Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming part that has a first textile printing coloring material and forms a first image with the first textile printing coloring material wherein the first textile printing coloring material contains a first coloring agent that has a first sublimability; and a second image forming part that has a second textile printing coloring material and forms a second image with the second textile printing coloring material wherein the second textile printing coloring material contains a second coloring agent that has a second sublimability, which is lower than the first sublimability of the first coloring agent, wherein when the first image and the second image are superimposingly formed on a print medium, the second image is superimposingly formed over the first image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming part that has a first textile printing coloring material and forms a first image with the first textile printing coloring material wherein the first textile printing coloring material contains a first coloring agent that has a first sublimability; and a second image forming part that has a second textile printing coloring material and forms a second image with the second textile printing coloring material wherein the second textile printing coloring material contains a second coloring agent that has a second sublimability, which is lower than the first sublimability of the first coloring agent, wherein when the first image and the second image are superimposingly formed on a print medium, the second image is superimposingly formed over the first image.

Abstract: An image forming method includes: placing developer on a medium in accordance with image data to form a developer image; and fixing the developer image to the medium while conveying the medium along a conveying direction. The image forming method further includes: determining, as a blocked region, a region of the developer image where no developer is placed and whose upstream side in the conveying direction is blocked by a developer region where the developer is placed; and forming at least one groove extending in the conveying direction in an upstream region of the developer image that is located upstream of the blocked region in the conveying direction and included in the developer region.

Abstract: An image forming method includes: placing developer on a medium in accordance with image data to form a developer image; and fixing the developer image to the medium while conveying the medium along a conveying direction. The image forming method further includes: determining, as a blocked region, a region of the developer image where no developer is placed and whose upstream side in the conveying direction is blocked by a developer region where the developer is placed; and forming at least one groove extending in the conveying direction in an upstream region of the developer image that is located upstream of the blocked region in the conveying direction and included in the developer region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a transfer unit, and a controller. The transfer unit transfers a developer image formed by the image forming unit onto a transfer object. The controller controls each of the image forming unit and the transfer unit on a basis of printing data. The controller performs a printing control to cause a first printing operation and a second printing operation to be executed. The first printing operation forms a first developer image directed to an entire pixel region of a print image and transfers the first developer image onto the transfer object. The second printing operation forms a second developer image directed selectively to a high-gradation pixel region and transfers the second developer image onto the transfer object. The high-gradation pixel region is a pixel region, having a gradation value equal to or greater than a threshold, of the print image.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: an image formation device which forms a developer image on a medium; a storage device which stores medium information concerning the medium; a fixation device which fixes the developer image to the medium by heating the developer image while causing the medium to travel; a first detector which detects a stop or a speed reduction of travel of the medium in the fixation device; a second detector which detects a temperature of the fixation device; a cooler; and a controller which, when the first detector detects the stop or the speed reduction of the travel of the medium, stops an operation of the fixation device, and operates the cooler based on the medium information and the temperature of the fixation device, thereby cooling the medium stuck in the fixation device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a transfer unit, and a controller. The transfer unit transfers a developer image formed by the image forming unit onto a transfer object. The controller controls each of the image forming unit and the transfer unit on a basis of printing data. The controller performs a printing control to cause a first printing operation and a second printing operation to be executed. The first printing operation forms a first developer image directed to an entire pixel region of a print image and transfers the first developer image onto the transfer object. The second printing operation forms a second developer image directed selectively to a high-gradation pixel region and transfers the second developer image onto the transfer object. The high-gradation pixel region is a pixel region, having a gradation value equal to or greater than a threshold, of the print image.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: an image formation device which forms a developer image on a medium; a storage device which stores medium information concerning the medium; a fixation device which fixes the developer image to the medium by heating the developer image while causing the medium to travel; a first detector which detects a stop or a speed reduction of travel of the medium in the fixation device; a second detector which detects a temperature of the fixation device; a cooler; and a controller which, when the first detector detects the stop or the speed reduction of the travel of the medium, stops an operation of the fixation device, and operates the cooler based on the medium information and the temperature of the fixation device, thereby cooling the medium stuck in the fixation device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier for carrying an electrostatic latent image, a developer carrier for developing the electrostatic latent image of the image carrier with a developer, a developer regulating member that regulates a thickness of a layer of the developer held by the developer carrier, and a supply member that supplies the developer to the developer carrier. An absolute value of a voltage applied to the developer regulating member is larger than an absolute value of a voltage applied to the supply member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier for carrying an electrostatic latent image, a developer carrier for developing the electrostatic latent image of the image carrier with a developer, a developer regulating member that regulates a thickness of a layer of the developer held by the developer carrier, and a supply member that supplies the developer to the developer carrier. An absolute value of a voltage applied to the developer regulating member is larger than an absolute value of a voltage applied to the supply member.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes development devices placed in stations and configured to sequentially start development in an order according to the arrangement order of the stations, and a power supply unit. Each development device includes a development unit, a supply unit to supply a developer to the development unit, and a regulation member to regulate an amount of the developer on the development unit. The power supply unit applies voltages to each regulation member and each supply unit such that a first development device has a greater differential voltage when the first development device is placed in a first station than when placed in a second station in which the development is started earlier than in the first station, where the differential voltage denotes a voltage obtained by subtracting the absolute value of the supply unit's voltage from the absolute value of the regulation member's voltage.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes development devices placed in stations and configured to sequentially start development in an order according to the arrangement order of the stations, and a power supply unit. Each development device includes a development unit, a supply unit to supply a developer to the development unit, and a regulation member to regulate an amount of the developer on the development unit. The power supply unit applies voltages to each regulation member and each supply unit such that a first development device has a greater differential voltage when the first development device is placed in a first station than when placed in a second station in which the development is started earlier than in the first station, where the differential voltage denotes a voltage obtained by subtracting the absolute value of the supply unit's voltage from the absolute value of the regulation member's voltage.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a character data extraction unit, a contour data extraction unit, and an image density changing unit. The character data extraction unit extracts character data, forming a character image serving as a target to be read by an image reading apparatus, from image data. The contour data extraction unit extracts contour data forming a contour image of the character image from the image data. The image density changing unit changes an image density of the contour image base on the contour data extracted from the contour data extraction unit.

Abstract: A printing device includes a processor, an attribute managing part configured to be activated by the processor to communicate with a host device and to control an authentication printing job received from the host device, a memory configured to store authentication printing job data and user information extracted from the authentication printing job data, and a deleting part configured to delete the authentication printing job data and the user information stored in the memory based on predetermined results of communication between the attribute managing part and the host device. As a result, the user is not required to consider whether the time for which the authentication printing data is stored should be extended.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit for forming a first developer image; a second image forming unit for forming a second developer image; a transfer unit for transferring at least one of the first developer image and the second developer image; a separation contacting unit for moving at least one of the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit to a first position and a second position; a density measurement unit for measuring a first image density and a second image density of the first developer image; and a control unit including a density calculation unit for calculating a difference between the first image density and the second image density and a density correction unit for correcting a density of the first developer image according to the difference.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit for forming a first developer image; a second image forming unit for forming a second developer image; a transfer unit for transferring at least one of the first developer image and the second developer image; a separation contacting unit for moving at least one of the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit to a first position and a second position; a density measurement unit for measuring a first image density and a second image density of the first developer image; and a control unit including a density calculation unit for calculating a difference between the first image density and the second image density and a density correction unit for correcting a density of the first developer image according to the difference.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a character data extraction unit, a contour data extraction unit, and an image density changing unit. The character data extraction unit extracts character data, forming a character image serving as a target to be read by an image reading apparatus, from image data. The contour data extraction unit extracts contour data forming a contour image of the character image from the image data. The image density changing unit changes an image density of the contour image base on the contour data extracted from the contour data extraction unit.

Abstract: A printing device includes a processor, an attribute managing part configured to be activated by the processor to communicate with a host device and to control an authentication printing job received from the host device, a memory configured to store authentication printing job data and user information extracted from the authentication printing job data, and a deleting part configured to delete the authentication printing job data and the user information stored in the memory based on predetermined results of communication between the attribute managing part and the host device. As a result, the user is not required to consider whether the time for which the authentication printing data is stored should be extended.