Abstract: An ink ribbon cartridge includes an ink ribbon onto which decolorizable ink is applied, a transfer unit configured to thermally transfer the decolorizable ink on the ink ribbon to a recording medium such that an image is formed on the recording medium as the ink ribbon is conveyed, and a heating unit configured to heat a portion of the ink ribbon that has passed the transfer unit when the image was formed on the recording medium, at a temperature at which the decolorizable ink is decolorized.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cartridge includes an ink ribbon onto which decolorizable ink is applied, a transfer unit configured to thermally transfer the decolorizable ink on the ink ribbon to a recording medium such that an image is formed on the recording medium as the ink ribbon is conveyed, and a heating unit configured to heat a portion of the ink ribbon that has passed the transfer unit when the image was formed on the recording medium, at a temperature at which the decolorizable ink is decolorized.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes: a storage medium which stores manufacture information to a consumable supply; a reading unit which reads information in the storage medium; a communication control unit which receives failure information of the consumable supply; a display unit which displays information; and a control unit which receives the failure information of the consumable supply by the communication control unit, then determines whether a consumable supply in use is equivalent to a failed consumable supply or not, and performs control to display the failure information on the display unit when the consumable supply is determined as equivalent to the failed consumable supply.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a scanner, a first image forming section, a second image forming section, a detector, and a setting section. The scanner reads the image of an original document. The first image forming section forms an image on paper with a non-decolorizable recording material. The second image forming section forms an image on paper with a decolorizable recording material. The detector detects whether the original document image is formed with the decolorizable recording material. The setting section sets a copy mode for forming an image of the original document on paper with the second image forming section upon the detector detecting that the original document image is formed with the decolorizable recording material.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium includes an image forming material erasable by heat, a storage medium having stored therein information concerning temperature for heating the image forming material, and a controller configured to control an image forming operation on the basis of the information concerning the temperature stored in the storage medium. The information concerning the temperature includes forming temperature, which is temperature for heating the image forming material during image formation, and erasing temperature, which is temperature for heating the image forming material during image erasing.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes: a storage medium which stores manufacture information to a consumable supply; a reading unit which reads information in the storage medium; a communication control unit which receives failure information of the consumable supply; a display unit which displays information; and a control unit which receives the failure information of the consumable supply by the communication control unit, then determines whether a consumable supply in use is equivalent to a failed consumable supply or not, and performs control to display the failure information on the display unit when the consumable supply is determined as equivalent to the failed consumable supply.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming section configured to form an image and output the image to a medium, at least one or more detachable consumables including storage media having predetermined information stored therein, a reading module configured to read the predetermined information from the storage media, and a controller configured to output, if the image forming apparatus is instructed to start a predetermined operation and the controller determines that the predetermined information is not present in a storage medium of a consumable related to the operation, a message for urging a user to input an instruction for executing a process for extracting an image forming condition corresponding to the consumable and, if an instruction for executing the process is input, start the predetermined operation after executing operation for extracting a condition for forming an image.

Abstract: When copying an object that has faded markings of color fadable toner and is printed with the color fadable toner, a threshold value changing key is displayed on a liquid crystal display of an operation panel to be pressed down. A main CPU sets a threshold value 1a and a threshold value 2a in an image processing unit upon detecting the threshold value changing key displayed on the liquid crystal display of the operation panel via a touch panel. The image processing unit eliminates a background image by using the set threshold value 1a and threshold value 2a, thereby providing dark printing with an excellent image.

Abstract: When copying an object that has faded markings of color fadable toner and is printed with the color fadable toner, a threshold value changing key is displayed on a liquid crystal display of an operation panel to be pressed down. A main CPU sets a threshold value 1a and a threshold value 2a in an image processing unit upon detecting the threshold value changing key displayed on the liquid crystal display of the operation panel via a touch panel. The image processing unit eliminates a background image by using the set threshold value 1a and threshold value 2a, thereby providing dark printing with an excellent image.

Abstract: A printer control CPU of the image forming apparatus controls the normal toner replenishing rotation after rotating a toner bottle in the normal rotating direction by about ¾ turn and then immediately in the direction reverse to the normal rotating direction by about ¾ turn. These operations are performed twice as the process to separate residual toners adhered on the inner surface of a toner bottle.

Abstract: When copying an object that has faded markings of color fadable toner and is printed with the color fadable toner, a threshold value changing key is displayed on a liquid crystal display of an operation panel to be pressed down. A main CPU sets a threshold value 1a and a threshold value 2a in an image processing unit upon detecting the threshold value changing key displayed on the liquid crystal display of the operation panel via a touch panel. The image processing unit eliminates a background image by using the set threshold value 1a and threshold value 2a, thereby providing dark printing with an excellent image.

Abstract: A printer control CPU of the image forming apparatus controls the normal toner replenishing rotation after rotating a toner bottle in the normal rotating direction by about ¾ turn and then immediately in the direction reverse to the normal rotating direction by about ¾ turn. These operations are performed twice as the process to separate residual toners adhered on the inner surface of a toner bottle.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that suffers less toner particles scattering and a narrower variation in image density. In this image forming apparatus, a decrease of a contrast potential difference can be compensated by means of a developing bias voltage generator circuit and a grid bias voltage generator circuit, so that the image density can be kept constant. The apparatus includes a developing mechanism in which the respective average particle diameters of carrier members and toner particles, toner concentration, and the diameter and peripheral speed of a developing roller are optimized. Although the diameter of the developing roller is small, therefore, a high image density can be secured, and the value of toner particles scattering can be lowered.