Patent ID: 6954599

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming section for copying image data of each page onto copying paper; an after-processing section for conducting finishing processing of the copying paper after the copying, and guiding the copying paper to an outlet portion; an operation section in which an instruction related to image forming is inputted by a user; a controlling section for operating said image forming section and said after-processing section, based on the image forming instruction from said operation section; and a data fetching means for fetching first image data which corresponds to a first sheaf of original paper to be copied and second image data which corresponds to a second sheaf of original paper to be copied, wherein: said operation section accepts, as the image forming instruction, a sorting instruction which includes a predetermined number of copies of each of the first image data and second image data and sorting of the copies; and said controlling section, based on the sorting instruction from said operation section, conducts finishing processing of each of a first sheaf of copying paper on which the first image data is copied and a second sheaf of copying paper on which the second image data is copied, and then, executes, for the predetermined number of copies, an operation of guiding the first sheaf of copying paper and the second sheaf of copying paper, in sequence, to said outlet portion so that the first sheaf of copying paper and the second sheaf of copying paper are piled in this order.