An image forming apparatus, including: a light source; a photosensitive member rotatable in a first direction; a deflecting unit configured to deflect the light beam in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a conversion unit configured to convert image data into a plurality of bit data corresponding to a density on a pixel-by-pixel basis; a specifying unit configured to specify a pixel size that is a number of divided pixels forming a pixel according to a position of the pixel in the second direction; and a correction unit configured to correct the plurality of bit data according to the pixel size, wherein the specifying unit specifies pixel sizes of pixels after an arrangement of the pixels in the second direction is replaced for each pixel group, the pixel group being obtained by dividing, with respect to each predetermined number of pixels, pixels arranged in the second direction.

A toner container is removably mounted in a housing of an image forming apparatus. The toner container contains a toner and has a stirring member for stirring the toner. An electric motor drives the stirring member. A storage device stores a required load value set for the toner container. A load detecting section includes an electric current sensor that measures a drive electric current of the electric motor. The load detecting section detects an actual load value of the electric motor in driving of the stirring member based on the drive electric current measured. A determination section compares the actual load value detected by the load detecting section with the required load value stored in the storage device and determines whether or not the actual load value coincides with the required load value to determine whether or not the toner container mounted in the housing is a genuine product.

Provided is a photoconductor including a conductive support, an intermediate layer containing metal oxide particles, and a photoconductive layer. The intermediate layer and the photoconductive layer are provided over the conductive support in the order of reciting. An elastic power (We/Wt value) of the intermediate layer is greater than or equal to 20.0% but less than 35.0%. A Martens hardness (HM) of the intermediate layer is greater than or equal to 350 [N/mm.sup.2] but less than 450 [N/mm.sup.2].

A distance between a reference position and a reference image of a sheet is accurately measured without adding a special device even when an attitude of the sheet is not stable. An aspect of the present invention obtains image data by reading a sheet surface formed with the reference image such as a trim mark by a reading portion. A height calculation portion calculates edge-blur amounts of the reference position and the reference image on the sheet surface from the image data. Furthermore, a height calculation portion detects heights from a focus position to the sheet surface for the reference position and the reference image, from the edge-blur amount and a reflected light amount of a white solid portion. Moreover, a distance detection portion calculates a distance between the reference position and the reference image on the sheet surface, on the basis of a detection result.

A printing apparatus includes a reading unit to read a document image to generate image data, and a printing unit to print an image of the image data on a sheet supplied from any of multiple sheet storage portions. The printing apparatus determines whether an automatic selection function is enabled or disabled. The automatic selection function automatically selects, from among the sheet storage portions, a source for supplying a sheet that is used for printing. If the automatic selection function is enabled and a user specifies a predetermined sheet storage portion that has no sheet stored therein, the job execution instruction is not allowed. If the automatic selection function is disabled and a sheet storage portion that supplies a sheet for printing from among the plurality of sheet storage portions has no sheet stored therein, the job execution instruction is allowed.

An image forming apparatus includes a toner container information storage section, a toner container information acquisition section, a toner container information readout section, a number-of-refills comparing section, a genuine product determining section, and a toner container information update section. The toner container information acquisition section is configured to acquire an identification code and a number of refills from a toner container. The number-of-refills comparing section is configured to read out, based on the acquired identification code, the number of refills of the corresponding toner container from the toner container information storage section and determine whether or not the number of refills acquired from the toner container is smaller than the read number of refills. If the number of refills acquired from the toner container is smaller than the read number of refills, the genuine product determining section determines that the toner container is a non-genuine product.

An image processing apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a heating device including a belt that contacts the sheet and a plurality of heating elements for heating the belt, a pressure roller configured to press the sheet against the belt, a voltage detection circuit configured to measure a voltage applied to the heating elements, and a controller configured to determine whether at least one of the heating elements is abnormal according to a voltage drop value that is based on voltages measured by the voltage detection unit before and after the plurality of heating elements is energized.

In a photosensitive drum, a drum flange is press-fitted to each end of a drum element tube. The drum flange includes a flange facing the drum element tube, and a press-in boss formed on a drum-facing surface side of the flange and press-fitted to the inner circumferential side of the drum element tube. The outer circumferential surface of the press-in boss is configured so that partial cylindrical surfaces to be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the drum element tube and oppositely-facing partial cylindrical surfaces not to be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the drum element tube are alternately formed along the circumferential direction. First openings formed to penetrate at least a part of the press-in boss are respectively provided on the proximal end side of the partial cylindrical surfaces in the press-in boss.

A sorting device includes a base portion and a tray portion. The tray portion is supported on the base portion to be reciprocatable between a first shift position, where the tray portion is located at one side in the sheet width direction, and a second shift position, where the tray portion is located at the other side in the sheet width direction. The tray portion has a cutout portion. The cutout portion is formed by cutting away, with a predetermined width, an end part of the tray portion in the sheet width direction inward across the tray portion. With the tray portion at the second shift position, the cutout portion is located below one side end edge of the sheet in the sheet width direction, of sheets stacked on the tray portion.

A sheet discharging apparatus includes a discharging portion configured to discharge a sheet, a supporting portion configured to support the sheet discharged by the discharging portion, a lifting portion configured to lift and lower the supporting portion, a transmissive sensor configured to output an output signal that changes in accordance with a position of an upper surface of the sheet supported by the supporting portion, a reflective sensor configured to output an output signal that changes in accordance with the position of the upper surface of the sheet supported by the supporting portion, and a controller configured to control the lifting portion and including a first determining portion configured to determine whether or not sheet detection by the transmissive sensor is possible and a second determining portion configured to determine whether or not sheet detection by the transmissive sensor is needed.