An optical gloss meter above an imaging member surface measures fountain solution surface gloss on the imaging member surface in real-time during a printing operation. The measured gloss corresponds to a thickness of the fountain solution layer and may be used in a feedback loop to actively control fountain solution layer thickness by adjusting the volumetric feed rate of fountain solution added onto the imaging member surface during a printing operation to reach a desired uniform thickness for the printing. This fountain solution monitoring system may be fully automated.

An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a charging member, a charging voltage applying portion, a developer carrying member, a developing voltage applying portion, a detecting portion, and a controller. In a state in which the charging voltage is applied to the charging member, the controller controls the detecting portion so as to detect whether or not a change amount between a current value detected by the detecting portion when the surface of the image bearing member opposing the developer carrying member before application of the developing voltage passes through an opposing portion where the charging member and the image bearing member are opposed to each other and a current value detected by the detecting portion when the surface of the image bearing member opposing the developer carrying member after the application of the developing voltage passes through the opposing portion is a threshold or more.

An image forming apparatus includes a member having a certain function, a learned model, and an estimation unit. The learned model is obtained by learning of a self-organizing map model having an input layer and an output layer. The estimation unit gives multidimensional input data related to the member to the input layer, and estimates a state of the member on the basis of one of a plurality of nodes of the output layer.

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming part to form a pattern including at least one white dot line and at least one black dot line on an image forming medium using a photoconductive drum. A registration sensor is to sense an amount of light reflected from the image forming medium. A processor is to determine a state of the photoconductive drum based on the amount of sensed light in the pattern.

A printed circuit board has a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface. A light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are mounted on the first mounting surface. An electronic component for driving the light-emitting element is mounted on the second mounting surface. A supporting member supports the printed circuit board. The supporting member has a through-hole in which the electronic component is inserted when the printed circuit board is supported by the supporting member.

The image forming apparatus includes a cartridge replaceable by detachably mounting to the image forming apparatus, a door that takes a closed state or an open state, a locking pin that switches a state of the regulation unit between a regulating state in which the replacement unit is prevented to be detached from the image forming apparatus and a release state in which the replacement unit is to be detachable from the image forming apparatus, and a lock control unit (a control unit) that makes a determination as to whether or not the state of the regulation unit is to be switched from the release state to the regulating state, at a predetermined timing when initial processing is completed after a power source is turned on or a state of the door becomes the closed state from the open state.

An image forming apparatus includes a monochrome OPC drum, a color OPC drum, a charger, a developer, and a calculating portion. The charger charges a surface of a photosensitive layer of the color OPC drum. The developer performs development using a developing agent including a toner and a carrier. The calculating portion calculates a wear amount of the photosensitive layer of the color OPC drum. In addition, the charger charges the photosensitive layer of the color OPC drum during monochrome printing to a surface potential that suppresses toner adhesion and carrier adhesion to the color OPC drum. Further, the calculating portion calculates the wear amount of the photosensitive layer of the color OPC drum during monochrome printing to be less than during color printing.

In an image forming apparatus, when a cartridge is unused, a control portion performs a preparatory operation of initiating rotational drive of a rotating member in a first rotational speed by second drive unit, and then initiating rotational drive of an image bearing member by first drive unit with the surface of the rotating member in contact with the surface of an image bearing member and then, driving the rotating member in a second rotational speed smaller than the first rotational speed prior to the image forming operation, and a ratio of the surface movement speed of the first rotational speed of the rotating member to the surface movement speed of the image bearing member in the preparatory operation is greater than the ratio of the surface movement speed of the rotating member to the surface movement speed of the image bearing member in the image forming operation.

An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a charging member, a charging voltage applying portion, a developer carrying member, a developing voltage applying portion, a detecting portion, and a controller. In a state in which the charging voltage is applied to the charging member, the controller controls the detecting portion so as to detect whether or not a change amount between a current value detected by the detecting portion when the surface of the image bearing member opposing the developer carrying member before application of the developing voltage passes through an opposing portion where the charging member and the image bearing member oppose to each other and a current value detected by the detecting portion when the surface of the image bearing member opposing the developer carrying member after the application of the developing voltage passes through the opposing portion is a threshold or more.

The image forming apparatus includes a cartridge replaceable by detachably mounting to the image forming apparatus, a door that takes a closed state or an open state, a locking pin that switches a state of the regulation unit between a regulating state in which the replacement unit is prevented to be detached from the image forming apparatus and a release state in which the replacement unit is to be detachable from the image forming apparatus, and a lock control unit (a control unit) that makes a determination as to whether or not the state of the regulation unit is to be switched from the release state to the regulating state, at a predetermined timing when initial processing is completed after a power source is turned on or a state of the door becomes the closed state from the open state.