An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries an image, a transfer body that transports a recording medium in a contact region between the image carrier and the transfer body, a pair of transport members that are disposed upstream of the contact region in a transport direction, and transport the recording medium to the contact region, a guide member that includes, between the contact region and the pair of transport members, a portion on a downstream side in the transport direction which serves as a free end portion and a portion on an upstream side in the transport direction which is supported in a cantilever state, that guides a non-transfer surface of the recording medium, that is elastically deformed, and that has a cutout, and a detection unit that detects an image on an outer peripheral surface of the image carrier on a optical path.

An image formation unit that forms an image on a transfer medium, a conveyance unit that conveys the transfer medium, a control unit that controls formation of the image and conveyance of the transfer medium are provided. The control unit has a sheet gap image forming function of forming a predetermined toner image in a sheet gap between the transfer media conveyed by the conveyance unit. When the transfer medium is conveyed, the control unit acquires information of a tilt angle on a conveyance surface of the transfer medium conveyed to the image formation unit, calculates a sheet gap between the transfer media based on the tilt angle, determines whether or not a toner image of a required amount is able to be formed in the sheet gap when performing the sheet gap image forming function, and controls formation of the sheet gap image based on the determination result.

An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member that includes a photosensitive layer, the photosensitive layer being thicker at a first axial end of the photosensitive member than at a second axial end of the photosensitive member; and a forming unit that forms a first image and a second image on the photosensitive member, the first image being transferred to each of transfer areas defined on continuous-form paper, the second image being transferred to the first axial end but to neither a position between adjacent ones of the transfer areas that are side by side in a longitudinal direction of the continuous-form paper nor a position in any of the transfer areas.

An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor drum; an optical scanning device that drives a light source to scan a surface of the photoconductor drum and form a latent image on the surface; a developing device that develops the latent image; and a density detector to detect density variation of an image in a rotation direction of the photoconductor drum, the image being developed by the developing device. The optical scanning device includes a processing device that is capable of correcting a driving signal for driving the light source on a basis of an output signal of the density detector to adjust at least either one of a correction period and a correction strength of correction data for the driving signal for a rotation period of the photoconductor drum.

An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member having first and second areas at different positions at an axial end of the photosensitive member, the first and second areas not overlapping an image area in an axial direction of the photosensitive member; a detecting unit that detects an image; and a forming unit that forms a transfer-object image in the image area, the transfer-object image being transferred to a transfer area of continuous-form paper, the forming unit further forming first and second images in the first and second areas of the photosensitive member, respectively, the first image not being transferred to the transfer area but being detected by the detecting unit for use in an operation of controlling conditions for image formation, the second image not being transferred to the transfer area and not being used in the operation of controlling the conditions for image formation.

A control device includes an image-formation command section and a first reception section. The image-formation command section commands an image forming section to form multiple latent images based on one input image onto an image bearing member in accordance with different light emission patterns by using a light source including multiple light emitting members, develop the latent images, and output the multiple developed images to a medium. The first reception section receives a designation by a user with respect to one of the multiple light emission patterns after the multiple images are output. Each light emission pattern indicates which of the multiple light emitting members included in the light source is to emit light.

An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an exposure device, and a developing device. A sensor detects a toner image formed by the developing device to output density information, and a supply device supplies developer to the developing device. In addition, a controller controls the supply device on the basis of a detection result of a supply control toner image formed by the exposure device, a storing portion stores the detection result, and an exchange detecting portion detects information for discriminating exchange of the photosensitive member and the developing device. When the developing device is not exchanged but the photosensitive member is exchanged, the controller executes an operation in a mode in which the controller adjusts an exposure condition for forming the supply control toner image by the exposure device after exchange of the photosensitive member.

An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member; a charging unit configured to charge the photosensitive member; an exposure unit configured to expose the photosensitive member charged by the charging unit with a laser beam in order to form an electrostatic latent image; a development unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member to form an image; an obtaining unit configured to obtain information related to the photosensitive member; a measuring unit configured to measure a measurement image formed by the charging unit, the exposure unit, and the development unit; and a determination unit configured to determine an image forming condition for adjusting a maximum density of the image to be formed, based on a measurement result of the measuring unit and the information obtained by the obtaining unit.

To prevent the detection accuracy from deteriorating due to stray light, an optical apparatus includes the following configuration. The optical apparatus includes a light-emitting member, a light-receiving member, and a substrate on which the light-emitting member and the light-receiving member are mounted. The substrate includes a plate-like substrate layer and a plate-like conductive layer. The optical apparatus further includes a light-shielding member disposed between the light-receiving member and the light-emitting member and inserted in a through-hole of the substrate provided between the light-receiving member and the light-emitting member. The light-receiving member receives reflected light from a portion to be irradiated with the light emitted from the light-emitting member. The conductive layer is excellent in light-shielding property compared to the substrate layer. The conductive layer is exposed to an inner cylindrical surface of the through-hole.

An image forming device includes a brilliant image forming section, a non-brilliant image forming section, and a control section. When an image is formed on a medium by superimposing a brilliant image with an image density of 100% on a non-brilliant image, the control section controls the brilliant image forming section and the non-brilliant image forming section so as to make them form the brilliant image whose image density is a first image density if saturation of the non-brilliant image is first saturation and make them form the brilliant image whose image density is a second image density lower than the first image density if the saturation of the non-brilliant image is second saturation higher than the first saturation.