Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding unit that holds a toner image, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image held by the image holding unit onto a medium in a transfer region, a reduction unit that is positioned further upstream than the transfer region and that reduces an electrical resistance of a first surface of the medium, the first surface being opposite to a second surface of the medium onto which an image is to be transferred, and a control unit that controls the reduction unit in accordance with a type of a medium to be used in such a manner that the electrical resistance of the first surface does not exceed a predetermined range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding unit, a transfer unit, a first-resistance detection unit, a second-resistance detection unit, and a selection unit. The image holding unit holds an image. The transfer unit includes a transfer member and a counter member. The transfer member is disposed in contact with an image holding surface of the image holding unit. The counter member is disposed across the image holding unit from the transfer member. The counter member is connected to a transfer power supply to cause a transfer electric field to act on a transfer region between the image holding unit and the transfer member. The transfer unit causes the image held by the image holding unit to be electrostatically transferred onto a recording medium transported to the transfer region. The first-resistance detection unit detects system resistance of the counter member, the image holding unit, and the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit that forms an image by using first toner; a second image forming unit that forms an image by using another kind of toner different from the first toner; a transfer unit that transfers the images formed by the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit onto an intermediate transfer body and then onto a recording medium; and a setting unit that sets an order of the images that are transferred onto the intermediate transfer body so that the image formed from the other kind of toner is transferred onto an independent image formed from the first toner transferred onto the intermediate transfer body in a case where the independent image formed from the first toner is to be formed on the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit that transfers a toner image to a transfer body; a guide unit disposed upstream of the transfer unit in a direction in which the transfer body is transported, the guide unit guiding the transfer body; a supply unit that supplies a transfer voltage to the transfer unit; and a setting unit that sets the transfer voltage supplied by the supply unit so that a transfer current supplied to the transfer unit is within a predetermined range at the time when the transfer body becomes separated from the guide unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit that forms an image by using first toner; a second image forming unit that forms an image by using another kind of toner different from the first toner; a transfer unit that transfers the images formed by the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit onto an intermediate transfer body and then onto a recording medium; and a setting unit that sets an order of the images that are transferred onto the intermediate transfer body so that the image formed from the other kind of toner is transferred onto an independent image formed from the first toner transferred onto the intermediate transfer body in a case where the independent image formed from the first toner is to be formed on the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first forming unit that forms a first image with a substantially flat toner containing a substantially flat metal pigment on a moving movable body; a second forming unit that forms a second image with a substantially non-flat toner on the movable body; a transfer unit that forms a nip with the movable body while circulating and transfers the first image and the second image on a medium transported to the nip; a removing unit that includes a rotational body and removes the toners adhering to the transfer unit, the rotational body having an axis and being configured to rotate around the axis; and a controller that, if the controller causes the first forming unit to form the first image, stops the rotation of the rotational body around the axis.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus transfers a first image including a first toner not containing a metal pigment onto a specific medium having a smoothness of 112 seconds or smaller, fixes the first image for use as a base coat onto the specific medium, and transfers and fixes a second image including a second toner containing a metal pigment onto the base coat fixed onto the specific medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple first image forming units, a second image forming unit, and a controller. The first image forming units transfer toner images developed with colored toners to a transfer body, and form first images on the transfer body. The second image forming unit transfers a toner image developed with a spot color toner different from colors of the colored toners to the transfer body prior to the first image forming units, and forms a second image serving as an undercoat or an overcoat of the first images on the transfer body. The controller controls the first image forming units in order that amounts of the colored toners used for forming the first images by the first image forming units become less than amounts of the colored toners used when the first images are formed prior to the second image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple first image forming units, a second image forming unit, and a controller. The first image forming units transfer toner images developed with colored toners to a transfer body, and form first images on the transfer body. The second image forming unit transfers a toner image developed with a spot color toner different from colors of the colored toners to the transfer body prior to the first image forming units, and forms a second image serving as an undercoat or an overcoat of the first images on the transfer body. The controller controls the first image forming units in order that amounts of the colored toners used for forming the first images by the first image forming units become less than amounts of the colored toners used when the first images are formed prior to the second image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus transfers a first image including a first toner not containing a metal pigment onto a specific medium having a smoothness of 112 seconds or smaller, fixes the first image for use as a base coat onto the specific medium, and transfers and fixes a second image including a second toner containing a metal pigment onto the base coat fixed onto the specific medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a forming unit that forms a toner image with a substantially flat toner containing a substantially flat metal pigment on a movable body; a transfer unit that forms a nip with the movable body and transfers the toner image on a medium transported to the nip; and a controller that, if at least one of first and second conditions, the first condition in which an image width from data for allowing the forming unit to form the toner image is larger than a predetermined width, the second condition in which an area coverage from the data is higher than a predetermined area coverage, is satisfied, causes the forming unit to form a toner image with a corrected area coverage lower than the area coverage from the data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a forming unit that forms a toner image with a substantially flat toner containing a substantially flat metal pigment on a movable body; a transfer unit that forms a nip with the movable body and transfers the toner image on a medium transported to the nip; and a controller that, if at least one of first and second conditions, the first condition in which an image width from data for allowing the forming unit to form the toner image is larger than a predetermined width, the second condition in which an area coverage from the data is higher than a predetermined area coverage, is satisfied, causes the forming unit to form a toner image with a corrected area coverage lower than the area coverage from the data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first forming unit that forms a first image with a substantially flat toner containing a substantially flat metal pigment on a moving movable body; a second forming unit that forms a second image with a substantially non-flat toner on the movable body; a transfer unit that forms a nip with the movable body while circulating and transfers the first image and the second image on a medium transported to the nip; a removing unit that includes a rotational body and removes the toners adhering to the transfer unit, the rotational body having an axis and being configured to rotate around the axis; and a controller that, if the controller causes the first forming unit to form the first image, stops the rotation of the rotational body around the axis.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first forming unit that forms a first image by using a toner that contains a pigment other than a flat pigment; a second forming unit that forms a second image by using a toner that contains a flat pigment; a transfer body that transports the first image and the second image transferred thereon and transfers the first image and the second image onto a recording medium; a first transfer member that nips the transfer body in cooperation with the first forming unit with a first load and transfers the first image from the first forming unit onto the transfer body; and a second transfer member that nips the transfer body in cooperation with the second forming unit with a second load, which is larger than the first load, and transfers the second image from the second forming unit onto the transfer body.

Abstract: A transfer device includes an endless rotating member that rotates; a first transfer section that transfers a toner image, which is formed by a first forming unit by using a flat toner containing a flat metallic pigment, onto an outer periphery of the rotating member; a second transfer section that transfers a toner image, which is formed by a second forming unit by using a non-flat toner, onto the outer periphery; a ground-connected section that is disposed downstream of the first transfer section in a rotating direction of the rotating member and that is connected to ground by being in contact with an inner periphery of the rotating member; and a power supply that applies an electric current to the first transfer section, which is lower than an electric current applied to the second transfer section, when the first transfer section transfers the toner image onto the outer periphery.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer body having an endless structure and to which an image is transferred while the transfer body is rotated; a first transfer portion that transfers an image formed with toner containing metallic pigment to a surface of the transfer body by applying a transfer current; a second transfer portion that is disposed on the upstream side of the first transfer portion in the rotation direction of the transfer body and transfers an image formed with toner not containing metallic pigment to the surface of the transfer body by applying a transfer current; and a support member that is grounded and disposed on the downstream side of the first transfer portion in the rotation direction of the transfer body, the support member being in contact with the back surface of the transfer body to support the transfer body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer body that transfers an image formed with toner containing a flat pigment to a recording medium; and a fixing unit that, when the image having an area coverage that is greater than or equal to a predetermined area coverage occupies a width that is less than a predetermined width of the recording medium, fixes the image to the recording medium with fixing energy having a first value, and that, when the image having the area coverage that is greater than or equal to the predetermined area coverage occupies a width that is greater than or equal to the predetermined width of the recording medium, fixes the image to the recording medium with fixing energy having a second value, the second value being greater than the first value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member, plural transfer sections, and a medium transfer section. The transfer member has an endless shape. An image is transferred to the transfer member during circulation of the transfer member. The transfer sections transfer the image to a surface of the transfer member through a first transfer current. The transfer sections include a most-downstream transfer section provided most downstream in a circulation direction of the transfer member. The medium transfer section transfers the image transferred to the transfer member to a recording medium through a second transfer current. A current flows through the most-downstream transfer section even in the case where the image is transferred to the transfer member by at least one of the transfer sections excluding the most-downstream transfer section, and the most-downstream transfer section does not transfer an image to the transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member, plural transfer sections, and a medium transfer section. The transfer member has an endless shape. An image is transferred to the transfer member during circulation of the transfer member. The transfer sections transfer the image to a surface of the transfer member through a first transfer current. The transfer sections include a most-downstream transfer section provided most downstream in a circulation direction of the transfer member. The medium transfer section transfers the image transferred to the transfer member to a recording medium through a second transfer current. A current flows through the most-downstream transfer section even in the case where the image is transferred to the transfer member by at least one of the transfer sections excluding the most-downstream transfer section, and the most-downstream transfer section does not transfer an image to the transfer member.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer body having an endless structure and to which an image is transferred while the transfer body is rotated; a first transfer portion that transfers an image formed with toner containing metallic pigment to a surface of the transfer body by applying a transfer current; a second transfer portion that is disposed on the upstream side of the first transfer portion in the rotation direction of the transfer body and transfers an image formed with toner not containing metallic pigment to the surface of the transfer body by applying a transfer current; and a support member that is grounded and disposed on the downstream side of the first transfer portion in the rotation direction of the transfer body, the support member being in contact with the back surface of the transfer body to support the transfer body.