Image formation system

Abstract

To provide an image formation system which can prevent a layout change from being performed when creating pressure-bonding printed matter such as a pressure-bonded postcard.SOLUTION: When a layout change is set in a setting of creating a pressure-bonded postcard (Yes in SY1, SY2), a main control unit disables the set layout change (SY3). Then, by pressure-bonding processing performed by a pressure-bonding processing device to a pressure-bonded postcard sheet formed with a toner image by an image formation device, a pressure-bonded postcard is created (SY4). Namely, when the layout change is set before execution of a pressure-bonding printed matter creation mode, the toner image is formed by the image formation device without executing the layout change in the time of execution of the pressure-bonding printed matter creation mode. Consequently, the pressure-bonded postcard is properly created since the layout change is not applied even when the layout change is set in the setting of creating the pressure-bonded postcard.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming system that forms an image on a recording material, folds the recording material on which the image has been formed, and applies heat and pressure to the folded recording material to press the recording material, thereby producing a pressed print. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming system for producing a pressure-bonded print has been proposed (Patent Document 1). An example of a pressure-bonded print is a pressure-bonded postcard in which the surfaces (called pressure-bonded surfaces) of a recording material folded in two are overlapped and pseudo-bonded. In the case of such a pressure-bonded print, a user cannot read a toner image such as a character or a picture formed on the pressure-bonded surface until the pseudo-bonded pressure-bonded surface is peeled off. Note that the pseudo-bonding referred to here is a type of adhesion that can be peeled off after bonding and is difficult to re-adhere after peeling. A pressure-bonded print is produced by folding and pressing a recording material on which a toner image has been formed by an image forming apparatus using a pressure-bonding processing device, which is one of the post-processing units that can be freely added to an image forming apparatus for functional expansion.

[0003] Furthermore, the image forming system may include a stapling device as a post-process unit, which performs a stapling process for bundling and binding a plurality of sheets of recording material and discharges the bundle of bound recording materials. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-35454 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional image forming apparatuses, a user can set a so-called layout change to place images of multiple pages on one page of a recording material. Examples of layout changes include "2in1" which forms toner images of two pages on one page, "4in1" which forms toner images of four pages on one page, and "8in1" which forms toner images of eight pages on one page. In addition, if the image forming system is equipped with a stapler, the user can set whether or not to perform staple processing.

[0006] However, when a laminated postcard is created when a layout change is set, for example, a toner image that is normally formed on the laminated postcard so that it cannot be read from the outside may be formed on the laminated postcard so that it can be read from the outside due to the layout change. Also, when a laminated postcard is created when a staple process is set, there is a risk that the stapled recording material will get jammed midway through the process.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to provide an image forming system that can avoid changing the layout or stapling when producing a pressure-bonded printed matter such as a pressure-bonded postcard. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an image forming device having an image forming means for forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface, and a fixing means for applying heat and pressure to the recording material to fix the toner image, a pressure-bonding device for folding the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means and pressing the folded recording material, and a control means capable of executing a pressure-bonded print creation mode in which the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means is pressed by the pressure-bonding device to create a pressure-bonded print, and capable of setting a layout change in which multiple pages of images are placed on one page of the recording material, wherein the image forming means is capable of forming a toner image on the recording material in accordance with the layout change, and when the layout change has been set before execution of the pressure-bonded print creation mode, the control means causes the image forming means to form a toner image without executing the layout change when the pressure-bonded print creation mode is executed.

[0009] An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an image forming device having an image forming means for forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface, and a fixing means for applying heat and pressure to the recording material to fix the toner image, a pressure-bonding device for folding the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means and pressing the folded recording material, and a control means capable of executing a pressure-bonded print creation mode in which the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means is pressed by the pressure-bonding device to create a pressure-bonded print, and capable of setting a layout change to place multiple pages of images on one page of the recording material, wherein the image forming means is capable of forming a toner image on the recording material in accordance with the layout change, and the control means does not allow the setting of the layout change when the pressure-bonded print creation mode is executed.

[0010] An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an image forming device having an image forming means for forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface, and a fixing means for fixing the toner image by applying heat and pressure to the recording material; a pressure-bonding processing device arranged downstream of the fixing means in the transport direction of the recording material, which folds the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means and presses the folded recording material; a stapling device arranged downstream of the fixing means in the transport direction of the recording material and performs a staple process on a plurality of recording materials; and a control means capable of executing a pressure-bonded print creation mode in which the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means is pressure-bonded by the pressure-bonding processing device to create a pressure-bonded print and capable of setting the staple process, wherein if the staple process has been set before the pressure-bonded print creation mode is executed, the control means transports the recording material in the staple device without executing the staple process when the pressure-bonded print creation mode is executed.

[0011] An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an image forming device having an image forming means for forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface, and a fixing means for applying heat and pressure to the recording material to fix the toner image, a pressure-bonding processing device arranged downstream of the fixing means in the transport direction of the recording material and folding the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means and pressing the folded recording material, a stapling device arranged downstream of the fixing means in the transport direction of the recording material and performing a staple process on a plurality of recording materials, and a control means capable of executing a pressure-bonded print creation mode in which the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means is pressed by the pressure-bonding processing device to create a pressure-bonded print, and capable of setting the staple process, and wherein the control means does not allow the setting of the staple process when the pressure-bonded print creation mode is executed. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, when producing a pressure-bonded print, layout changes and stapling processes can be avoided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing a control configuration of the image forming system. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B show a laminated postcard sheet folded in half, (a) one side, (b) two sides, and (c) folded state. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a combination of the setting direction, conveying direction, and folding direction of the laminated postcard paper that can be used to properly create a laminated postcard by folding it in half. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a laminated postcard paper folded in three, (a) one side, and (b) two sides. [Figure 6] 10A to 10D are diagrams showing the state of a laminated postcard sheet when folding it into thirds: (a) before the start of the folding operation, (b) the first folding operation, (c) the second folding operation, and (d) after the folding operation is completed. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a combination of the setting direction, conveying direction, and folding direction of the laminated postcard paper that can be used to properly create a laminated postcard by folding it in three. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a print setting screen on which layout changes can be set. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing how toner images are formed when the layout change "2in1" is applied and when it is not applied when creating a laminated postcard, (a) when folded in half, and (b) when folded in three. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing a setting control process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a setting control process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of how a print setting screen is displayed when layout change settings are not permitted. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming system including a stapling device. [Figure 14]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a print setting screen on which stapling processing can be set. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] [First embodiment] <Image forming system> The present embodiment will be described below. First, the image forming system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The image forming system 1X of the present embodiment has an image forming apparatus 100 that forms a toner image on a recording material S, and a pressure bonding apparatus 200 that performs pressure bonding on the recording material S on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 100. The pressure bonding apparatus 200 is a post-process unit that can be freely added to the image forming apparatus 100 for functional expansion, and the image forming apparatus 100 and the pressure bonding apparatus 200 are connected so that the recording material S can be transferred. This image forming system 1X can create a pressure-bonded printed matter such as a pressure-bonded postcard by conveying the recording material S on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 100 to the pressure bonding apparatus 200 and folding and pressing the recording material S by the pressure bonding apparatus 200.

[0015] 1, the pressing device 200 is shown as an example equipped with a folding device 400 and a pressing device 600. The image forming device 100, the folding device 400, and the pressing device 600 are connected by a data input / output interface (not shown) capable of serial communication or parallel communication so that control signals, data, and the like can be transmitted and received between them.

[0016] <Image forming device> The image forming apparatus 100 will be described. The image forming apparatus 100 is a tandem-type full-color printer of an electrophotographic system. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 has image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd that form images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively. The image forming apparatus 100 forms a toner image on a recording material S based on image data sent from a document reading device (not shown) connected to the apparatus main body or an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer connected to the apparatus main body so as to be capable of inputting and outputting data.

[0017] In this embodiment, the image data includes information regarding a first toner image to be formed on one side of the recording material S, information regarding a second toner image to be formed on the other side of the recording material S, information regarding the folding method (for example, the folding position according to the size of the recording material S) and the pressing surface (the surface on the valley fold side), etc.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd are arranged in line in the moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt 130 in the main body of the apparatus. The intermediate transfer belt 130 is rotated while being stretched around a plurality of rollers (13, 14, and 15). The intermediate transfer belt 130 carries and transports a toner image to be primarily transferred as described below. A secondary transfer outer roller 11 is arranged at a position opposite to the secondary transfer inner roller 14, which stretches the intermediate transfer belt 130, with the intermediate transfer belt 130 sandwiched therebetween, forming a secondary transfer unit T2 that transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 130 to a recording material S. A fixing device 8 is arranged downstream of the secondary transfer unit T2 in the recording material transport direction.

[0019] The image forming apparatus 100 has a cassette 10 in which a recording material S is stored. The recording material S is transported from the cassette 10 toward a registration roller 12 by a transport roller 16. Thereafter, the registration roller 12 starts to rotate in synchronization with the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 130, so that the recording material S is transported to a secondary transfer portion T2. ​​A plurality of cassettes 10 are arranged so as to be able to store recording materials S of different sizes and thicknesses, and a recording material S selected by a user from any of the plurality of cassettes 10 is transported. Note that the recording material S is not limited to the recording material S stored in the cassette 10, and the recording material S placed on a manual feed tray 160 may be transported. Also, a recording material supplying device (not shown) may be connected to the image forming apparatus 100 as an option, and the recording material S stored in the recording material supplying device may be supplied to the image forming apparatus 100.

[0020] The four image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd of the image forming apparatus 100 have substantially the same configuration, except for the different developing colors. Therefore, the yellow image forming unit Pa will be described here as a representative, and illustrations and descriptions of the other image forming units Pb, Pc, and Pd will be omitted.

[0021] The image forming unit Pa is provided with a cylindrical photosensitive drum 3a as a photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 3a is rotated in a predetermined direction. A charging device 2a, an exposure device La, a developing device 1a, a primary transfer roller 24a, and a drum cleaning device 4a are arranged around the photosensitive drum 3a.

[0022] A process of forming, for example, a full-color image by the image forming apparatus 100 will be described. First, when the image forming operation is started, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 3a is uniformly charged by the charging device 2a. The charging device 2a is, for example, a corona charger that irradiates charged particles associated with corona discharge to charge the photosensitive drum 3a to a uniform negative polarity dark potential. Next, the photosensitive drum 3a is scanned and exposed by a laser beam corresponding to an image signal emitted from the exposure device La. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3a. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 3a is developed into a toner image, which is a visible image, by a developer containing toner and carrier contained in the developing device 1a.

[0023] In the present embodiment, the developing device 1a uses a two-component developer containing a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier as a developer. The toner contains a binder resin, a colorant, and a release agent (wax). The binder resin may be a known one. For example, a vinyl copolymer such as a styrene-(meth)acrylic copolymer, a polyester resin, a hybrid resin in which a vinyl copolymer unit and a polyester unit are chemically bonded, an epoxy resin, a styrene-butadiene copolymer, or other resin may be used. Known colorants may be used for yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively.

[0024] Examples of the release agent include aliphatic hydrocarbon waxes such as low molecular weight polyethylene, low molecular weight olefin copolymer wax, microcrystalline wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, and paraffin wax, oxides of aliphatic hydrocarbon waxes such as oxidized polyethylene wax, and block copolymers thereof; waxes mainly composed of fatty acid esters such as carnauba wax and montan acid ester wax, ester waxes which are synthetic reaction products of higher fatty acids and higher alcohols such as behenyl behenate and behenyl stearate, and partially or completely deoxidized fatty acid esters such as deoxidized carnauba wax.

[0025] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 3a is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 130 at a primary transfer section formed between the photosensitive drum 3a and a primary transfer roller 24a disposed with the intermediate transfer belt 130 sandwiched therebetween. At this time, a primary transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer roller 24a. Toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3a after the primary transfer is removed by a drum cleaning device 4a.

[0026] Such an operation is performed in sequence at each of the image forming sections Pa to Pd of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and the four color toner images are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 130. Thereafter, the recording material S accommodated in the cassette 10 is conveyed to the secondary transfer section T2 in accordance with the timing of the formation of the toner images. Then, by applying a secondary transfer bias to the secondary transfer outer roller 11, the full-color toner images formed on the intermediate transfer belt 130 are secondary-transferred all at once to the recording material S. The toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 130 after the secondary transfer is removed by the belt cleaning device 22. In this embodiment, the image forming sections Pa to Pd, the intermediate transfer belt 130, the rollers (13, 14, 15), the secondary transfer outer roller 11, and the like constitute an image forming unit 150 as an image forming means capable of forming a toner image on the recording material S.

[0027] The recording material S on which the toner image has been formed is transported to a fixing device 8 as a fixing means. The fixing device 8 has a fixing roller and a pressure roller, and by nipping and transporting the recording material S on which the toner image has been formed in a fixing nip portion formed by them, the recording material S is heated and pressurized, and the toner image is fixed to the recording material S.

[0028] The image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment is capable of double-sided printing. In a single-sided image forming mode, the recording material S on one side of which a toner image is fixed by the fixing device 8 is conveyed to the pressure bonding processing device 200. In a double-sided image forming mode, the recording material S on one side of which a toner image is fixed by the fixing device 8 is conveyed to the double-sided conveying section 190. In the double-sided conveying section 190, the recording material S is inverted while being conveyed, and the front side (first side) and the back side (second side) of the recording material S are swapped. The inverted recording material S is conveyed again through the double-sided conveying section 190 toward the registration roller 12. Then, the recording material S is conveyed toward the secondary transfer section T2 by the registration roller 12 with the back side (second side) not printed facing the intermediate transfer belt 130. In the secondary transfer section T2, the full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 130 is secondarily transferred collectively to the back side of the recording material S. Thereafter, the toner image is fixed to the recording material S by the fixing device 8 , and the recording material S on which the toner image has been formed is conveyed to the pressure bonding device 200 .

[0029] The image forming apparatus 100 also includes a main control unit 101. In this embodiment, the main control unit 101 as a control means controls the image forming apparatus 100 and the pressure bonding apparatus 200 to execute a pressure bonded print production mode in which the recording material S on which a toner image has been fixed is pressure bonded by the pressure bonding apparatus 200 to produce a pressure bonded print. That is, in the pressure bonded print production mode, the main control unit 101 controls the image forming apparatus 100 to execute an image forming process in which an image is formed on the recording material S, and also controls the pressure bonding apparatus 200 to execute a pressure bonding process in which the recording material S is folded and pressure bonded. The control configuration of the image forming system 1X will be described later (see FIG. 2).

[0030] <Recording material> Next, the recording material S will be described. In this embodiment, a pre-glued type recording material S having a substrate and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is used. The substrate may be any substrate capable of forming a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on at least one side, and examples thereof include fine paper, medium-quality paper, and coated paper. From the viewpoint of confidentiality, it is desirable that the substrate does not transmit light and that the toner image formed on one side is difficult to see through on the other side. The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed by a pressure-sensitive adhesive that is pseudo-adhered by pressure, and includes an adhesive substrate and an adhesion regulator. The adhesive substrate is, for example, a composition containing natural rubber latex or its modified product, synthetic rubber latex, synthetic resin, etc. The adhesion regulator is a known wax such as paraffin wax, or a particulate filler such as silica, titanium oxide, calcium carbonate, etc. All of them have low affinity with the adhesive substrate, and adjust the adhesive strength as a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0031] The particulate filler contained in the adhesive base material protrudes from the adhesive base material, forming an uneven shape on the surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. Due to this uneven shape, the adhesive base material is not exposed to the surface when no pressure is applied, and therefore no adhesiveness is exhibited. On the other hand, when surfaces coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive layers are overlapped and pressure is applied, the adhesive base material comes to the surface, and adhesiveness is exhibited by the adhesive base material of each of the overlapping surfaces. Considering that the transportation costs, such as postage, of pressure-sensitive postcards are cheaper than those of envelopes, the basis weight of recording material S is set to "64 g / m 2 ~209g / m 2 An example of such a pre-glued recording material S is the pressure-sensitive postcard paper "POSTEX Tri-Fold" (basis weight 100 g / m 2 ) and "POSTEX Bi-Fold" (grammage 150g / m 2 In the following, an example of creating a "pressed postcard" as a press-bonded printed matter will be described.

[0032] <Crimping processing equipment> Next, the pressure bonding device 200 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the pressure bonding device 200 of this embodiment has a folding device 400 and a pressure bonding device 600. The folding device 400 folds the recording material S with the top surface of the recording material S facing inward. The pressure bonding device 600 applies pressure to the folded recording material S. The folding device 400 and the pressure bonding device 600 will be described below.

[0033] <Folding device> The folding device 400 is a device that performs folding processing by folding the recording material S that has undergone the image forming process by the image forming apparatus 100. In this embodiment, as an example, a roller pressure contact type folding device 400 that is capable of folding in three and folding in two is shown. The folding device 400 has a folding control unit 430 and a folding unit 440 that folds the recording material S. The folding control unit 430 mainly controls the folding unit 440.

[0034] The operation of the folding unit 440 will be described taking as an example a triple fold (e.g., an outer triple fold) in which the recording material S is folded into a Z-shape. The recording material S conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 is drawn into the folding device 400 by an inlet roller pair 401, and is diverted to different conveying paths by a branching flapper 402 depending on whether folding is required. If folding is required, the recording material S is diverted to a folding path toward a conveying roller pair 403, and if folding is not required, the recording material S is diverted to a fold avoidance path toward a discharge roller pair 404.

[0035] When the recording material S is distributed to the folding path, it is temporarily stopped at the position of the registration roller pair 405, and a registration correction is performed while forming a loop. The registration-corrected recording material S is conveyed again, and at a predetermined timing after passing the folding position detection sensor 406, it is drawn in by the first folding roller 407 and the second folding roller 408 and is simultaneously folded for the first time. Then, when the drawn-in recording material S strikes the folding abutment stopper 409, it is drawn in by the second folding roller 408 and the third folding roller 410 and is simultaneously folded for the second time. In this way, the first surface side of the recording material S is folded at the first fold so that the first surfaces face each other, and the second surface side opposite the first surface side is folded at the second fold so that the other surfaces face each other. Then, the recording material S that has been folded for the second time is conveyed toward the discharge roller pair 404, and is delivered to the subsequent pressing device 600 by the discharge roller pair 404. When the recording material S is diverted to the folding avoidance path, the recording material S is delivered to the subsequent pressing device 600 by the pair of discharge rollers 404 without being folded in three as described above.

[0036] The operation of the folding unit 440 will be described using a two-fold process as an example. When the recording material S is distributed to the folding process path, it is subjected to registration correction in the same manner as in the case of the three-fold process described above, and is transported again. In the case of two-fold process, the recording material S is pulled in by the first folding roller 407 and the second folding roller 408, and is folded when the trailing end of the recording material S hits the trailing end abutment stopper 411 after passing the folding position detection sensor 406. The recording material S is folded in two at the crease so that the one sides face each other. At this time, the pulled-in recording material S is guided by the leading end guide 412, which has been moved to a predetermined position in advance, and is pulled in by the second folding roller 408 and the third folding roller 410. The recording material S pulled in by the second folding roller 408 and the third folding roller 410 is transported toward the discharge roller pair 404, and is delivered to the subsequent pressing device 600 by the discharge roller pair 404. When the recording material S is diverted to the folding avoidance path, the recording material S is not folded in two as described above, but is delivered to the subsequent pressing device 600 by the pair of discharge rollers 404. In addition, in this embodiment, when the recording material S having toner images formed on both sides is conveyed, the recording material S is folded in two by making a valley fold so that the second sides, i.e., the sides on which the toner images are formed later, face each other.

[0037] <Crimping device> Next, the pressing device 600 will be described. The pressing device 600 is a device that performs pressing to press the recording material S that has been subjected to the folding process by the above-mentioned folding device 400. In this embodiment, as an example, a roller pressing type pressing device 600 that can press the recording material S by applying heat and pressure to the recording material S via a pair of pressing rollers that sandwich and convey the recording material S is shown. The pressing device 600 has a pressing process control unit 630 and a pressing unit 640 that presses the recording material S. The pressing process control unit 630 mainly controls the pressing unit 640.

[0038] The pressing unit 640 will be described. The pressing unit 640 has a pair of pressing rollers 601 that rotate to sandwich and transport the recording material S, a heater 602 that heats the pair of pressing rollers 601, and a thermistor 603 that detects the temperature of the pair of pressing rollers 601. The pair of pressing rollers 601 has an upper roller 601a and a lower roller 601b, and the upper roller 601a and the lower roller 601b are each maintained at a desired temperature by the heater 602 according to the temperature detected by the thermistor 603. The pair of pressing rollers 601 can apply heat and pressure to the recording material S while sandwiching and transporting the recording material S in a folded state. As a result, the recording material S that is folded with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the inside is pseudo-adhered by bonding the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

[0039] Here, from the viewpoint of adhesive strength and removability, the temperature and pressure of the recording material S during the pressing process must be appropriately controlled. This is because if the pressure or temperature during the pressing process is low, the adhesive strength will be weak and there is a risk that the pseudo-adhesive state cannot be maintained. On the other hand, if the pressure or temperature during the pressing process is high, the adhesive strength will be strong and there is a risk that the removability will be reduced, such as the paper being torn when peeled off. Therefore, the pressure and temperature during the pressing process must be appropriately set according to the type of recording material S. For example, an appropriate adhesive strength can be obtained by setting the temperature of the pair of pressure rollers 601 of the pressure bonding device 600 to "15°C to 80°C", more preferably "20°C to 60°C", and the pressure to "2 MPa" or more.

[0040] The pressure applied to the recording material S by the fixing device 8 is about 0.1 to 0.5 MPa. The recording material S exhibits adhesiveness when a high pressure (several MPa or more) is applied, causing the adhesive base material to come to the surface. Therefore, in the fixing device 8, which uses low pressure, the recording material S reaches a high temperature of 100 to 200°C, but the adhesive base material does not easily come to the surface, so adhesiveness is not exhibited and the recording material does not adhere.

[0041] <Control configuration of image forming system> Next, the control of the image forming system 1X will be described using Fig. 2 while referring to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the image forming apparatus 100 (more specifically, the main control unit 101) centrally manages operation commands for the pressure bonding apparatus 200 (folding apparatus 400, pressure bonding apparatus 600) and controls them. Note that various devices such as motors and power supplies are connected in addition to those shown in Fig. 2, but illustration and description of these are omitted here as they are not the main point of the invention.

[0042] 2, in the image forming system 1X of this embodiment, the folding control unit 430 and the crimping control unit 630 are connected to the main control unit 101 via a communication cable 500 so as to be able to communicate operation commands and various data. In accordance with an operation command from the main control unit 101, the folding control unit 430 operates the folding device 400, and the crimping control unit 630 operates the crimping device 600. That is, the main control unit 101 can control the entire image forming system 1X by transmitting operation commands to the crimping device 200 (the folding device 400 and the crimping device 600) while controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0043] The main control unit 101, the folding control unit 430, and the pressing control unit 630 may have the same configuration, and each of them has, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0044] The main control unit 101 has a CPU 102, a ROM 103, and a RAM 104. The ROM 103 and the RAM 104 store various programs and various data, such as a setting control process (see FIGS. 10 and 11) described later. The RAM 104 can also temporarily store the results of calculations associated with the execution of the various programs.

[0045] The image forming apparatus 100 is equipped with an operation unit 700 having, for example, a liquid crystal display unit 710 (see FIG. 1), and the operation unit 700 serving as a selection means is connected to the main control unit 101. The operation unit 700 is, for example, a touch panel, and is capable of displaying various screens presenting various programs and various data on the liquid crystal display unit 710, and also accepts inputs for starting various programs and inputting various data in response to user operations such as touch operations by the user.

[0046] A user can input the start of an "image forming job" from the operation unit 700 or an external device (not shown), and can also set up the creation of a pressure-bonded postcard. When an "image forming job" is input, the CPU 102 executes a setting control process (program) stored in the ROM 103. In response to this, the pressure-bonding device 200 (folding device 400, pressure-bonding device 600) can be operated together with the image forming device 100.

[0047] The folding control unit 430 includes a CPU 431, a ROM 432, and a RAM 433. The CPU 431 operates the folding device 400 based on a control program stored in the ROM 432.

[0048] The pressure bonding process control unit 630 includes a CPU 631, a ROM 632, and a RAM 633. The CPU 631 operates the pressure bonding device 600 based on a control program stored in the ROM 632. The pressure bonding process control unit 630 is connected to a motor 634 that rotates and drives the pressure bonding roller pair 601, a heater 602 that heats the pressure bonding roller pair 601, and a thermistor 603 that detects the temperature of the pressure bonding roller pair 601. The pressure bonding process control unit 630 transmits the detection result (temperature data) of the thermistor 603 to the main control unit 101. The pressure bonding process control unit 630 can change the temperature of the heater 602 by receiving the target temperature from the main control unit 101. The pressure bonding process control unit 630 can change the rotation speed of the motor 634 by receiving the target speed of the recording material S to be conveyed from the main control unit 101.

[0049] Next, the setting direction, conveying direction, and folding direction of the pressure-bonded postcard paper that can appropriately produce a pressure-bonded postcard by folding in two will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and with reference to FIG. 3(a) to FIG. 4. In the image forming apparatus 100, pressure-bonded postcard paper is supplied as the recording material S from a setting location such as the cassette 10, the manual feed tray 160, or a recording material supplying device (not shown) connected to the image forming apparatus 100. At this time, depending on the setting location and setting direction of the pressure-bonded postcard paper, whether the supplied pressure-bonded postcard paper is conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 to the folding device 400 with one side or the second side facing outward changes. Since the pressure-bonded postcard paper folded in two has a glue side with the above-mentioned pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on one side and a non-glue side without a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the second side, it needs to be conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 to the folding device 400 so that the one side is folded and pressure-bonded.

[0050] Fig. 3(a) shows one side of a laminated postcard folded in half, Fig. 3(b) shows the second side of a laminated postcard folded in half, and Fig. 3(c) shows the laminated postcard folded in half. As an example, the laminated postcard is set in the manual feed tray 160 with the adhesive surface 900 (first side S1) having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer facing up (adhesive surface up). Then, a toner image that the user wants to conceal so that it cannot be read from the outside is formed on the adhesive surface 900, and a toner image such as an addressee that the user wants to be able to read from the outside is formed on the non-adhesive surface (second side S2) that does not have a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

[0051] Thereafter, the bonded postcard paper with the toner image fixed thereon is conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 to the folding apparatus 400 in a conveying direction with the adhesive surface 900 facing outward (Face Up), and is folded in two at the folding section Sa by the folding apparatus 400. The folding direction in which the bonded postcard paper is folded varies depending on the folding apparatus 400, and the side facing outward when conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 may be folded in a mountain fold or in a valley fold. In the present embodiment, the adhesive surface 900 (first side S1) of the bonded postcard paper is folded in a valley fold at the folding section Sa (conveying direction: valley fold). Then, the folded bonded postcard paper is discharged from the folding apparatus 400 to the pressing apparatus 600 in a conveying direction in which the non-adhesive surface (second side S2) is the surface and the folding section Sa side (fold position) is the leading edge in the conveying direction, and is pressed by the pressing apparatus 600.

[0052] As described above, whether or not a bonded postcard can be properly produced depends on which direction the adhesive side 900 of the bonded postcard paper is set in the setting location, whether the adhesive side 900 or the non-adhesive side is facing out as it is transported, and whether it is folded in a valley fold or a mountain fold. Figure 4 shows combinations of setting orientation, transport direction, and folding direction of bonded postcard paper that can properly produce a bonded postcard by folding in half. The above example corresponds to the combination shown as "E1" in Figure 4. Explanation of the other combinations "E2 to E4" will be omitted.

[0053] Next, the setting direction, conveying direction, and folding direction of the pressure-bonded postcard paper that can appropriately create a pressure-bonded postcard by folding in three (specifically, folding in three on the outside) will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and with reference to FIG. 5(a) to FIG. 7. In the image forming apparatus 100, pressure-bonded postcard paper is supplied as the recording material S from a setting location such as the cassette 10, the manual feed tray 160, or a recording material supplying device (not shown) connected to the image forming apparatus 100. At this time, depending on the setting location and setting direction of the pressure-bonded postcard paper, whether the supplied pressure-bonded postcard paper is conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 to the folding device 400 with either the first side or the second side facing outward changes. The pressure-bonded postcard paper folded in three has a glue side with the above-mentioned pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and a non-glue side without the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on each of the first side and the second side, and needs to be conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 to the folding device 400 so that the glue sides are pressure-bonded to each other.

[0054] Fig. 5(a) shows one side of a bonded postcard folded in three, and Fig. 5(b) shows the second side of a bonded postcard folded in three. As an example, the bonded postcard is set in the manual feed tray 160 with the first side S1 on which adhesive surface 901 is formed facing out (adhesive surface up) and the second side S2 on which adhesive surface 902 is formed facing down. Then, a toner image that the user wants to conceal so that it cannot be seen from the outside is formed on the adhesive surfaces 901 and 902, and a toner image that the user wants to be visible from the outside, such as an addressee, is formed on the non-adhesive surfaces S1a and S2c that do not have a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

[0055] Thereafter, the bonded postcard paper with the toner image fixed thereon is conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 to the folding apparatus 400 in a conveying direction with one side S1 (glue surface 901) facing outward (Face Up), and is folded by the folding apparatus 400 at the folding portions Sa and Sb. The folding direction in which the bonded postcard paper is folded varies depending on the folding apparatus 400, and the side facing outward when conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 may be folded in a mountain fold or in a valley fold. In the case of this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 6(a) and 6(b), the bonded postcard paper is mountain-folded at the folding portion Sa by the first folding operation. Then, as shown in Fig. 6(c), the bonded postcard paper is valley-folded at the folding portion Sb by the second folding operation (conveying direction Z-fold). Then, the folded and laminated postcard paper is discharged from the folding device 400 to the laminating device 600 in a conveying orientation in which the non-glue surface S1a of one side S1 is the front and the folded portion Sb side (the fold position) is the leading edge in the conveying direction, as shown in Figure 6 (d), and is laminated by the laminating device 600.

[0056] Figure 7 shows combinations of the setting direction, conveying direction, and folding direction of the press-bonded postcard paper that can be used to properly create a press-bonded postcard by folding it in three. The above example corresponds to the combination shown as "F1" in Figure 7. Explanations of the other combinations "F2 to F4" will be omitted.

[0057] <Print settings screen> In this embodiment, the user can set whether or not to create a bonded postcard from a "print setting screen" displayed on the operation unit 700 or an external device. FIG. 8 shows an example of the "print setting screen." As shown in FIG. 8, the "print setting screen" allows the user to set the original document size, output size, number of copies, print orientation, and page layout. When the output size is set to "bonded postcard" on this "print setting screen," a setting is made to create a bonded postcard. In the example shown in FIG. 8, it is set to create "100" copies of "bonded postcards" on which a toner image that is smaller than that formed on the original document size "A4" is formed.

[0058] Furthermore, the user can change the layout to print multiple pages of images on one page of the recording material S by selecting a page layout on the "print setting screen." For example, the user can select from among the page layouts displayed, such as "2in1," which forms two pages of toner images on one page, "4in1," which forms four pages of toner images on one page, and "6in1," which forms six pages of toner images on one page. The initial layout setting is "1in1," which forms one page of toner image on one page.

[0059] However, as already mentioned, in the past, it was possible to set the above-mentioned layout change even when creating a bonded postcard. The upper part of Figures 9(a) and 9(b) shows the state of toner image formation when applying the layout change "2in1" when creating a bonded postcard as a conventional example. Figure 9(a) shows the case where a bonded postcard is created using a bonded postcard paper folded in two, and Figure 9(b) shows the case where a bonded postcard is created using a bonded postcard paper folded in three.

[0060] 9(a) and 9(b) show, from right to left, an image of the toner images formed on the first and second sides of the laminated postcard paper in the image data, the toner image formed on the first side of the laminated postcard paper, the toner image formed on the second side of the laminated postcard paper, and the state after folding and before pressing. The image data used for folding in half has data related to each toner image, so that a toner image of a smiley face and a sun mark is formed on the first side, and a toner image of "addressee" is formed on the right side of the second side. The image data used for folding in thirds has data related to each toner image, so that a toner image of a smiley face, a sun mark, and a cloud mark is formed on the first side, and a toner image of "addressee" is formed on the non-glue side of the second side, and a toner image of a moon mark and a heart mark is formed on the glue side.

[0061] In the case of folding in two, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the smiley face and sun mark, which are normally formed on the first side of the bonded surface B so as not to be readable from the outside, are formed on the second side so as to be readable from the outside, and the "addressee" is formed on the left side of the second side in a different direction than the original. In the case of folding in three, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the smiley face, sun mark, and cloud mark, which are normally formed on the first side, are all formed on the right side of the adhesive surface of the second side. In addition, in the past, the "addressee", moon mark, and heart mark, which are normally formed separately on the non-adhesive surface and adhesive surface of the second side, are all formed on the left side of the adhesive surface of the second side. In this way, in the past, when the layout was changed during the creation of a bonded postcard, each toner image was not formed in the place where it should have been formed, making it difficult to properly create a bonded postcard.

[0062] <Settings control process> Therefore, in this embodiment, even if a layout change setting has been made when creating a bonded postcard, a toner image is formed in the original position shown in the lower part of Figures 9(a) and 9(b) so that the bonded postcard can be created appropriately. Below, the setting control process of the first embodiment for achieving this will be described using Figure 10 with reference to Figure 2. The setting control process of this embodiment is started by the main control unit 101 when, for example, a command to start an "image forming job" is input from the operation unit 700 or an external device, and is ended when the "image forming job" is ended.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 10, the main control unit 101 judges whether or not the mode is set to a pressure-bonded print production mode in which pressure-bonded postcard paper is pressure-bonded to produce a pressure-bonded postcard (SY1). The user can set whether or not to produce a pressure-bonded postcard as described above from the "print setting screen" (see Fig. 8). If the setting is not to produce a pressure-bonded postcard (No in SY1), the main control unit 101 starts image formation processing to form a toner image on a recording material S other than the pressure-bonded postcard paper based on image data by the image forming device 100 (SY6). In this case, after the toner image is formed on the recording material S, the recording material S is output with the toner image formed on both sides or one side without pressure-bonding the recording material S by the pressure processing device 200.

[0064] If the setting is to create a bonded postcard (Yes in SY1), the main control unit 101 determines whether or not a layout change is set (SY2). As described above, the user can change the layout from the "print setting screen" (see FIG. 8). If the setting is to create a bonded postcard and a layout change is not set (No in SY2), the main control unit 101 starts an image forming process to form a toner image on the bonded postcard paper by the image forming device 100 (SY6). In this case, after the toner image is formed on the bonded postcard paper, the bonded postcard paper is subjected to a bonding process by the bonding processing device 200, and a bonded postcard is created (bonded print creation mode). If a layout change is not set, the layout is the initial setting of "1 in 1", so that a bonded postcard is created in which each toner image is appropriately formed at the location where it should be formed based on the image data, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 9(a) or the lower part of FIG. 9(b).

[0065] On the other hand, if a layout change is set when setting to create a bonded postcard (Yes in SY2), the main control unit 101 invalidates the set layout change and sets the layout to the initial setting of "1 in 1" (SY3). After that, the main control unit 101 starts image formation processing to form a toner image on the bonded postcard paper by the image forming device 100 (SY4). Then, after the toner image is formed on the bonded postcard paper, the bond processing device 200 performs a bonding process on the bonded postcard paper to create a bonded postcard (bonded print production mode). In other words, if a layout change is set before the execution of the bonded print production mode, the image forming device 100 forms a toner image without executing a layout change when the bonded print production mode is executed.

[0066] In this way, if a layout change is set when creating a bonded postcard, the layout change is disabled and the layout is set to the initial setting "1 in 1". Therefore, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 9(a) or the lower part of Fig. 9(b), a bonded postcard is created in which each toner image is appropriately formed in the location where it should be formed. When the "image forming job" ends, the main control unit 101 enables the disabled layout change (SY5) and ends the "setting control process".

[0067] As described above, in this embodiment, if a layout change is set when creating a pressure-bonded postcard, the layout change is disabled when creating the pressure-bonded postcard. In this way, even if a layout change is set when creating a pressure-bonded postcard, the layout change is not applied, and a toner image for one page is formed on one page of the pressure-bonded postcard paper to create the pressure-bonded postcard. As a result, the toner image that is formed on the pressure-bonded postcard so that it cannot be read from the outside as in the conventional method is not formed on the pressure-bonded postcard so that it can be read from the outside due to the layout change, so that the pressure-bonded postcard can be created appropriately. Note that by enabling the layout change again after creating the pressure-bonded postcard, it is less likely to cause a user setting error such as printing a recording material S other than the pressure-bonded postcard in "1 in 1" after creating the pressure-bonded postcard.

[0068] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, the layout change set by the user when creating a pressure-bonded postcard is invalidated, but this is not limited to the above. For example, when executing the pressure-bonded print creation mode, in this embodiment, if the user selects creation of a pressure-bonded postcard on the "print setting screen" (see FIG. 8), the setting of the layout change may not be permitted. Below, the setting control process of the second embodiment for achieving this will be described using FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 with reference to FIG. 2.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 11, the main control unit 101 displays the "print setting screen" (see FIG. 8) on the liquid crystal display unit 710 of the operation unit 700, for example (SY11). Then, the main control unit 101 judges whether or not the mode is set to a pressure-bonded print creation mode in which a pressure-bonded postcard sheet is pressure-bonded to create a pressure-bonded postcard (SY12). The user can set whether or not to create a pressure-bonded postcard as described above from the "print setting screen" (see FIG. 8). When the user sets a recording material S other than "pressed postcard" as the output size in the "print setting screen" (No in SY12), the main control unit 101 permits the setting of a layout change and displays the "print setting screen" so that the user can select a layout change (SY14). That is, the user can select an arbitrary layout from the page layout in the "print setting screen" shown in FIG. 8. In this case, the pressure-bonding device 200 does not perform pressure bonding on the recording material S, so that a pressure-bonded postcard is not created, but the recording material S on which a toner image is formed in the layout desired by the user is output.

[0070] On the other hand, if the user sets the output size to "bonded postcard" on the "Print setting screen" (Yes in SY12), the main control unit 101 does not permit the setting of a layout change, and displays the "Print setting screen" so that the user cannot select a layout change (SY13). FIG. 12 shows an example of how the print setting screen is displayed when the setting of a layout change is not permitted. As shown in FIG. 12, for example, layouts other than "1in1" are grayed out in the page layout, so that the user cannot arbitrarily select a layout other than "1in1" from the page layout. Note that, other than graying out, layout display other than "1in1" may be erased, or the same display as normal may be displayed but user selection may not be accepted.

[0071] In this way, in the second embodiment, the user is not allowed to change the layout at the time when the user sets the creation of the bonded postcard, and the user cannot select the layout change on the "print setting screen". This prevents the user from setting a layout change that may cause a toner image formed on the bonded postcard so that it cannot be read from the outside to be formed on the bonded postcard so that it can be read from the outside. Since the layout change is not set, the layout change is not performed when the bonded postcard is created, and the bonded postcard is created appropriately.

[0072] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the image forming system 1X in which the pressure-bonding device 200 is connected as a separate housing outside the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 has been exemplified, but the pressure-bonding device 200 may be provided inside the main body (within the same housing) of the image forming apparatus 100. In this case, the main control unit 101 also operates as the above-described folding control unit 430 and pressure-bonding control unit 630.

[0073] [Other embodiments] Incidentally, some image forming systems are equipped with a stapler device 800 as a post-process unit that can be freely added later. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming system equipped with a stapler device. The image forming system 2X shown in Fig. 13 is equipped with the stapler device 800, and the stapler device 800 is disposed downstream of the fixing device 8 in the conveying direction of the recording material S.

[0074] <Staple device> The staple device 800 performs a stapling process for bundling and binding a plurality of recording materials S discharged from the image forming device 100. The staple device 800 transports the recording materials S discharged from the image forming device 100 to a staple tray 802. When performing stapling, the staple device 800 operates the stapler 801 to staple the recording materials S every time a predetermined number of recording materials S are placed on the staple tray 802, and transports the bound recording materials S to the pressure bonding device 200. When not performing stapling, the staple device 800 does not operate the stapler 801, and therefore transports the recording materials S discharged from the image forming device 100 directly to the pressure bonding device 200.

[0075] <Print settings screen> When the image forming system 2X is equipped with the stapling device 800, the user can set whether or not to perform stapling processing on a "print setting screen" displayed on the operation unit 700 or an external device. An example of the "print setting screen" is shown in Fig. 14. In the "print setting screen" shown in Fig. 14, in addition to the original document size, output size, number of copies, print orientation, and page layout, the user can set stapling processing as "stapling / sorting". In this "print setting screen," when "stapling+sorting" is selected in "stapling / sorting," the setting for stapling processing is performed.

[0076] <Settings control process> However, in the past, if stapling was performed when creating a bonded postcard, there was a risk that the bound recording material S would be conveyed to the bonding processing device 200 and jammed during conveyance. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent stapling from being performed when creating a bonded postcard. Therefore, in a configuration in which the image forming system 2X is equipped with the stapling device 800 and stapling is set when creating a bonded postcard, it is preferable to disable stapling when creating the bonded postcard. In order to achieve this, the above-mentioned first embodiment is applied. Specifically, in the setting control process of the first embodiment (see FIG. 10), a process is performed in which "layout change" is replaced with "stapling". That is, even if stapling is set when creating a bonded postcard (Yes in SY2), the main control unit 101 disables stapling so that stapling is not performed (SY3).

[0077] As a result, if stapling has been set before the pressure-bonded print production mode is executed, the stapling process is not executed when the pressure-bonded print production mode is executed, and the recording material S (pressed postcard paper) is conveyed in the stapler 800. In this way, stapling is not executed when the pressure-bonded postcard is produced, and the recording material S is conveyed to the pressure-bonding device 200 without being bound, so that it is possible to prevent the recording material S from getting jammed during conveyance in the pressure-bonding device 200. Therefore, the pressure-bonded postcard is produced appropriately.

[0078] Alternatively, the second embodiment described above may be applied. Specifically, a process is performed in which "layout change" is replaced with "stapling" in the setting control process (see FIG. 11) of the second embodiment. That is, when the user sets the output size to "pressed postcard" in the "print setting screen" (Yes in SY12), the main control unit 101 does not permit the setting of stapling, and displays the "print setting screen" in which the user cannot select stapling (SY13). In this case, as shown in FIG. 14, for example, "stapling + sorting" is grayed out in "stapling / sorting" so that the user cannot select "stapling + sorting" from "stapling / sorting". In addition to graying out, the display of "stapling + sorting" may be erased, or the same "stapling + sorting" as usual may be displayed but user selection may not be accepted.

[0079] In this way, when the user sets the creation of the pressure-bonded postcard, the setting of the stapling process is not permitted, and the user cannot select the stapling process on the "print setting screen." This prevents the user from setting the stapling process, which may cause the bound recording material to get jammed in the pressure-bonding device. Since the stapling process is not set, the stapling process is not performed when the pressure-bonded postcard is created, and the pressure-bonded postcard is created appropriately.

[0080] In addition, as long as the configuration is such that the setting control process described above is executed, the control unit for controlling the image forming systems 1X and 2X may be provided in any housing. For example, the control unit for controlling the entire image forming systems 1X and 2X may be the main control unit 101 or an external controller described above, or may be provided inside any device of the pressure bonding apparatus 200 and may be configured to execute the setting control process described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1X (2X)... image forming system, 8... fixing means (fixing device), 100... image forming device, 101... control means (main control unit), 150... image forming means (image forming unit), 200... pressure bonding processing device, 800... staple device, S... recording material (pressed postcard paper)

Claims

1. an image forming means for forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface; a fixing means for fixing the toner image on the recording material; a folding section that folds the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing section so that the surface on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has been formed faces inward; a pressing unit that presses the recording material folded by the folding unit; an input unit that can select a pressure-bonding mode for creating a pressure-bonded printed matter by pressing the recording material with the folding unit and the pressing unit, and can select a layout of a toner image to be formed on the recording material, When the crimping mode is selected, a layout corresponding to the crimping mode is selected. An image forming system comprising:

2. When the crimping mode is selected by the input unit, When the selected first layout corresponds to the crimping mode, the selected first layout is maintained; When the selected first layout does not correspond to the crimping mode, the layout is changed from the first layout to a second layout corresponding to the crimping mode.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1.

3. When the crimping mode is selected by the input unit, a first layout is selected, and a second layout different from the first layout is made unselectable.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1.

4. The second layout is displayed in gray.

4. The image forming system according to claim 3.

5. The first layout is a 1-in-1 format layout in which a toner image is formed on one page of a recording material based on image data of one page.

5. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is a printer.

6. Further comprising a staple unit that performs stapling on the recording material, When the pressure bonding mode is selected by the input unit, if the stapling process is selected, the selection of the stapling process is cancelled.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1.

7. Further comprising a staple unit that performs stapling on the recording material, When the pressure bonding mode is selected by the input unit, if the staple processing is not selected, the staple processing cannot be selected.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1.

Images