Patent ID: 7245871

Claim:
An image forming system comprising: an image forming section for forming images on sheets of paper; a transporting path for transporting the sheets of paper on which the images have been formed in the image forming section; a plurality of stackers for stacking the sheets of paper transported by the transporting path, each stacker of the plurality of stackers being capable of sequentially stacking the paper up to a prescribed amount corresponding to a full capacity of the each stacker; a switching section for selecting and switching to, on a way of the transporting path, a transporting destination of the paper among the plurality of stackers; a controller for detecting a projected number of sheets of paper needed for at least one of a next image forming job following a preceding image forming job and a next copy set following a preceding copy set, and for controlling the image forming section and the switching section; and a determination section for determining, in cases where the sheets of paper of at least one of the next image forming job and the next copy set are stacked in one stacker of the plurality of stackers, whether an amount of the sheets of paper to be stacked exceeds the prescribed amount for the one stacker, the amount of the sheets of paper to be stacked being calculated based on the projected number of sheets of paper and an amount of the sheets of paper already having been stacked; wherein in cases where the determination section has determined that the amount of the sheets of paper to be stacked exceeds the prescribed amount, the controller controls the switching section to switch the transporting destination for the sheets of paper of at least one of the next image forming job and the next copy set to another stacker within the plurality of stackers.