In a printing system capable of selectively performing duplex printing and simplex printing, a switching unit switches a sheet travel path between a first path and a second path parallel to each other, and reverses the sides of a sheet that passes along the first path. In the duplex printing, a sheet is printed on a first side by a first printing apparatus, reversed by the switching unit, and printed on a second side reverse of the first side by a second printing apparatus. In the simplex printing, only one side of a sheet is printed by the first printing apparatus and/or second printing apparatus. First and second input units introduce sheets into the first and second paths, respectively; and first and second output units receive printed sheets that have traveled along the first and/or second paths.