Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that fixes an image which is formed on a recording medium to the recording medium by using heat while transporting the recording medium, wherein the recording medium is transported again to the fixing unit after the image formed on the recording medium by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium by the fixing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless transfer member, a first transfer section, a second transfer section, and a medium transfer section. An image is transferred to the transfer member during circulation of the transfer member. The first transfer section forms an image using a toner containing flat metallic pigment particles, and transfers the formed image to the transfer member through a transfer current. The second transfer section forms an image using a toner not containing flat metallic pigment particles, and transfers the formed image to the transfer member through a transfer current. The second transfer section is disposed upstream of the first transfer section in a circulation direction of the transfer member. The medium transfer section transfers the image transferred to the transfer member to a recording medium through a transfer current. The transfer current for the first transfer section is smaller than that for the second transfer section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that uses a toner including a flat pigment, a second image forming unit that uses a toner not including a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that fixes a toner image formed on a recording medium by heat. In the image forming apparatus, a minimum fixing temperature of the toner including the flat pigment is lower than a minimum fixing temperature of the toner not including the flat pigment.

Abstract: Provided is a peptide which is capable of repressing transcription in a plant and which can be used in the CRES-T (a simple and widely applicable means for repressing gene transcription). Also provided is a gene encoding the peptide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a heating unit, and a fixing unit. The image forming unit uses a toner including a flat pigment. The heating unit heats a recording medium. The fixing unit allows the recording medium to pass therethrough so as to cause an image formed on the recording medium to be fixed onto the recording medium by heat. In the image forming apparatus, the heating unit heats the recording medium on which the image has not been formed, the image forming unit forms the image on the recording medium having been heated, and the fixing unit fixes the image having been formed onto the recording medium.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that includes a heating member which contacts with one surface of a recording medium where an image is formed to heat the image and a contact member that contacts with the other surface of the recording medium, and fixes the image to the recording medium, wherein an amount of heat that is applied to the image from the contact member is larger when the image formed by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium than when the image formed by the toner not containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion that forms a toner image on a latent image carrier with a toner containing a flat pigment; and a second image forming portion that forms a toner image on a latent image carrier with a toner not containing the flat pigment. The toner images formed by these image forming portions are transferred to a toner image carrier or a recording medium. The average charge amount per particle of the toner containing the flat pigment is smaller than that of the toner not containing the flat pigment. A transfer width is larger than the particle diameter of the toner containing the flat pigment. A transfer current flowing between the latent image carrier of the second image forming portion and the toner image carrier or the recording medium is higher than or equal to a value required to form an electric field.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion that uses toner containing flat pigment; a second image forming portion that uses toner not containing the flat pigment; and a toner image carrier that carries a first toner image that is formed in the first image forming portion and a second toner image that is formed in the second image forming portion. The image forming apparatus has a mode in which a relationship Am<Ac is satisfied, where Am denotes a number of toner layers of the first toner image that is carried by the toner image carrier, and Ac denotes the number of toner layers of the second toner image that is carried by the toner image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion that forms a toner image on a latent image carrier with a toner containing a flat pigment; and a second image forming portion that forms a toner image on a latent image carrier with a toner not containing the flat pigment. The toner images formed by these image forming portions are transferred to a toner image carrier or a recording medium. The average charge amount per particle of the toner containing the flat pigment is smaller than that of the toner not containing the flat pigment. A transfer width is larger than the particle diameter of the toner containing the flat pigment. A transfer current flowing between the latent image carrier of the second image forming portion and the toner image carrier or the recording medium is higher than or equal to a value required to form an electric field.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless transfer member, a first transfer section, a second transfer section, and a medium transfer section. An image is transferred to the transfer member during circulation of the transfer member. The first transfer section forms an image using a toner containing flat metallic pigment particles, and transfers the formed image to the transfer member through a transfer current. The second transfer section forms an image using a toner not containing flat metallic pigment particles, and transfers the formed image to the transfer member through a transfer current. The second transfer section is disposed upstream of the first transfer section in a circulation direction of the transfer member. The medium transfer section transfers the image transferred to the transfer member to a recording medium through a transfer current. The transfer current for the first transfer section is smaller than that for the second transfer section.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that fixes an image which is formed on a recording medium to the recording medium by using heat while transporting the recording medium, wherein the recording medium is transported again to the fixing unit after the image formed on the recording medium by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium by the fixing unit.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that includes a heating member which contacts with one surface of a recording medium where an image is formed to heat the image and a contact member that contacts with the other surface of the recording medium, and fixes the image to the recording medium, wherein an amount of heat that is applied to the image from the contact member is larger when the image formed by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium than when the image formed by the toner not containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image portion that uses toner including a flat pigment, a second image portion that uses toner that does not include the flat pigment, a fixing portion that fixes an image formed on a recording medium to the recording medium by heat, and a controller that performs a control that switches the fixing portion to a first state in which an amount of heat similar to an amount of heat applied to the image when an image formed by the toner that does not include the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium is applied to the image, and a second state in which, compared to when the image formed by the toner that does not include the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium, the amount of heat applied to the image by the fixing portion is large.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming section that forms a first image using a first toner containing flat pigment particles; a second image forming section that forms a second image using a second toner not containing the flat pigment particles; and a fixing section that fixes the first image to a recording medium with a quantity of heat that is smaller than that for a case where the fixing section fixes a third image not including the first image but including the second image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming section that uses a toner containing flat pigment particles; a second image forming section that uses a toner not containing the flat pigment particles; and a fixing section that fixes an image formed on a recording medium to the recording medium using heat. The quantity of heat that the fixing section applies to the image is increased in the case where the image formed on the recording medium using the toner containing the flat pigment particles is to be fixed compared to a case where the image formed on the recording medium using the toner not containing the flat pigment particles is to be fixed.

Abstract: A developing device includes a first developing member rotating such that a moving direction of a portion opposing the image carrier is opposite a moving direction of the image carrier. A second developing member is provided on a downstream side of the first developing member in a rotating direction of the image carrier rotating such that a moving direction of a portion opposing the image carrier is the same as the moving direction of the image carries. A distributing member is supported movably relative to a proximal portion where the first developing member is closest to the second developing member so as to distribute developer to the first and second developing members by contact with the developer, and a biasing member biases the distributing member upstream in the rotating direction of the first developing member.

Abstract: A developing device includes a first developing member that rotates in a manner such that a moving direction of a portion opposing the image carrier is opposite a moving direction of the image carrier, a second developing member provided on a downstream side of the first developing member in a rotating direction of the image carrier and rotates in a manner such that a moving direction of a portion opposing the image carrier is the same as the moving direction of the image carrier, a distributing member supported movably relative to a proximal portion where the first developing member is closest to the second developing member so as to distribute developer to the first and second developing members by contact with the developer, and an a biasing member that biases the distributing member upstream in the rotating direction of the first developing member.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing device main body in which a developer chamber containing a developer is formed; a pressure application area forming unit that is provided in the developer chamber so as to form a pressure application area where pressure is applied to the developer in the developer chamber because of movement of the developer contained in the developer chamber; and a pressure regulating unit that regulates the pressure applied to the developer in the pressure application area in response to temperature of the developer in the pressure application area.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a first-developer-holding-member facing a surface of a rotating latent image carrier, it rotating such that a moving direction thereof is opposite to that of the carrier at a portion where they face; a second-developer-holding-member provided at a downstream-side of the first-developer-holding-member in a direction in which the carrier rotates, and facing the surface of the carrier, it rotating such that a moving direction thereof is the same as that of the carrier at a portion where they face; a ratio of circumferential speeds of the first-developer-holding-member and the second-developer-holding-member being variable; a splitting member that splits a developer for the first-developer-holding-member and the second-developer-holding-member by hitting against the developer located between the first-developer-holding-member and the second-developer-holding-member; a moving unit that moves the splitting member; and a control unit that controls the moving unit to move the splitting m

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image developer contains a toner having a volume-average particle diameter of about 2.0 ?m to about 6.5 ?m, and a carrier whose average magnetization per carrier particle at an applied magnetic field of 1 kilooersted is about 3.0×10?16 Am2/particle to about 3.0×10?15 Am2/particle, wherein the electrostatic latent image developer is used in an image forming apparatus including an image-carrying member having a top surface layer composed of a cured film containing fluorocarbon resin particles, a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image-carrying member to form a toner image by bringing a magnetic brush formed of the electrostatic latent image developer and having a brush roughness of about 300 ?m to about 850 ?m into contact with the image-carrying member, and a cleaning unit that includes a cleaning blade.