Patent ID: 8619334

Claim:
An image forming device comprising: a determination unit that determines an image forming capability of a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus, an image being formed on a printing medium that is transported between the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus; an acquiring unit that acquires information concerning a number of colors used in the first image forming apparatus and information concerning the number of colors used in the second image forming apparatus; and a restriction unit that restricts an image forming operation of the first image forming apparatus when the determination unit determines that the image forming capability of any one of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus is to be lower than an image forming capability of the other one of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus when independently performing an operation to form an image on the printing medium; wherein, when the acquired number of colors used in one of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus positioned on an upstream side of the transport direction of the printing medium is greater than the acquired number of colors used in the other one of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus positioned on a downstream side of the transport direction of the printing medium, the determination unit determines that the image forming capability of one of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus positioned on the downstream side is to be lower than an image forming capability when the one of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus positioned on the downstream side independently performs an operation to form an image on the printing medium, and wherein the first image forming apparatus is connected to the second image forming apparatus in a transport direction of a printing medium to form a multiple printer system.