A reading device and an image forming apparatus are provided. The reading device includes an image reading device configured to read an image on a recording medium being conveyed, a background device serving as a background image when the image is read by the image reading device, and a foreign-object detector configured to compare a first read image obtained as the background device is read by the image reading device with a second read image obtained as the background device and the recording medium are read by the image reading device to detect an attached foreign object. The image forming apparatus includes the reading device and an image forming device.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet, a conveyance unit to convey the sheet having the image formed thereon to a conveyance path and a reading unit to read a test image of a sheet conveyed to the conveyance path. In addition, a controller determines an adjustment value for adjusting a geometric characteristic of an image to be formed by the image forming unit based on a reading result of the reading unit, controls the image forming unit to form the test image, controls the reading unit to read the sheet having the test image formed thereon, and determines an adjustment value for adjusting a geometric characteristic of an image to be formed by the image forming unit based on a reading result of the reading unit.

A processor causes a printing portion to execute, when first conveying processing is executed, test print processing for executing processing of forming a plurality of test toner images on a sheet under a print condition that differs for each of the plurality of test toner images. The processor acquires a plurality of first sensing densities when the first conveying processing is executed. The processor causes the printing portion to execute the test print processing when second conveying processing is executed. The processor acquires a plurality of second sensing densities when the second conveying processing is executed. The processor compares the plurality of first sensing densities and the plurality of second sensing densities to adjust the print condition in the print processing when the second conveying processing is executed.

A method for operating a printing machine having a processor and a device for detecting features of printing substrates includes storing print jobs with the printing substrates appropriate thereto in a database. Features of at least one printing substrate are detected by using the device. The detected features of the at least one printing substrate are compared by the processor with the printing substrates of the print jobs from the database. The processor selects at least one print job in which the printing substrates of the print jobs from the database correspond to the at least one detected printing substrate or attain a predefined similarity. The at least one print job selected by the processor is subsequently executed on the printing machine.

An image forming apparatus including a plurality of sheet feeding cassettes includes a control unit. The control unit performs control. In a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied during execution of a print job to print image data, the control unit performs control to execute interruption processing of a correction job to print a correction patch. The control unit performs control to determine, from the plurality of sheet feeding cassettes, a sheet feeding cassette to be used for the correction job based on information on the sheet feeding cassette used for the print job.

A method for reducing artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages. The electrophotographic printing system is used to print a block of pages from the print job to provide corresponding printed pages. The image data for the block of pages is analyzed to determine an average toner usage rate. If the determined average toner usage rate for the block of pages falls outside an acceptable toner usage rate range, image data for a compensation image and a number of compensation images are determined such that the average toner usage rate will be brought back into the acceptable toner usage rate range.

An image forming apparatus includes a developing container to store developer, an operation portion, an operation detection portion, a conveyance unit to convey a recording material, a detection unit, a door that is openable and closable, a door detection portion, an agitation member, a drive portion, and a control unit. The control unit controls the drive portion in such a manner that, in a case where the operation detection portion detects movement of the operation portion, a supply agitation operation in which the agitation member agitates the developer stored in the developing container is performed. The control unit controls the drive portion in such a manner that, in a case where, in a state in which the supply agitation operation is being performed, the door detection portion has detected an opened state of the door or the detection unit has detected the recording material, the supply agitation operation is stopped.

A method for reducing artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages. The electrophotographic printing system is used to print a block of pages from the print job to provide corresponding printed pages. The image data for the block of pages is analyzed to determine a cross-track image profile for each page in the block of pages. Image data for a compensation image and a number of compensation images are determined, wherein the compensation image has a cross-track image profile which has an inverted shape relative to an average of the cross-track image profiles for the block of pages. The printing of the compensation images reduces image burn-in artifacts which result from the printing of the block of pages.

An image forming apparatus includes circuitry that detects a position at which a first image is formed on a first face of a recording medium between an instant when the first image is formed on the first face of the recording medium and an instant when a second image is formed on a second face of the recording medium, calculates a first adjustment value used to adjust a position at which the second image is formed on the second face of the recording medium, based on the detected position at which the first image is formed on the first face of the recording medium, adjusts the position at which the second image is formed on the second face of the recording medium, based on the first adjustment value, and detects the adjusted position at which the second image is formed on the second face of the recording medium.

A conveyance apparatus includes a plurality of conveyors and an image reader. The plurality of conveyors conveys a recording material. The image reader reads a pattern image on the recording material being conveyed. The conveyance apparatus further includes circuitry to control the image reader. The circuitry controls the image reader to read the pattern image on the recording material in a period including a timing at which a trailing edge of the recording material being conveyed by at least two of the plurality of conveyors exits an upstream conveyor among the at least two of the plurality of conveyors in a direction of conveyance of the recording material.