Patent ID: 8254794

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a plurality of sheet trays to store sheets to form an image thereon; a detecting section provided to each of the plurality of sheet trays and to detect a capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays; and a sheet managing section to compare the capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays detected by the detecting section with a capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to be stored in the plurality of sheet trays, wherein in the case that the capacity of empty space of a sheet tray among the plurality of sheet trays is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets, the sheet managing section notifies that sheet supply is possible by one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to the sheet tray, and wherein the sheet managing section specifies plural sheet trays storing sheets of the same size and the same kind among the plurality of sheet trays and compares a total capacity of empty space of the plural sheet trays with the capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to be stored in the plural sheet trays, and in the case that the total capacity of empty space is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of the one or plural bundles of sheets, the sheet managing section notifies that sheet supply is possible by one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply by distributing the one or plural bundles of sheets to the plural sheet trays.