Provided is an electrophotographic electro-conductive member including a support having an electro-conductive outer surface, and an electro-conductive layer. The electro-conductive layer has a matrix containing a crosslinked product of a first rubber and domains containing a crosslinked product of a second rubber and an electron conductive agent. When measuring an impedance by applying alternating voltage between the outer surface of the support and a platinum electrode on an outer surface of the electro-conductive layer while changing a frequency, a slope at specific frequencies is −0.8 to −0.3 in a double logarithmic plot, and an impedance at specific frequency range is 1.0×10.sup.4Ω to 1.0×10.sup.11Ω. When measuring an impedance by applying alternating voltage between the outer surface of the support and a platinum electrode on an outer surface of the electrophotographic electro-conductive member while changing a frequency, an impedance at specific frequency range is 1.0×10.sup.5Ω to 1.0×10.sup.11Ω.

An electrophotographic belt includes: a base body having an endless shape; and a surface layer on an outer peripheral surface of the base body, wherein grooves extending in a circumferential direction are provided on an outer surface of the surface layer; the base body contains a thermoplastic polyester resin and a filler; the surface layer contains an acrylic resin; a thickness T of the base body is 30 μm or larger, and a content of the filler in the base body is 0.1% by volume or more and 10.0% by volume or less based on a total volume of the base body; and in a region having a thickness 0.25 times as thick as an average particle diameter of the filler, an average value A of ratios of elements derived from the filler is 0.0 atomic % or larger and 1.0 atomic % or smaller.

A coating layer application device (200) for applying a coating layer, which is located on a transfer element, to a substrate, the coating layer (206) being formed from a coating material, in particular a thermosetting coating material, the coating layer (206) being curable and comprising an amorphous material, the coating layer application device comprising: a heating device (214, 220) being configured so as to (i) maintain the temperature of the coating layer (206) within a temperature range before removal of N the transfer element (204) from the coating layer (206), wherein within the temperature range the uncured coating material is in its supercooled liquid state; and/or (ii) partially cure the coating layer (206) during a contact of the coating layer (206) and the substrate (210) and before removal of the transfer element (204) from the coating layer, in particular by increasing the temperature of the coating layer (206) to a temperature at or above a curing temperature of the coating layer (206).

A digital printing system (10) includes a flexible substrate (44), an optical assembly (200, 301) and a processor (20). The flexible substrate (44) has a periodic pattern, and is configured to be moved and to receive ink droplets in a printing process that forms an image thereon. The optical assembly (200, 301) is configured to illuminate the flexible substrate (44) with light (215, 315), to detect the light (215, 315) from the flexible substrate (44), and to derive from the detected light (215, 315) a signal indicative of the periodic pattern. The processor (20) is configured to receive the signal and to monitor or control the digital printing system (10) based on the periodic pattern as indicated by the signal.

An electrophotographic member includes a base layer and an elastic layer on the base layer, the elastic layer including a silicone rubber, a first cation selected from the group consisting of cations of specific structures, a second cation selected from the group consisting of cations of specific structures, and an anion.

Provided is an intermediate transfer member containing a thermoplastic resin and carbon black. The carbon black has a structure volume of 50 or more and 250 or less, and a content of the carbon black is from 15.0 mass % to 30.0 mass % with respect to the intermediate transfer member. When a region ranging from an inner peripheral surface on a back side with respect to an outer peripheral surface on which a toner image is borne to 10 μm in a thickness direction is defined as an inner peripheral surface region, a value of an L-function indicating dispersibility of the carbon black with respect to the thermoplastic resin in the inner peripheral surface region is 150 nm or less.

An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an intermediate transfer body including a surface layer that includes an acrylic resin and a fluorine-containing polyether, first and second transfer units, and an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit that includes a cleaning blade including a tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer disposed on a surface of a contact portion of the cleaning blade, the contact portion being arranged to contact the intermediate transfer body, and removes a residual toner by bringing the cleaning blade into contact with the intermediate transfer body. Linear velocities of the intermediate transfer body and the photosensitive member are adjusted to satisfy a requirement (1): Requirement (1): 0.3≤|Linear velocity of Intermediate transfer body−Linear velocity of Photosensitive member|/Linear velocity of Intermediate transfer body×100≤1.5.

A transfer member includes: an inner layer; an outer layer provided on an outer periphery of the inner layer; and a surface layer provided on an outer periphery of the outer layer, both end portions of the surface layer in circumferential directions extending in the circumferential directions from both end portions of the outer layer in the circumferential directions.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an intermediate transfer belt, and a contact member. The intermediate transfer belt includes a base layer, a surface layer formed on an outside of the base layer, and an inner surface layer formed on an inner side of the base layer. A position at which the contact member and the intermediate transfer belt contact is arranged on a downstream side of the intermediate transfer belt in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt. Rv>Rs1 and Rs2>Rs1, and Rs2/Rv≤40 are satisfied where Rv(Ω) is a volume resistance value of the intermediate transfer belt in a thickness direction, Rs1(Ω) is a first surface resistance value of the inner surface layer side in a surface direction, and Rs2(Ω) is a second surface resistance value on the surface layer side in a surface direction.

An electrophotographic belt including at least a base layer and a surface layer on or above the base layer, the surface layer including a binder resin and perfluoropolyether (PFPE), having a thickness of 2 μm or more. PFPE is removed to obtain a PFPE-removed surface layer, the PFPE-removed surface layer has pores having openings at an outer surface thereof. When assuming that the PFPE-removed surface layer is a solid-surface layer, a ratio of a total volume of the pores contained in the PFPE-removed surface layer to a volume of the solid-surface layer is 8 to 25%. A ratio of a sum of areas of the openings to a unit area (1 μm.sup.2) of the outer surface of the PFPE-removed surface layer is 10 to 35%, and the number of the openings per unit area (1 μm.sup.2) of the outer surface of the PFPE-removed surface layer is 10 to 500.