Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a toner image former that forms a toner image on an outer peripheral surface of a photosensitive rotating body and that transfers the toner image having been formed onto a transfer receiving object; a detector that detects a grayscale abnormality of the toner image on the photosensitive rotating body or the transfer receiving object; a cleaner that cleans the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive rotating body; and a hardware processor that causes the cleaner to clean when the detector detects the grayscale abnormality at a same position in a main scanning direction per circumferential length of the photosensitive rotating body in a sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a toner image former that forms a toner image on an outer peripheral surface of a photosensitive rotating body and that transfers the toner image having been formed onto a transfer receiving object; a detector that detects a grayscale abnormality of the toner image on the photosensitive rotating body or the transfer receiving object; a cleaner that cleans the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive rotating body; and a hardware processor that causes the cleaner to clean when the detector detects the grayscale abnormality at a same position in a main scanning direction per circumferential length of the photosensitive rotating body in a sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming device that forms a toner image on a photosensitive drum 413, including a lubrication device 200 that applies lubricant to the photosensitive drum 413 and an operation panel 20. The image forming device acquires spring mounting times 108d that indicate lubrication performance of the lubrication device 200, compares the spring mounting times 108d to a threshold value, and when the spring mounting times 108d exceed the threshold value, displays guidance on the operation panel 20 prompting an operation to restore lubrication performance of the lubrication device 200.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier whose rotational speed changes depending on a printing speed of an image onto a sheet, an applicator that applies a lubricant to a surface of the latent image carrier, and a hardware processor that causes a surface of the applicator to move such that a difference between a first moving speed and a second moving speed is within a certain range, the first moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the latent image carrier moves, the second moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the applicator moves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a charging member that charges the photoreceptor; a charging power supply that outputs an AC bias as a charging bias to be applied to the charging member during image formation, and outputs a DC bias as the charging bias during a non-image forming operation, the AC bias being obtained by superimposing an alternating current voltage and a direct current voltage, the image formation forming a latent image, the DC bias being a direct current voltage, the non-image forming operation rotating and driving the photoreceptor; a processor that performs predetermined processing on the photoreceptor; and a controller that controls the charging power supply and the processor such that a value of a potential difference of the photoreceptor before and after being charged by the DC bias is a value equal to or less than a setting value during the non-image forming operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier whose rotational speed changes depending on a printing speed of an image onto a sheet, an applicator that applies a lubricant to a surface of the latent image carrier, and a hardware processor that causes a surface of the applicator to move such that a difference between a first moving speed and a second moving speed is within a certain range, the first moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the latent image carrier moves, the second moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the applicator moves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a charging member that charges the photoreceptor; a charging power supply that outputs an AC bias as a charging bias to be applied to the charging member during image formation, and outputs a DC bias as the charging bias during a non-image forming operation, the AC bias being obtained by superimposing an alternating current voltage and a direct current voltage, the image formation forming a latent image, the DC bias being a direct current voltage, the non-image forming operation rotating and driving the photoreceptor; a processor that performs predetermined processing on the photoreceptor; and a controller that controls the charging power supply and the processor such that a value of a potential difference of the photoreceptor before and after being charged by the DC bias is a value equal to or less than a setting value during the non-image forming operation.

Abstract: The present wet development device includes a developer carrying member, a supply member that supplies a liquid developer to the developer carrying member, a charger that charges the liquid developer on the developer carrying member, a cleaner that removes the liquid developer on the developer carrying member, and a bias applying member that applies alternating bias in contact with the developer carrying member before removing by the cleaner. In a direction in alignment with an axis of rotation of the developer carrying member, a range to which the alternating bias is applied by the bias applying, member is located within a range in which the liquid developer is supplied onto the developer carrying member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing body; a developing unit which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing body as a toner image; a transfer unit which transfers the toner image to a receiver medium; a cleaning member which collects residual toner on the image bearing body; a lubricant supply unit which supplies lubricant onto the image bearing body; a measurement unit which measures a static frictional force generated between the image bearing body and the cleaning member; and a control unit which corrects the amount of lubricant on the image bearing body, wherein the control unit estimates a state of the lubricant on the image bearing body based on a change between a first and a second static frictional force, and based on the estimated state, the control unit selectively executes one of processing of supplying lubricant and processing of removing lubricant.

Abstract: An image formation method includes a step of preparing an electrostatic latent image developer, a transferring step, and a fixation step. The step of preparing an electrostatic latent image developer includes a step of preparing an electrostatic latent image developer containing toner particles having prescribed viscoelasticity characteristics. The fixation step includes steps of heating a recording medium and fixing the toner particles to the recording medium at a pressure not lower than 200 kPa and not higher than 800 kPa.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing body; a developing unit which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing body as a toner image; a transfer unit which transfers the toner image to a receiver medium; a cleaning member which collects residual toner on the image bearing body; a lubricant supply unit which supplies lubricant onto the image bearing body; a measurement unit which measures a static frictional force generated between the image bearing body and the cleaning member; and a control unit which corrects the amount of lubricant on the image bearing body, wherein the control unit estimates a state of the lubricant on the image bearing body based on a change between a first and a second static frictional force, and based on the estimated state, the control unit selectively executes one of processing of supplying lubricant and processing of removing lubricant.

Abstract: The present wet-type developing device includes: a developer carrier for carrying a wet-type developer, which contains a charged toner particle and carrier liquid, and supplying the wet-type developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a charge neutralizing unit for neutralizing a charge of the toner particle contained in the wet-type developer remaining on the developer carrier after supplying the wet-type developer to the image carrier; a dispersing unit for dispersing the toner particle in the carrier liquid by acting on the toner particle contained in the wet-type developer neutralized in charge by the charge neutralizing unit; and a removing unit for removing, from the developer carrier, the wet-type developer containing the toner particle dispersed by the dispersing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit configured to develop, as a toner image, an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image to a medium to which a toner image is to be transferred; a cleaning unit configured to recover toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image; a lubricant supply unit configured to supply lubricant on the image carrier; a charge unit disposed between the development unit and the cleaning unit, along a surface of the image carrier; and a control unit configured to perform a first mode and a second mode, the first mode configured to form the toner image, the second mode configured to allow the charge unit to increase the amount of charge on toner reaching the cleaning unit relative to that in the first mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit configured to develop, as a toner image, an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image to a medium to which a toner image is to be transferred; a cleaning unit configured to recover toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image; a lubricant supply unit configured to supply lubricant on the image carrier; a charge unit disposed between the development unit and the cleaning unit, along a surface of the image carrier; and a control unit configured to perform a first mode and a second mode, the first mode configured to form the toner image, the second mode configured to allow the charge unit to increase the amount of charge on toner reaching the cleaning unit relative to that in the first mode.

Abstract: A liquid development apparatus uses a developer to develop electrostatic latent images included in a plurality of image portion regions formed successively on an image carrier with an inter-image region being interposed. The liquid development apparatus includes a developer carrier and a control unit. Only a single developer carrier is provided so as to establish one-to-one relation with a single image carrier, it transports the developer to a development position opposed to the image carrier, and it develops the electrostatic latent image while it abuts to the image carrier. The control unit carries out prescribed control such that an amount of the developer supplied from the developer carrier to the inter-image region on the image carrier is reduced or set to zero.

Abstract: The present wet development device includes a developer carrying member, a supply member that supplies a liquid developer to the developer carrying member, a charger that charges the liquid developer on the developer carrying member, a cleaner that removes the liquid developer on the developer carrying member, and a bias applying member that applies alternating bias in contact with the developer carrying member before removing by the cleaner. In a direction in alignment with an axis of rotation of the developer carrying member, a range to which the alternating bias is applied by the bias applying, member is located within a range in which the liquid developer is supplied onto the developer carrying member.

Abstract: An image formation method includes a step of preparing an electrostatic latent image developer, a transferring step, and a fixation step. The step of preparing an electrostatic latent image developer includes a step of preparing an electrostatic latent image developer containing toner particles having prescribed viscoelasticity characteristics. The fixation step includes steps of heating a recording medium and fixing the toner particles to the recording medium at a pressure not lower than 200 kPa and not higher than 800 kPa.

Abstract: The present wet-type developing device includes: a developer carrier for carrying a wet-type developer, which contains a charged toner particle and carrier liquid, and supplying the wet-type developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a charge neutralizing unit for neutralizing a charge of the toner particle contained in the wet-type developer remaining on the developer carrier after supplying the wet-type developer to the image carrier; a dispersing unit for dispersing the toner particle in the carrier liquid by acting on the toner particle contained in the wet-type developer neutralized in charge by the charge neutralizing unit; and a removing unit for removing, from the developer carrier, the wet-type developer containing the toner particle dispersed by the dispersing unit.

Abstract: A wet-type image forming apparatus includes a density detection unit and a charge amount control unit for controlling the charge amount of toner on a liquid developer carrier. An image forming unit forms patch images while the charge amount control unit successively changes the charge amount of toner on the liquid developer carrier in a state in which a development bias is held at a prescribed value. The density detection unit detects the image density of each patch image thereby detecting a range of the charge amount of toner in which the image density of the patch image is almost saturated. The charge amount of toner in normal image formation is set to be equal to or greater than the range of the charge amount of toner in which the image density of the patch image is almost saturated.

Abstract: A liquid development apparatus uses a developer to develop electrostatic latent images included in a plurality of image portion regions formed successively on an image carrier with an inter-image region being interposed. The liquid development apparatus includes a developer carrier and a control unit. Only a single developer carrier is provided so as to establish one-to-one relation with a single image carrier, it transports the developer to a development position opposed to the image carrier, and it develops the electrostatic latent image while it abuts to the image carrier. The control unit carries out prescribed control such that an amount of the developer supplied from the developer carrier to the inter-image region on the image carrier is reduced or set to zero.