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.

An image forming apparatus can reduce degradation of the line quality in an output image by a simple method while maintaining the stability of the density characteristics of the output image, and a control method therefor. To accomplish this, in accordance with the amount of change, from a reference density value, of a density value measured from a test pattern image formed on a photosensitive drum, the image forming apparatus according to the invention creates LUT_2 for correcting a laser output signal value corrected using correction LUT_1. The image forming apparatus performs correction using LUT_1 and LUT_2 for developing colors other than a predetermined low-brightness developing color, whereas for the predetermined low-brightness developing color, it performs correction using LUT_1 and laser light amount correction instead of correction using LUT_2.

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material includes an image forming portion configured to form the image on the recording material; a fixing portion including a flexible cylindrical rotatable member and a roller configured to form a fixing nip, in which the recording material on which the image is formed is nipped and fed, in press-contact with the rotatable member and configured to fix the image on the recording material; an oblique movement detecting portion configured to detect oblique movement of the recording material; and a controller. When the oblique movement detecting portion detects the oblique movement of the recording material, the controller executes control for increasing a feeding interval of the recording material to the image forming portion.

An exposure device irradiates a photoconductor with light on the basis of an exposure signal and thereby forms an electrostatic latent image. A toner amount calculating unit (a) determines a distribution pattern of the electrostatic latent image on the basis of the exposure signal, (b) determines an electric field variation level of a target pixel, (c) determines an electric field intensity of the target pixel on the basis of a value of the target pixel in the distribution pattern and the electric field variation level, and (d) determines a toner consumption amount corresponding to the electric field intensity. Further, the toner amount calculating unit limits the electric field variation level to an uppermost value or less, the uppermost value corresponding to a value of the target pixel in the distribution pattern of the electrostatic latent image.

An example method of determining dot gain in a liquid electrophotographic printer is described. The method involves effecting a print operation based on a predetermined digital dot area and measuring an operating current of a binary ink development unit during the print operation. A dot gain between the digital dot area and a physical dot area of a developed image is determined based on a function of the measured operating current.

An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that performs a developing process by using two-component developer; an image carrier that carries a toner image including a toner band developed by the developing device; a density detection unit that detects a density of the toner band; and a determining unit that determines whether or not to perform a density adjustment on the basis of the density of the toner band detected by the density detection unit.

An image forming system includes: a density detecting section that detects the density of a toner image formed on an image bearing member by an image forming section, the density being detected as an output image density; a hardware processor which performs; tone correction in accordance with input-output characteristics data indicating the relationship between an input image density and an output image density, the input image density being the image density of a tone component included in the input image data, the output image density being detected by the density detecting section in accordance with the tone component; determining whether there is a missing tone component in the input image data; and complementing the input-output characteristics data corresponding to a missing tone component, when it is determined that there is the missing tone component.

Provided is a method of detecting release of a development nip of an image forming apparatus that includes a photoconductor and a developing roller to contact each other to form a development nip and to be away from each other to release the development nip. The method includes obtaining a reference load, after charging the photoconductor in a state in which the development nip is formed, by measuring a load of a transfer system including the photoconductor and a transfer roller, release the development nip and blocking light irradiated from an exposing unit to the photoconductor, obtaining a detected load by measuring a load of the transfer system after exposing the photoconductor, and determining whether the development nip is normally released based on the reference load and the detected load.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image by using a developer, and a controller configured to control the image forming unit to form a test image on the sheet, acquire information related to the test image, and correct, based on the information, a position on the sheet, wherein the test image is used to detect positional deviation, wherein the controller performs first processing in which the image forming unit forms the test image and a first pattern image, and second processing in which the image forming unit forms the test image and a second pattern image, wherein the image forming unit forms the first pattern image so that an adhesion amount of the developer becomes a first amount, and the second pattern image so that an adhesion amount of the developer becomes a second amount that is larger than the first amount.

An image forming apparatus includes optical sensor units provided opposed to an image bearing member; light blockers provided between the image bearing member and the optical sensor units, respectively, the blockers being movable between locking and exposing positions, respectively; calibration members provided where the light is incident when the blockers are in the blocking positions, respectively, the calibration members calibrating data acquired by the optical sensor units; a movable link connected with the blockers; a switching portion for switching the blockers between the exposing and blocking positions; and a positioning portion for determining the blocking position, the positioning portion being disposed at a position where at least one of the blockers is contacted to the positioning portion when the blockers are switched from the exposing positions to the blocking positions.