Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms images in an image region on a sheet. An image fixing device includes heater elements disposed along a sheet-width direction. A controller is configured to identify a heater element that will overlap with an edge of the image region when a sheet is conveyed to the image fixing device. The controller calculates whether a shift of the image region by a shift amount less than a threshold would cause the heater element to not overlap. If so, the image forming device is controlled to form the image in a shifted image region and only those heater elements in the plurality of heater elements that overlap with the shifted image region are turned on when fixing the sheet if the image has been formed in the shifted image region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms images in an image region on a sheet. An image fixing device includes heater elements disposed along a sheet-width direction. A controller is configured to identify a heater element that will overlap with an edge of the image region when a sheet is conveyed to the image fixing device. The controller calculates whether a shift of the image region by a shift amount less than a threshold would cause the heater element to not overlap. If so, the image forming device is controlled to form the image in a shifted image region and only those heater elements in the plurality of heater elements that overlap with the shifted image region are turned on when fixing the sheet if the image has been formed in the shifted image region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms images in an image region on a sheet. An image fixing device includes heater elements disposed along a sheet-width direction. A controller is configured to identify a heater element that will overlap with an edge of the image region when a sheet is conveyed to the image fixing device. The controller calculates whether a shift of the image region by a shift amount less than a threshold would cause the heater element to not overlap. If so, the image forming device is controlled to form the image in a shifted image region and only those heater elements in the plurality of heater elements that overlap with the shifted image region are turned on when fixing the sheet if the image has been formed in the shifted image region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, an image reading unit, and a control unit. The fixing device includes a heating elements arranged in a main scanning direction, a band-shaped thin film which slides on the surface of the heating element while in contact with the heating element, and a rotatable body configured to press against a surface of the thin film to cause the thin film to rotate. The fixing device heats the heating elements when an inspection sheet is passed through the fixing device, the inspection sheet having plural images formed by using a decolorable developer, each of the images having an image density that differs in a sub-scanning direction of the image forming apparatus. The image reading unit reads an image of the heated inspection sheet and the control unit determines an operative state of each heating element based on the read image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms images in an image region on a sheet. An image fixing device includes heater elements disposed along a sheet-width direction. A controller is configured to identify a heater element that will overlap with an edge of the image region when a sheet is conveyed to the image fixing device. The controller calculates whether a shift of the image region by a shift amount less than a threshold would cause the heater element to not overlap. If so, the image forming device is controlled to form the image in a shifted image region and only those heater elements in the plurality of heater elements that overlap with the shifted image region are turned on when fixing the sheet if the image has been formed in the shifted image region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms images in an image region on a sheet. An image fixing device includes heater elements disposed along a sheet-width direction. A controller is configured to identify a heater element that will overlap with an edge of the image region when a sheet is conveyed to the image fixing device. The controller calculates whether a shift of the image region by a shift amount less than a threshold would cause the heater element to not overlap. If so, the image forming device is controlled to form the image in a shifted image region and only those heater elements in the plurality of heater elements that overlap with the shifted image region are turned on when fixing the sheet if the image has been formed in the shifted image region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device configured to form an image on a sheet, a first heater configured to generate heat to heat a first print region of the sheet, a second heater configured to generate heat to heat a second print region of the sheet, the second heater being adjacent the first heater in a main scanning direction, and a controller configured to control the first heater to generate heat and the second heater to not generate heat based on a distance in the main scanning direction from (a) an end of a region of the image that overlaps the second heater to (b) a boundary between the first heater and the second heater in a situation where the region overlaps the boundary.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device configured to form an image on a sheet, a first heater configured to generate heat to heat a first print region of the sheet, a second heater configured to generate heat to heat a second print region of the sheet, the second heater being adjacent the first heater in a main scanning direction, and a controller configured to control the first heater to generate heat and the second heater to not generate heat based on a distance in the main scanning direction from (a) an end of a region of the image that overlaps the second heater to (b) a boundary between the first heater and the second heater in a situation where the region overlaps the boundary.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms images in an image region on a sheet. An image fixing device includes heater elements disposed along a sheet-width direction. A controller is configured to identify a heater element that will overlap with an edge of the image region when a sheet is conveyed to the image fixing device. The controller calculates whether a shift of the image region by a shift amount less than a threshold would cause the heater element to not overlap. If so, the image forming device is controlled to form the image in a shifted image region and only those heater elements in the plurality of heater elements that overlap with the shifted image region are turned on when fixing the sheet if the image has been formed in the shifted image region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, an image reading unit, and a control unit. The fixing device includes a heating elements arranged in a main scanning direction, a band-shaped thin film which slides on the surface of the heating element while in contact with the heating element, and a rotatable body configured to press against a surface of the thin film to cause the thin film to rotate. The fixing device heats the heating elements when an inspection sheet is passed through the fixing device, the inspection sheet having plural images formed by using a decolorable developer, each of the images having an image density that differs in a sub-scanning direction of the image forming apparatus. The image reading unit reads an image of the heated inspection sheet and the control unit determines an operative state of each heating element based on the read image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, an image reading unit, and a control unit. The fixing device includes a heating elements arranged in a main scanning direction, a band-shaped thin film which slides on the surface of the heating element while in contact with the heating element, and a rotatable body configured to press against a surface of the thin film to cause the thin film to rotate. The fixing device heats the heating elements when an inspection sheet is passed through the fixing device, the inspection sheet having plural images formed by using a decolorable developer, each of the images having an image density that differs in a sub-scanning direction of the image forming apparatus. The image reading unit reads an image of the heated inspection sheet and the control unit determines an operative state of each heating element based on the read image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that fixes a developer image to a sheet and includes a first heating element and a second heating element, and a control unit. The first heating element generates heat that is provided to a first print region of the sheet. The second heating element generates heat that is provided to a second print region of the sheet. The second heating element is arranged adjacent the first heating element in a main scanning direction such that a first boundary is defined between the heating elements. The control unit controls heat generation of the first heating element based on a presence or absence of heat generation of the second heating element and a maximum distance in the main scanning direction from the first boundary to an end portion of an image region containing at least a portion of the developer image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms images in an image region on a sheet. An image fixing device includes heater elements disposed along a sheet-width direction. A controller is configured to identify a heater element that will overlap with an edge of the image region when a sheet is conveyed to the image fixing device. The controller calculates whether a shift of the image region by a shift amount less than a threshold would cause the heater element to not overlap. If so, the image forming device is controlled to form the image in a shifted image region and only those heater elements in the plurality of heater elements that overlap with the shifted image region are turned on when fixing the sheet if the image has been formed in the shifted image region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit and an image forming unit. The control unit generates image data of a first image based on a designated image or a designated character string designated by a user. The image forming unit forms the first image in a predetermined area based on the image data using a decolorizing recording agent. The image forming unit forms the first image on at least one of a front surface, on which a second image is formed, of a medium with the second image formed thereon, or a surface opposite to the front surface using a non-decolorizing recording agent.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, an image reading unit, and a control unit. The fixing device includes a heating elements arranged in a main scanning direction, a band-shaped thin film which slides on the surface of the heating element while in contact with the heating element, and a rotatable body configured to press against a surface of the thin film to cause the thin film to rotate. The fixing device heats the heating elements when an inspection sheet is passed through the fixing device, the inspection sheet having plural images formed by using a decolorable developer, each of the images having an image density that differs in a sub-scanning direction of the image forming apparatus. The image reading unit reads an image of the heated inspection sheet and the control unit determines an operative state of each heating element based on the read image.

Abstract: A printer includes a forming device configured to form images with non-decolorable printing material and decolorable printing material. The printer further includes an interface configured to acquire a document image and a memory configured to store an auxiliary image relating to post-processing. The printer additionally includes a controller configured to print the document image with the non-decolorable printing material on a medium by using the forming device, and print the auxiliary image with the decolorable printing material on the medium by using the forming device.

Abstract: A printer includes a forming device configured to form images with non-decolorable printing material and decolorable printing material. The printer further includes an interface configured to acquire a document image and a memory configured to store an auxiliary image relating to post-processing. The printer additionally includes a controller configured to print the document image with the non-decolorable printing material on a medium by using the forming device, and print the auxiliary image with the decolorable printing material on the medium by using the forming device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit and an image forming unit. The control unit generates image data of a first image based on a designated image or a designated character string designated by a user. The image forming unit forms the first image in a predetermined area based on the image data using a decolorizing recording agent. The image forming unit forms the first image on at least one of a front surface, on which a second image is formed, of a medium with the second image formed thereon, or a surface opposite to the front surface using a non-decolorizing recording agent.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image reading unit that reads an image of a sheet. A sheet discharge tray receives a sheet read by the image reading unit. A measurement unit measures a total weight of sheets on the sheet discharge tray. A read counter counts a number of all sheets read by the image reading unit. The read counter stores the number of the currently read sheet in association with the measured total weight of the sheets on the sheet discharge tray. A measured value comparison unit compares the current measured weight of the sheets and a stored measured weight stored in association with the number of the read sheet immediately preceding the currently read sheet. A dropped page identification unit identifies, by page number, one or more sheets dropped from the sheet discharge unit based on the comparison result.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image reading unit that reads an image of a sheet. A sheet discharge tray receives a sheet read by the image reading unit. A measurement unit measures a total weight of sheets on the sheet discharge tray. A read counter counts a number of all sheets read by the image reading unit. The read counter stores the number of the currently read sheet in association with the measured total weight of the sheets on the sheet discharge tray. A measured value comparison unit compares the current measured weight of the sheets and a stored measured weight stored in association with the number of the read sheet immediately preceding the currently read sheet. A dropped page identification unit identifies, by page number, one or more sheets dropped from the sheet discharge unit based on the comparison result.