Image forming method and system with a finishing capability

A method of stapling sheets each carrying an image formed by an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• designating a stapling operation for a stack of sheets, said stack of sheets including sheets of different sizes mixed together;
• and
• stapling the stack of sheets at one of a position located at a top left of the sheets in a direction with respect to an orientation of a formed image, a position located at a top right of the sheets in a direction with respect to an orientation of a formed image, and positions located at a top edge of the sheets in a direction with respect to an orientation of a formed image, when each short edge of a large size sheet which has a portrait image and each long edge of a small size sheet which has a landscape image are identical in length in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet feed.

A method of stapling sheets each carrying an image formed by an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• designating a stapling operation for a stack of sheets, said stack of sheets including sheets of different sizes mixed together;
• and
• stapling the stack of sheets at one of a position located at a left top of the sheets in a direction with respect to an orientation of a formed image and positions located at a left edge of the sheets in a direction with respect to an orientation of a formed image, when each short edge of a large size sheet which has a landscape image and each long edge of a small size sheet which has a portrait image are identical in length in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet feed.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a controller configured designate a stapling operation for a stack of sheets, said stack of sheets including sheets of different sizes mixed together;
• and
• a stapler configured to staple the stack of sheets only when each short edge of a large size sheet and each long edge of a small size sheet are identical in length in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet feed and when all the images formed on the stack of sheets have the same orientation after stapling.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• means for designating a stapling operation for a stack of sheets, said stack of sheets including sheets of different sizes mixed together;
• and
• means for stapling the stack of sheets only when each short edge of a large size sheet and each long edge of a small size sheet are identical in length in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet feed and when all the images formed on the stack of sheets have the same orientation after stapling.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a controller configured to designate a stapling operation for a stack of sheets, said stack of sheets including sheets of different sizes mixed together;
• and
• a stapler configured to staple the stack of sheets at one of a position located at a top left of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image, a position located at a top right of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image, and positions located at a top edge of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image, when each short edge of a large size sheet which has a portrait image and each long edge of a small size sheet which has a landscape image are identical in length in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet feed.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• means for designating a stapling operation for a stack of sheets, said stack of sheets including sheets of different sizes mixed together;
• and
• means for stapling the stack of sheets at one of a position located at a top left of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image, a position located at a top right of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image, and positions located at a top edge of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image, when each short edge of a large size sheet which has a portrait image and each long edge of a small size sheet which has a landscape image are identical in length in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet feed.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a controller configured to designate a stapling operation for a stack of sheets, said stack of sheets including sheets of different sizes mixed together;
• and
• a stapler configured to staple the stack of sheets at one of a position located at a left top of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image and positions located at a left edge of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image, when each short edge of a large size sheet which has a landscape image and each long edge of a small size sheet which has a portrait image are identical in length in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet feed.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• means for designating a stapling operation for a stack of sheets, said stack of sheets including sheets of different sizes mixed together;
• and
• means for stapling the stack of sheets at one of a position located at a left top of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image and positions located at a left edge of the sheets with respect to an orientation of a formed image, when each short edge of a large size sheet which has a landscape image and each long edge of a small size sheet which has a portrait image are identical in length in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet feed.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• means for holding at least one sheet in a short edge feed tray configured to feed said at least one sheet in a direction perpendicular to a short edge direction of the sheet;
• means for holding at least one other sheet in a long edge feed tray configured to feed said at least one sheet in a direction perpendicular to a long edge direction of the sheet;
• means for controllably selecting one of said short edge feed tray and said long edge feed tray to draw a sheet from based on the selected stapling position and the selected image orientation of said sheet such that pages with different orientations are fed for image forming and stapling together.