Patent ID: 7899342

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, provided with a paper feed cassette and an image forming portion, that takes out a recording medium stored in this paper feed cassette sheet by sheet in response to an image forming request and performs image forming in the image forming portion, the image forming apparatus comprising: a push-out means that can push out the paper feed cassette from an installed state toward an uninstalled state relative to a main body of the image forming apparatus; a sheet quantity confirming means that can confirm the number of sheets of the recording medium stored in the paper feed cassette; and a control means; wherein said image forming apparatus is configured to communicate with a terminal machine; wherein said image forming apparatus is located in a first location and said terminal machine is located in a second location; wherein said image forming apparatus is configured to receive an image forming request from said terminal machine; wherein the control means is configured to cause, immediately after the image forming apparatus receives said image forming request from said terminal machine, the sheet quantity confirming means to confirm the number of sheets of the recording medium stored in the paper feed cassette, wherein the control means is configured to cause, if the number of sheets of the recording medium stored in the paper feed cassette is lower than the number of sheets necessary to complete an image forming operation in accordance with the image forming request, the paper feed cassette to be pushed out from an installed state toward an uninstalled state by the push-out means without commencing the image forming operation, and to cause the user to be warned that the number of sheets of the recording medium is insufficient to complete the image forming operation in accordance with the image forming request; and wherein said warning is provided at the terminal machine.