An electrostatic image developing toner includes toner particles, layered compound particles, and inorganic particles. The content of titanium in the electrostatic image developing toner is 0.1 ppm or more and less than 1,500 ppm.

An ink film construction including: (a) a printing substrate; and (b) at least one ink film, fixedly adhered to a top surface of the printing substrate, the ink film having an upper film surface distal to the top surface of the substrate, wherein a surface concentration of nitrogen at the upper film surface exceeds a bulk concentration of nitrogen within the film, the bulk concentration measured at a depth of at least 30 nanometers below the upper film surface, and wherein a ratio of the surface concentration to the bulk concentration is at least 1.1 to 1.

An ink film construction including: (a) a printing substrate; and (b) at least one ink film, fixedly adhered to a top surface of the printing substrate, the ink film having an upper film surface distal to the top surface of the substrate, wherein a surface concentration of nitrogen at the upper film surface exceeds a bulk concentration of nitrogen within the film, the bulk concentration measured at a depth of at least 30 nanometers below the upper film surface, and wherein a ratio of the surface concentration to the bulk concentration is at least 1.1 to 1.

An intermediate transfer body includes: a base layer made of a resin; and a surface layer disposed on the base layer, wherein the surface layer is an integral object of inorganic oxide and contains a black titanium compound dispersed in the surface layer.

An intermediate transfer belt includes, on a surface in contact with a photosensitive drum and a cleaning blade, a plurality of grooves formed along a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt in a width direction which intersects the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt. Further, the intermediate transfer belt includes a plurality of first regions in which adjacent grooves in the width direction are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a second region which is positioned between the plurality of first regions and in which an interval between adjacent grooves in the width direction is different from the predetermined interval. The second region is arranged outside, in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a range in which a patch toner is to be formed in concentration correction.

An intermediate transfer belt includes, on a surface in contact with a photosensitive drum and a cleaning blade, a plurality of grooves formed along a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt in a width direction which intersects the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt. Further, the intermediate transfer belt includes a plurality of first regions in which adjacent grooves in the width direction are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a second region which is positioned between the plurality of first regions and in which an interval between adjacent grooves in the width direction is different from the predetermined interval. The second region is arranged outside, in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a range in which a patch toner is to be formed in concentration correction.

A method of operating an electrophotographic printer (100) to control the optical density of a printed image is described. The method comprises providing a printing substance on a transfer member (104); emitting a pulse of heat to heat the printing substance on the transfer member to increase flowability of the printing substance on the transfer member; and transferring, from the transfer member to a substrate (108), the printing substance heated by the pulse of heat so as to provide the printed image on the substrate.

A method of operating an electrophotographic printer (100) to control the optical density of a printed image is described. The method comprises providing a printing substance on a transfer member (104); emitting a pulse of heat to heat the printing substance on the transfer member to increase flowability of the printing substance on the transfer member; and transferring, from the transfer member to a substrate (108), the printing substance heated by the pulse of heat so as to provide the printed image on the substrate.

An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a rotatable transfer member, a first driving source to drive the image bearing member, a second driving source to drive the transfer member, and a control portion. Based on a toner amount per unit area of the toner image transferred to each of a plurality of first divided regions on a plane of a recording material in a feeding direction, the control portion controls a driving speed of the transfer member while each of the plurality of the first divided regions passes through a transfer portion. The control portion acquires an index value correlating with a toner amount of the toner image transferred to each of a plurality of second divided regions of each first divided region in a widthwise direction, and controls the driving speed based on the index value while the first divided region passes through the transfer portion.

An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a rotatable transfer member, a first driving source to drive the image bearing member, a second driving source to drive the transfer member, and a control portion. Based on a toner amount per unit area of the toner image transferred to each of a plurality of first divided regions on a plane of a recording material in a feeding direction, the control portion controls a driving speed of the transfer member while each of the plurality of the first divided regions passes through a transfer portion. The control portion acquires an index value correlating with a toner amount of the toner image transferred to each of a plurality of second divided regions of each first divided region in a widthwise direction, and controls the driving speed based on the index value while the first divided region passes through the transfer portion.