An image forming apparatus, having first, second, and third photosensitive drums, a first developing cartridge including a first developing roller, a second developing cartridge including a second developing roller, a third developing cartridge including a third developing roller, an exposure device, a conveyer, and a moving mechanism, is provided. The first developing roller, the second developing roller, and the third developing roller are arranged in the recited order from upstream to downstream in a moving direction for the sheet to be conveyed. When the second developing roller is at the separated position thereof, the second developing cartridge coincides with a light path of the laser beam for scanning the first photosensitive drum. When the third developing roller is at the separated position thereof, the third developing cartridge coincides with a light path of the laser beam for scanning the second photosensitive drum.

An image forming apparatus comprises a first temperature detector to detect a temperature of a first portion of an optical scanning device in a printer. The first portion is proximate to a heat generating element in the optical scanning device. A second temperature detector is provided to detect a temperature of a second portion of the optical scanning device, which is farther from the heat generating element than the first portion. A controller is configured to perform alignment control for correcting a color positional shift of the printer when either a detected temperature change of the first portion is greater than or equal to a first threshold value or a detected temperature change of the second portion is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit that forms a clear toner image with a clear toner; a second image forming unit that forms a color toner image with a color toner; a transfer unit that transfers at least one of the clear toner image and the color toner image onto a medium; and a controller that controls formation of the clear toner image and the color toner image. When the medium is a heat transfer medium and the color toner image is formed on the heat transfer medium, the controller performs control so that the clear toner image is formed on a region where the color toner image is formed and a weight per unit area of the color toner is less than 0.29 mg/cm.sup.2, and a weight per unit area of the clear toner image is 0.15 to 0.55 mg/cm.sup.2.

An image forming apparatus controls a first image forming unit and a second image forming unit to form a plurality of pattern images. The plurality of pattern images includes a first pattern image formed by the first image forming unit, a second pattern image formed by the second image forming unit, a plurality of third pattern images that are formed by the first image forming unit and have different tones from one another, and a plurality of fourth pattern images that are formed by the second image forming unit and have different tones from one another. The image forming apparatus obtains data that has been output from a sensor and is related to the plurality of pattern images, and generates the conversion condition based on the data.

A toner container used in an image forming apparatus including an exposure unit with a light emitting diode light source includes a container body, and a cyan toner stored in the container body. A lightness L*, a hue a*, and a hue b* of the cyan toner in a powder state satisfy

26.94L*34.84,

5.13a*3.83, and

47.47b*36.78.

A method of converting a CMYK Standard Color Printer to a CMYW Converted White Printer, comprising the steps: providing a CMYK Standard Color Printer; wherein a CMYK Standard Color Printer comprises: a black toner cartridge; wherein the black toner cartridge is installed in toner cartridge slot one; removing the black toner cartridge from the CMYK Standard Color Printer, such that the toner cartridge slot one is empty toner cartridge slot one; providing a white toner cartridge; wherein the white toner cartridge is configured to fit into the empty toner cartridge slot one; installing the white toner cartridge into the empty toner cartridge slot one; and providing raster image processor (RIP) software, such that the CMYK Standard Color Printer is configured to incorporate the white toner into one or more images printed by the CMYK Standard Color Printer in a single pass such that a CMYW Converted White Printer is created.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, endless belt, photosensitive drums, setting unit, contacting/separating mechanism, transmitting mechanism, and coupling members. The photosensitive drums are disposed in confrontation with the endless belt and are arranged in a first direction. Each photosensitive drum has an axis extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The setting unit sets the image forming apparatus to a monochrome mode or color mode. The contacting/separating mechanism controls at least one photosensitive drum to contact or separate from the endless in accordance with the set mode. The transmitting mechanism selectively transmits drive power to photosensitive drums. Each coupling member is selectively coupled to the corresponding photosensitive drum and has a coupling axis extending in the second direction. Each coupling member is uncoupled from the corresponding photosensitive drum when the contacting/separating mechanism controls the corresponding photosensitive drum to separate from the endless belt.

An image forming apparatus includes a first toner image forming unit, a second toner image forming unit, and a transfer section. The first toner image forming unit forms a first toner image with use of a first toner. The first toner has a complex viscosity that falls within a range from 625 Pascal-seconds to 3860 Pascal-seconds, both inclusive, at a temperature of 100 degrees centigrade. The second toner image forming unit forms a second toner image with use of a second toner. The transfer section transfers the first toner image onto a print medium, and transfers the second toner image onto the print medium in a region that overlaps a portion or all of a region where the first toner image has been transferred. The print medium includes a polymer compound.

Provided is a means in which in a tandem type electrophotographic image forming apparatus, image deletion of a formed image is suppressed, passing through of a toner is suppressed, and the lifetime of an organic photoreceptor and the apparatus itself is prolonged. The invention relates to a tandem type electrophotographic image forming apparatus using an organic photoreceptor in which at least a charge generating layer and a charge transfer layer are sequentially laminated on a conductive support body, in which in at least one of combinations of two adjacent image forming units including toners having colors different from each other, a linear pressure P1 of a cleaning blade A included in the image forming unit disposed on an upstream side, and a linear pressure P2 of a cleaning unit blade B included in the image forming unit disposed on a downstream side, satisfy a predetermined relationship.

An image forming apparatus comprises a first temperature detector to detect a temperature of a first portion of an optical scanning device in a printer. The first portion is proximate to a heat generating element in the optical scanning device. A second temperature detector is provided to detect a temperature of a second portion of the optical scanning device, which is farther from the heat generating element than the first portion. A controller is configured to perform alignment control for correcting a color positional shift of the printer when either a detected temperature change of the first portion is greater than or equal to a first threshold value or a detected temperature change of the second portion is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.