An image forming method includes forming an image with a toner using a photoconductor in which an intermediate layer and a photosensitive layer including a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer are formed overlying an electroconductive substrate, wherein the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and the ionization potential of the surface of the toner satisfy the following relations 1 and 2,
|Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)Ip (the surface of the toner)|5.53 (eV) Relation 1
5.45 (eV)Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)5.53 (eV) Relation 2
where Ip (the surface of the photoconductor) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and Ip (the surface of the toner) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the toner.

An image forming apparatus, configured to operate in first and second modes of which color gamut is different from each other, includes an exposure unit configured to expose a photosensitive drum; a developing roller configured to form a toner image; a detection unit configured to detect density of the toner image transferred to an intermediate transfer member; and a controller configured to adjust the density based on a value of input image data. A dithering process for the controller's controlling of the exposure unit is different depending on whether the operation is in the first mode or the second mode, and in at least a part of the input image data, the density of the toner image formed by the dithering process in the first mode is higher than the density of the toner image formed by the dithering process in the second mode.

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 apparatus and method for compensating for variation of the image placement for each color station in an intermediate transfer drum system. A sensor detects the image placed by the previous station and triggers the imaging on the drum such that it properly registered to the previous image. However, the variation of the drum's radius results in runout which creates an error in the image placement, since the surface drum travel will be larger or smaller than expected. The method to correct for a lead edge offset for radial runout involves dividing the drum into regions and calculating an offset center of each region. As the drum transitions from region to region the offset value is updated to determine when to start imaging for proper placement on the sheet. The offset can be derived from the image runout to find the distance traveled from the transfer point or can be measured directly from color-to-color registration variation.

Provided is a stereoscopic image forming method for forming a color stereoscopic image on a recording medium having a thermal expansion property, the stereoscopic image forming method including the steps of: fixing a color image on the thermally expandable recording medium using a color material; and irradiating the fixed color image with light of a light source having a maximum emission wavelength in a wavelength range of 280 to 780 nm that is absorbed by a compound contained in the color material to generate heat of the compound.

An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, a plurality of endless rotational bodies, an image forming device, a pattern sensor, and processing circuitry. The image forming device forms correction patterns including a first pattern as a straight line pattern orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the correction patterns and a second pattern as one of a straight line pattern orthogonal to and an oblique line pattern inclined with respect to the conveyance direction. The processing circuitry causes the image forming device to form the correction patterns using a correction value such that the second pattern included in one correction pattern on the transfer belt is same in color and shape as the second pattern included in at least one correction pattern of a preceding correction pattern and a following correction pattern in the conveyance direction with respect to the one correction pattern.

A delivery system for delivering a plurality of layers of a powder to a three dimensional (3D) printing system for printing at least one 3D object, the delivery system comprising: a rotatable drum having a rounded photosensitive outer surface, a hopper unit comprising a container for storing the powder, wherein the hopper unit is configured to dispense the powder on the photosensitive outer surface of the rotatable drum. The delivery system further comprises a delivery unit comprising a movable delivery plate having a conductive outer surface, an engine for moving the delivery plate to a working chamber of the 3D printing system, one or more charging electrodes configured to charge the rotatable drum, a charging unit configured to charge the delivery plate. The movable delivery unit is further configured to: electrically and successively attract the dispensed plurality of layers from the rotatable drum outer surface to its conductive outer surface; and transfer the attracted plurality of layers to the working chamber by electrically rejecting the attracted plurality of layers into the working chamber.

An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a drawer, a photosensitive member rotatably supported by the drawer, a first roller rotatably supported by the drawer, a second roller, an urging member disposed at the housing for urging the second roller toward the first roller, and a positioner. The drawer is movable between a housed position at which the drawer is housed in the housing, and a shifted position at which the drawer is shifted from the housed position toward an exterior of the housing. The second roller is rotatably supported by the housing, disposed to face the first roller, and movable relative to the first roller. The second roller and the first roller pinch a sheet therebetween and transport the sheet toward the photosensitive member. The positioner is disposed at the drawer and positions the second roller relative to the first roller when the drawer is at the housed position.

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.

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of process units, a transferring member, a sensor, and a processor. The plurality of process units include a photosensitive drum, an electric charger which charges the photosensitive drum, an exposing device which includes a plurality of light emitting element rows in a sub-scanning direction configured by the plurality of light emitting elements, and irradiates the photosensitive drum to form a latent image, and a developing device which attaches toner to the latent image to form a toner image. The transferring member receives the toner image from the photosensitive drum. The sensor detects the toner image transferred to the transferring member. The processor calculates a skew deviation amount based on the detection result of the sensor, and controls turning on and off the light emitting element based on a central tendency and the skew deviation amount.