the fixing unit, and convey the first medium and the second medium to the guiding unit;
• a control unit configured to control the fixing unit to be a at second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, when the control unit determines that the conveying unit is conveying the second medium to the fixing unit through the second path, and control the guiding unit to guide the first medium to the first medium holder and the second medium to the second medium holder.