Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries an image and rotates, a transfer member that rotates in contact with the image carrier and transfers an image formed on the image carrier to a recording medium, a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium to a contact position where the image carrier and the transfer member come into contact with each other, and a gap forming unit that forms a gap between the image carrier and the transfer member at the contact position. The gap forming unit forms the gap immediately before the recording medium enters the contact position.

Abstract: A head driving unit the generates a driving waveform, each driving waveform including a plurality of driving pulses, and selects one or more driving pulses to be applied to a liquid drop discharging head in response to data corresponding to an image. By selecting a plurality of selection signals that defines the driving pulses to be applied to the liquid discharging head, the head driving unit can change a recording density or record multiple value images.

Abstract: A head driving unit the generates a driving waveform, each driving waveform including a plurality of driving pulses, and selects one or more driving pulses to be applied to a liquid drop discharging head in response to data corresponding to an image. By selecting a plurality of selection signals that defines the driving pulses to be applied to the liquid discharging head, the head driving unit can change a recording density or record multiple value images.

Abstract: In a printing apparatus, a printer control unit transmits image data to an engine control unit for a respective one of a plurality of bands sent by a host computer. The image data of the respective one of the plurality of bands defines a pattern of "M" dots by "N" lines related to an image of a corresponding band where both "M" and "N" denote an integer. The printer control unit transmits a band information command to the engine control unit prior to the transmission of the image data. The band information command includes a band height, a print start dot position and a print end dot position, the band height indicative of a quantity of the image data transmitted, the print start dot position indicative of a position of a print start dot with respect to all the "N" lines in the image, and the print end dot position indicative of a position of a print end dot with respect to all the "N" lines in the image.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeder for feeding paper sheets one by one toward a body of an image recording apparatus has a feed roller and lap feed preventing device for preventing two or more paper sheets from being fed together. The lap feed preventing device is implemented as a reverse roller which is pressed against the feed roller and provided with a circumferential recess in a predetermined position thereof. When paper sheets each being formed with three holes for filing at spaced locations along the width thereof are used with the sheet feeder, the circumferential recess of the reverse roller coincides with the intermediate hole of each paper sheet being fed.