Patent ID: 6308041
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming method comprising:a receiving step for sequentially receiving a plurality of pages of image data of at least, a single size, in a main scanning direction and in a sub-scanning direction, in accordance with an instruction of a stapling process;an image forming step for sequentially forming images on an image formation medium, on the basis of each page of the image data received in said receiving step;a discrimination step for discriminating a width in the main scanning direction and a size, of each image data received in said receiving step;a setting step for setting the maximum number of pages of the image data that are to be stapled, on the basis of a result of the detection performed in said discrimination step about the size of the first page of the image data received in said receiving step;a cancellation step for canceling the setting of the stapling process when it is discriminated that the size of second and following pages of the image data received in said receiving step, as discriminated in said discrimination step, is the same as the size of the first page and that the width in the main scanning direction of the second and following pages of the image data received in said receiving step, as discriminated in said discrimination step, is different from the width in the main scanning direction of the first page; anda changing step for changing the maximum number of pages that are to be stapled, as set in said setting step, when it is discriminated that the size of second and following pages of the image data received in said receiving step, as discriminated in said discrimination step, is different from the size of the first page and that the width in the main scanning direction of the second and following pages of the image data received in said receiving step, as discriminated in said discrimination step, is the same as the width in the main scanning direction of the first page.