Abstract: An image forming apparatus is operable in a first mode in which a photosensitive drum is rotated at a first rotational speed and a second mode in which the photosensitive drum is rotated at a second rotational speed slower than the first rotational speed. In this image forming apparatus, the light-emitting portions are controlled such that the number of light-emitting rows for multiply exposing regions, each of which corresponds to one pixel on the photosensitive drum in the first mode, is greater than that in the second mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a detection unit to detect a toner attached to an image carrying surface at a detection position. The first control unit controls the image forming unit such that a first check image including a patch pattern and a line pattern is formed. The relationship determination unit determines a correlation between a width of the line pattern and a density of an image to be formed based on a density of the patch pattern and a width of the line pattern. The determination unit determines an allowable range based on the determined correlation. The second control unit controls the image forming unit such that a second check image including the line pattern is formed. The line width determination unit determines a width of the line pattern based on a detection status relating to the line pattern. The monitoring unit monitors a formation status of the image by comparing the determined width and the determined allowable range.

Abstract: An intermediary transfer belt having surface resistivity ?s of 1×109 ?/square or more and volume resistivity ?v of 1×1012 ?·cm or less includes a thermoplastic resin material containing carbon black. The carbon black contained in the thermoplastic resin material has a weight ratio of 22.5-28.5 weight % and include first carbon black and second carbon black. The first carbon black of the carbon black contained in the thermoplastic resin material has a weight ratio of 50-90 weight % and dibutyl phthalate absorption of 93-127 ml/100 g, and the second carbon black of the carbon black contained in the thermoplastic resin material has a weight ratio of 10-50 weight % and dibutyl phthalate absorption of 36-79 ml/100 g.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a coverage rate adjustment patch having a coverage rate corresponding to a difference between a coverage rate measured by a coverage rate measurement unit and a coverage rate of an adjustment image pattern together with an adjustment image pattern by using the exposure device and the developing device in the calibration.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first indication that a first replaceable component of a print apparatus has been replaced; receiving, prior to any print impressions being made using the print apparatus since receiving the first indication, a second indication of an intention to replace a second replaceable component of the print apparatus; retrieving data regarding previous replacements of replaceable components of the print apparatus; determining, based on the retrieved data, whether or not replacement of the second replaceable component is to be restricted; and responsive to determining that replacement of the second replaceable component is to be restricted, restricting replacement of the second replaceable component. An apparatus and a machine-readable medium are also disclosed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries an image developed by a developer; an exposure part that has plural light-emitting parts that are shifted from one another so as to face the image carrier and in each of which plural light-emitting elements are aligned and forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier by exposing the image carrier to light; and plural density detection parts that are disposed at positions corresponding to substantially central positions of the plural light-emitting parts and at positions corresponding to end portions closer to end portions of the image carrier among end portions of two light-emitting parts disposed close to the end portions of the image carrier among the plural light-emitting parts and detect a density of an image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming system including an image forming apparatus including a hardware processor that forms an image on a recording material, and the image forming system includes: a first detector that detects recording material information on the recording material; a recording material storage that stores the recording material; and a controller that specifies one type of the recording material from type candidates of the recording material based on an execution result of test printing, by executing the test printing under an image forming condition that is set in accordance with one or more type candidates of the recording material, the one or more type candidates being extracted based on the recording material information detected by the first detector.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image data acquirer acquiring image data, a laser source emitting a laser beam, a laser driver forming an electrostatic latent image by irradiating a scanning surface of a charged photoconductor with the laser beam, based on the image data, a shading characteristic corrector correcting light quantity of the laser beam, an image former forming an image based on the electrostatic latent image, and a controller controlling the image data acquirer, the laser driver, the shading characteristic corrector, and the image former. The shading characteristic corrector includes a PDM signal outputter outputting a pulse density modulation signal based on the correction of the light quantity of the laser beam, a smoothing circuit smoothing the pulse density modulation signal to obtain an analog signal to be output, and a spread clock outputter outputting a clock subjected to spread spectrum to the PDM signal outputter.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt having an endless shape, has grooves in an outer surface of the electrophotographic belt, and the grooves each are extending in a circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, wherein the outer surface has at least a first region in which the number of the grooves in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is n, and a second region in which the number of the grooves in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is more than n, and the grooves in the second region include a first groove that has a width gradually decreasing in a first circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, and a second groove that is adjacent to the first groove and has a width gradually decreasing in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a controller performs processes in accordance with an operation mode settable to one of a first subscription mode and a second subscription mode. The first subscription mode corresponds to a first subscription in which a specific-color cartridge is a subscription subject and a non-specific-color cartridge is not the subscription subject. The second subscription mode corresponds to a second subscription in which both the specific-color cartridge and the non-specific-color cartridge are the subscription subject. The controller performs restricting usage of the non-specific-color cartridge in a case where the first subscription mode is set as the operation mode and the type information of the non-specific-color cartridge indicates the subscription type, compared to a case where the second subscription mode is set as the operation mode and the type information of the non-specific-color cartridge indicates the subscription type.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming system that includes an image forming apparatus including, a first variable mechanism that varies from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state when physically operated by a user, a first detection unit configured to detect the variation of a state of the first variable mechanism, and a sound collection unit. The image forming system further includes a generation unit configured to generate, when the variation is detected by the first detection unit, first statistical information regarding at least one sound wave obtained by the sound collection unit in a period based on a timing when the variation is detected.

Abstract: A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. A first latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a first longitudinal end of the housing and a second latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a second longitudinal end of the housing. Contact surfaces on top portions of the first and second latch-receiving shelves are positioned to contact corresponding first and second latches in an image forming device. The contact surface of the first latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than a first rotational axis of a first drive coupler of the toner cartridge and higher than a second drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The contact surface of the second latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than at least a portion of a first electrical contact of the toner cartridge and higher than at least a portion of a second electrical contact of the toner cartridge.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms a toner image on a recording medium, a first rotator, and a second rotator that presses against the first rotator to form a nip therebetween. The first rotator conveys the recording medium bearing the toner image through the nip with a first orientation of the recording medium to fix the toner image on the recording medium to create a cleaning sheet bearing a cleaning image in a cleaning sheet creation mode. The first rotator conveys the cleaning sheet bearing the cleaning image through the nip with a second orientation of the cleaning sheet, that is different from the first orientation of the recording medium, such that the cleaning image is disposed opposite the first rotator to cause the cleaning image to remove a foreign substance from a surface of the first rotator in a cleaning mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive body, a light source, a deflector to deflect a light beam from the light source, a scanning optical system to image the deflected light beam onto the photoconductive body, a developing unit to supply developer to the photoconductive body, an optical sensor to detect the deflected light beam, a moving mechanism to move the developing unit to a first position and to a second position, and a controller configured to start driving the deflector, when the developing unit is in the second position, the light source to emit the light beam, thereby obtaining a detection signal of the light beam from the optical sensor, and after obtaining the detection signal of the light beam from the optical sensor, control the moving mechanism to move the developing unit to the first position.

Abstract: An optical scanning device and an imaging apparatus are provided. The optical scanning device includes a light source for emitting a light beam, a first optical unit for collimating the light beam emitted by the light source in a main scanning direction and focus the light beam in an auxiliary scanning direction, an optical deflector for deflecting the light beam, and an imaging optical system for guiding the light beam to a scanned surface for imaging. When the optical deflector deflects the light beam at a maximum deflection angle, the light beam in the main scanning direction forms a maximum incident angle ?max with a normal line of the scanned surface. A spot tilt rate e/a of a light spot on the scanned surface satisfies e a ? 10 ? % , where a is a size of the light spot in the main scanning direction and e is a spot tilt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image forming portion configured to form a latent image on an image bearing member; a developing device including a container configured to store toner and a developing member configured to supply the toner to the latent image formed on the image bearing member to form a toner image; an environment sensor configured to detect environmental information related to an environment in which the developing device is placed; and a controller configured to control switching between a first mode and a second mode, in which a number of prints per unit time is less than that in the first mode. The controller is configured to perform switching from the first mode to the second mode based on an update value obtained by adding or subtracting over time an index value weighted in accordance with the environmental information detected by the environment sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a supply processing portion, and a second release processing portion. The image forming portion includes a storing portion that stores developer, and forms an image by using the developer stored in the storing portion. The supply processing portion supplies the developer to the storing portion from a developer storing portion attached to an attachment portion, when a storage amount of the developer in the storing portion is less than or equal to a first threshold. The second release processing portion releases regulation on a removal of the developer storing portion when an expected amount of developer to be used by a user is greater than or equal to a reference value that is determined based on a remaining amount of the developer in the developer storing portion attached to the attachment portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image, a transfer unit having an endless belt, a positioning unit that positions the transfer unit, and a secondary transfer member. The secondary transfer member is in touch with the endless belt to form a secondary transfer portion. When the toner image is transferred to the endless belt from the image bearing member, the secondary transfer member transfers the toner image from the endless belt at the secondary transfer portion to a transfer material. The positioning unit includes a first abutting face to position the transfer unit in a conveyance direction and a second abutting face to position the transfer unit in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction. An attaching/detaching direction of the transfer unit is a direction intersecting with a surface of the transfer material to which the toner image is transferred.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; an exposing device; a developing device with a developing roller; a development current detector that detects development current between the image carrier and the developing roller; and a hardware processor. Under an image forming condition, the hardware processor causes the exposing device to draw, on the image carrier, a development current-detection pattern that includes a solid image and a halftone image that follows the solid image in an image-conveying direction of the image carrier, causes the developing device to develop the development current-detection pattern, obtains information on a chronological change of the detected development current from the development current detector, and determines whether or not a ghost image due to the solid image occurs based on a temporary drop of the detected development current during development of the halftone image.

Abstract: In an example method, an image of a printed document is descreened. The descreened image is separated into blocks. A smooth area of the descreened image is selected based on an averaging of localized color distance values of pixels in each of the blocks. A streak in a block of the smooth area is detected in response to detecting that a magnitude of a color distance projection of the block exceeds a threshold value.