Abstract: The present invention provides a barrier laminate with enhanced heat resistance performance, comprising at least one organic layer and at least one inorganic barrier layer, the organic layer being formed by curing a polymerizable composition comprising a polymerizable compound having two or more polymerizable groups, and the total quantity of uncured component in the organic layer being 1.5 weight % or less of the total weight of the organic layer, and a novel polymerizable compound that can preferably used as the polymerizable compound, which is denoted by general formula (11): in general formula (11), R21 denotes hydrogen atom or methyl group; R22 denotes methyl group or cyclohexyl group; n denotes an integer of 0 to 2; and each instance of X denotes a group comprising a polymerizable group.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes plural image carriers, an intermediate transfer body, a contact and separation mechanism, a selection member, plural first transfer units, a second transfer unit, and an adjustment member. Each image carrier carries a toner image. The intermediate transfer body is disposed so as to be in contact with one or more image carriers. The contact and separation mechanism causes the intermediate transfer body to be in contact with or separated from the image carriers. The selection member selects a first contact state or a second contact state. Each first transfer unit forms a transfer electric field in a first transfer region to transfer a toner image onto the intermediate transfer body. The second transfer unit forms a transfer electric field in a second transfer region to transfer toner images onto a recording material. The adjustment member adjusts first transfer conditions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes plural image carriers, an intermediate transfer body, plural first transfer devices, a second transfer device, and an adjustment device. Each image carrier carries a color component image formed thereon. The intermediate transfer body is rotated while facing the image carriers, is disposed so as to be in contact with at least one or more image carriers used for image formation, and temporarily carries one or more images formed on the one or more image carriers. Each first transfer device forms a transfer electric field in a first transfer region to transfer a color component image onto the intermediate transfer body. The second transfer device forms a transfer electric field in a second transfer region to transfer color component images onto a recording material. The adjustment device adjusts first transfer conditions for the plural first transfer devices.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer device, a facing member, and a prepressing member. The transfer member transfers a toner image, which is carried on an intermediate transfer member, to a recording medium. The facing member is disposed so as to be in pressed contact with the transfer member with the intermediate transfer member therebetween. The prepressing member is disposed so as to be in pressed contact with the transfer member with the intermediate transfer member therebetween at a position that is upstream of a contact section in which the facing member is in pressed contact with the transfer member and that is immediately behind a position at which the toner image starts to come into contact with the recording medium. A pressure applied by the prepressing member is lower than a pressure with which the facing member is in pressed contact with the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes toner image forming units that are arranged in a line at two end portions and at an intermediate portion of the line, each of the toner image forming units forming a toner image; an image transfer body to which the toner images formed by the toner image forming units are transferred; pressing members that are linearly arranged so that each of the pressing members faces a corresponding one of the toner image forming units with the image transfer body therebetween, each of the pressing members applying a pressing force to the image transfer body; and a fixing unit that fixes the toner images on a recording member. The pressing forces applied by the pressing members that are disposed at the two end portions are smaller than the pressing force applied by the pressing member that is disposed in the intermediate portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming device that forms a toner image by using at least one of a plurality of toners that include a color toner and a first transparent toner; an intermediate transfer body to which the toner image is transferred; a second transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a recording medium; and a controller that acquires characteristic information that represents a characteristic of in-plane resistance variation of a currently-used recording medium before the toner image forming device forms the toner image, and if the characteristic information indicates that the in-plane resistance variation of the currently-used recording medium is larger than a predetermined value, controls the toner image forming device so that the toner image forming device forms a transparent toner image in such a way that a color toner image is superimposed on the transparent toner image on the intermediate transfer body.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer device, a facing member, and a prepressing member. The transfer member transfers a toner image, which is carried on an intermediate transfer member, to a recording medium. The facing member is disposed so as to be in pressed contact with the transfer member with the intermediate transfer member therebetween. The prepressing member is disposed so as to be in pressed contact with the transfer member with the intermediate transfer member therebetween at a position that is upstream of a contact section in which the facing member is in pressed contact with the transfer member and that is immediately behind a position at which the toner image starts to come into contact with the recording medium. A pressure applied by the prepressing member is lower than a pressure with which the facing member is in pressed contact with the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming device that forms a toner image by using at least one of a plurality of toners that include a color toner and a first transparent toner; an intermediate transfer body to which the toner image is transferred; a second transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a recording medium; and a controller that acquires characteristic information that represents a characteristic of in-plane resistance variation of a currently-used recording medium before the toner image forming device forms the toner image, and if the characteristic information indicates that the in-plane resistance variation of the currently-used recording medium is larger than a predetermined value, controls the toner image forming device so that the toner image forming device forms a transparent toner image in such a way that a color toner image is superimposed on the transparent toner image on the intermediate transfer body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a gloss difference reducing unit that reduces a difference between gloss of first image that is formed without using transparent toner in a first mode and gloss of a region, which does not use transparent toner, of a second image that is formed using transparent toner on part of an image in a second mode, the first mode being set for forming the first image onto a medium in one fixing operation, and a second mode being set for forming the second image by implementing a second fixing step that fixes transparent toner to part of an intermediate image, after a first fixing step that fixes the intermediate image that has been formed by toner other than transparent toner on the medium.

Abstract: A transfer device includes: a first transfer unit that transfers a developer image formed on an image carrier to an intermediate transfer member; a second transfer unit that transfers the developer image on the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium; and a control unit that controls at least one of a transfer pressure and a transfer electric field by the first transfer unit in accordance with a type of the recording medium to which the developer image is transferred.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holder, a latent image forming unit, and a developing unit, the developing unit including a developer holder that is disposed to face the image holder and holds developer. Also included is a developer container, replenishing unit that replenishes new developer to the developing unit, a discharge unit that discharges the developer, a calculation unit that calculates an image area coverage of a toner image formed on the image holder, an obtaining unit that obtains a potential difference between the developer holder and the image portion on the image holder, and a controller that increases a discharge amount of the developer, when the image area coverage calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than a predetermined reference image area coverage, and the potential difference obtained by the obtaining unit is larger than a predetermined reference potential difference.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes toner image forming units that are arranged in a line at two end portions and at an intermediate portion of the line, each of the toner image forming units forming a toner image; an image transfer body to which the toner images formed by the toner image forming units are transferred; pressing members that are linearly arranged so that each of the pressing members faces a corresponding one of the toner image forming units with the image transfer body therebetween, each of the pressing members applying a pressing force to the image transfer body; and a fixing unit that fixes the toner images on a recording member. The pressing forces applied by the pressing members that are disposed at the two end portions are smaller than the pressing force applied by the pressing member that is disposed in the intermediate portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holder, a latent image forming unit, and a developing unit, the developing unit including a developer holder that is disposed to face the image holder and holds developer. Also included is a developer container, a replenishing unit that replenishes new developer to the developing unit, a discharge unit that discharges the developer, a calculation unit that calculates an image area coverage of a toner image formed on the image holder, an obtaining unit that obtains a potential difference between the developer holder and the image portion on the image holder, and a controller that increases a discharge amount of the developer, when the image area coverage calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than a predetermined reference image area coverage, and the potential difference obtained by the obtaining unit is larger than a predetermined reference potential difference.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first image forming unit that transfers a base toner image formed on a first image carrier to an intermediate transfer member and forms an image and second image forming units that are plurally disposed downstream of the first image forming unit in a moving direction of the intermediate transfer member, transfer different color toner images formed on second image carriers to the intermediate transfer member and form images. The base toner image is formed beforehand in a single color region transferred onto the intermediate transfer member from the second image carriers of the second image forming units.

Abstract: A recording material charging apparatus comprises: a pre-transcription charging section arranged between a transcribing section that transcribes a toner image retained by a toner image retaining body on a recording material having concavity and convexity and a conveying section that conveys the recording material to the transcribing section and is arranged closest to the transcribing section, the pre-transcription charging section charging the recording material that is to be conveyed to the transcribing section; and a voltage supplying section that supplies voltage of a polarity opposite to a charging polarity of the toner image retained in the toner image retaining body to the pre-transcription charging section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a gloss difference reducing unit that reduces a difference between gloss of an first image that is formed without using transparent toner in a first mode and gloss of a region, which does not use transparent toner, of a second image that is formed using transparent toner on part of an image in a second mode, the first mode being set for forming the first image onto a medium in one fixing operation, and a second mode being set for forming the second image by implementing a second fixing step that fixes transparent toner to part of an intermediate image, after a first fixing step that fixes the intermediate image that has been formed by toner other than transparent toner on the medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: plural image carriers that are disposed at intervals and in a line, and that are driven to rotate while carrying images; an intermediate transfer belt that have an endless shape, and that is disposed to be laid on plural rolls so as to be able to contact the image carriers; plural transfer rolls that rotate while being brought into contact with the image carriers through the intermediate transfer belt in a first position, respectively, so as to transfer the images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer belt; and a moving mechanism that moves a part of the plural transfer rolls to a second position keeping apart from the plural image carriers while the part of the plural transfer rolls are kept in contact with the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A transfer device includes: a first transfer unit that transfers a developer image formed on an image carrier to an intermediate transfer member; a second transfer unit that transfers the developer image on the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium; and a control unit that controls at least one of a transfer pressure and a transfer electric field by the first transfer unit in accordance with a type of the recording medium to which the developer image is transferred.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first image forming unit that transfers a base toner image formed on a first image carrier to an intermediate transfer member and forms an image and second image forming units that are plurally disposed downstream of the first image forming unit in a moving direction of the intermediate transfer member, transfer different color toner images formed on second image carriers to the intermediate transfer member and form images. The base toner image is formed beforehand in a single color region transferred onto the intermediate transfer member from the second image carriers of the second image forming units.

Abstract: A recording material charging apparatus comprises: a pre-transcription charging section arranged between a transcribing section that transcribes a toner image retained by a toner image retaining body on a recording material having concavity and convexity and a conveying section that conveys the recording material to the transcribing section and is arranged closest to the transcribing section, the pre-transcription charging section charging the recording material that is to be conveyed to the transcribing section; and a voltage supplying section that supplies voltage of a polarity opposite to a charging polarity of the toner image retained in the toner image retaining body to the pre-transcription charging section.