An image forming apparatus includes: an electrophotographic photoreceptor which includes an electroconductive substrate, an undercoat layer which is provided on the electroconductive substrate and has an electrostatic capacitance per unit area of from 2×10.sup.−10 F/cm.sup.2 to 2×10.sup.−F/cm, and a photosensitive layer provided on the undercoat layer; a charging unit that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on a charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor by using a developer containing a toner, so as to form a toner image; and a direct transfer type transfer unit that directly transfers the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium.

A photoconductor including: a conductive support; an undercoat layer; and a photoconductive layer, the undercoat layer being disposed over the conductive support, the photoconductive layer being disposed over the undercoat layer, wherein the undercoat layer includes zinc oxide particles, wherein when a film thickness of the undercoat layer is 20 μm, the undercoat layer has transmittance of 50% or more to light having a wavelength in a range of 500 nm or more but 800 nm or less, wherein a lowest transmittance of light is 85% or less in the range, and wherein when an electric field of 5 V/μm is applied to the undercoat layer, volume resistivity of the undercoat layer is 1.0×10.sup.7 Ω.Math.cm or more but 5.0×10.sup.8 Ω.Math.cm or less at an environment of 23° C. and 55% RH.

Shaping a photoconductive drum includes preparing a dispersion having a charge generation composition and dipping an elongated support element into the dispersion. Withdrawing from the dispersion portions of the support element at different speeds results in different thicknesses of charge generation composition on the support element. Faster withdrawal results in thicker charge generation composition than does slower withdrawal. Portions with thicker composition provide denser optical densities compared to thinner composition allowing tailoring the photoconductive drum to compensate for imperfect optical scanning systems. Coating the support element with a charge transport layer occurs next, then curing. Oxidation of the support element may occur prior to application of the charge generation composition. A protective overcoat may also exist over the charge transport layer.

An image forming unit includes a photoreceptor and a charging member that comes into contact with a surface of the photoreceptor and charges the photoreceptor, in which the photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate, and a lamination type photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive substrate and including a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, the charge transport layer contains at least one of a polyester resin that has a constitutional unit having an aromatic ring or a polycarbonate resin that has a constitutional unit having an aromatic ring, the charging member includes a support member and an elastic layer disposed on the support member, and the elastic layer has a storage elastic modulus G′ of 5.0 MPa or less at a frequency of 100 Hz in dynamic viscoelasticity measurement under a temperature condition of 24° C.

A photoconductive drum includes an elongated support element with a shaped charge generation layer. The layer extends from the support element at a single thickness along about two-thirds of a length thereof. Thicker charge generation portions provides denser optical densities compared to thinner portions allowing tailoring the photoconductive drum to compensate for imperfect optical scanning systems. A charge transport layer overcoats the charge generation layer. Optionally, an oxidation layer underlies the charge generation layer as does a protective overcoat overlying the charge transport layer.

The present disclosure provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member that can obtain a satisfactory image free from the image defect such as the interference fringes as an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and can achieve high fineness in an output image. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, an electroconductive layer and a photosensitive layer, in this order, wherein the electroconductive layer comprises a binder resin, a metal oxide particle and a silica particle, a content of the metal oxide particle in the electroconductive layer is 20.0 to 60.0% by volume with respect to total volume of the electroconductive layer, the metal oxide particle has an average primary particle diameter of 50 to 500 nm, and the silica particle has an average primary particle diameter of 10 to 300 nm.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, an intermediate layer, and a photosensitive layer in this order, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a tungsten oxide particle, and the tungsten oxide particle contains a tungsten atom, an oxygen atom, and a cesium atom.

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate, an undercoating layer, and a photosensitive layer. The undercoating layer that is provided on the conductive substrate and includes a binder resin and a charge transporting material. The binder resin includes a resin obtained by polymerizing a diallyl phthalate compound. The photosensitive layer that is provided on the undercoating layer.

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate, an undercoating layer that is disposed on the conductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer that is disposed on the undercoating layer, in which the undercoating layer contains at least one perinone compound selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by Formulas (1) and (2), and at least one acceptor compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by Formula (3) to (15) which are shown in the specification. ##STR00001##

An electrophotographic photosensitive member including: a support, an undercoat layer formed above the support, a charge generation layer formed on the undercoat layer, and a charge transport layer formed above the charge generation layer, wherein the undercoat layer contains a polyamide resin and a titanium oxide particle which is surface-treated with a compound represented by Formula (1): ##STR00001##
when a volume of the titanium oxide particles to a volume of the polyamide resin in the undercoat layer is a, and an average primary particle diameter of the titanium oxide particles is b [μm], the following Equation (A) is satisfied: Equation (A): 14.0≤a/b≤19.1; and the charge generation layer contains a charge generating material and a thermoplastic resin having a hydroxyl group and a hydroxyl number of 50 mgKOH/g or more.