A system and method for printing includes a transfer belt configured to transfer toner from a photoconductive drum of a toner-based printer to a paper. A transfer platen positions at least a portion of the transfer belt to be in proximity to a photoconductive drum. For color printing, a transfer platen is associated with a corresponding photoconductive drum for each distinct color of toner. The transfer platen is shaped to improve the transfer of toner from the photoconductive drum to the transfer belt. The transfer platen is substantially fixed in a non-rotatable position. The transfer platen includes electrically conductive foam. The transfer platen includes a low friction conductive top layer over the electrically conductive foam.

An image forming device of an intermediate transfer method of transferring a toner image formed on an image carrier to a sheet of paper through an intermediate transfer body, the image forming device including a transfer roller which is disposed facing the image carrier across the intermediate transfer body, and which forms a nip part with the image carrier; a movement mechanism which moves the transfer roller in a direction along a movement direction of the intermediate transfer body; a pressure varying mechanism which changes a pressing force of the transfer roller on the intermediate transfer body; and a hardware processor which controls the movement mechanism and the pressure varying mechanism, and which sets a contact position and the pressing force of the transfer roller on the intermediate transfer body based on paper information of the sheet of paper as an image formation target.

An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer unit that holds an image to be transferred onto a recording medium, a base image formation unit that forms a planar base image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using an opaque base image forming agent, the base image being brought into contact with and disposed onto an entire surface of the recording medium or a partial region of the surface of the recording medium, a transparent image formation unit that forms a transparent image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using a transparent image forming agent, a first control unit that performs control for transferring a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the base image formed on the intermediate transfer unit by the base image formation unit onto the recording medium, a second control unit that performs control for superposing a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the base image formed by the base image formation unit onto the transparent image formed on the intermediate transfer unit by the transparent image formation unit and for transferring a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the transparent image and the base image onto the recording medium, and a selection unit that selects the first control unit or the second control unit depending on a recording medium type.

A toner set has a white toner and a color toner, in which in a case where Cw [mg/L] represents an amount of a cation on a surface of the white toner, measured by ion chromatography, and Cc [mg/L] represents an amount of a cation on a surface of the color toner, measured by ion chromatography, the toner set satisfies Conditions (1) and (2).

0.3 mg/L?Cc?1.2 mg/L(1)

(Cw/Cc)?0.8(2)

An image forming device of an intermediate transfer method of transferring a toner image formed on an image carrier to a sheet of paper through an intermediate transfer body, the image forming device including a transfer roller which is disposed facing the image carrier across the intermediate transfer body, and which forms a nip part with the image carrier; a movement mechanism which moves the transfer roller in a direction along a movement direction of the intermediate transfer body; a pressure varying mechanism which changes a pressing force of the transfer roller on the intermediate transfer body; and a hardware processor which controls the movement mechanism and the pressure varying mechanism, and which sets a contact position and the pressing force of the transfer roller on the intermediate transfer body based on paper information of the sheet of paper as an image formation target.

According to an embodiment, a power source device includes a direct current power source, an alternating current power source, a bypass capacitor, and a power source control unit. The direct current power source outputs a direct current voltage. The alternating current power source outputs a superimposed voltage having an alternating current voltage superimposed on the direct current voltage. The bypass capacitor partially accumulates a charge of alternating current for prevention of flow of current into the direct current power source from the alternating current power source. The power source control unit switches control of the direct current voltage from constant current control to constant voltage control and causes a charge of the alternating current to be accumulated in the bypass capacitor in a short time period between a transfer period and a non-transfer period both related to image formation.

A system and method for printing includes a transfer belt configured to transfer toner from a photoconductive drum of a toner-based printer to a paper. A transfer platen positions at least a portion of the transfer belt to be in proximity to a photoconductive drum. For color printing, a transfer platen is associated with a corresponding photoconductive drum for each distinct color of toner. The transfer platen is shaped to improve the transfer of toner from the photoconductive drum to the transfer belt. The transfer platen is substantially fixed in a non-rotatable position. The transfer platen includes electrically conductive foam. The transfer platen includes a low friction conductive top layer over the electrically conductive foam.

An image forming apparatus includes the following. An image carrier carries a toner image. A transfer unit transfers a toner image held by the image carrier onto a sheet. A controller controls a relation of a position between the image carrier and the sheet so that the sheet continues to come into contact with the image carrier from a position where a distance from a transfer nip is within a predetermined range when the sheet enters the transfer nip during an image forming job. The transfer nip is formed by the image carrier and the transfer unit.

In one example, a printing process includes gathering a first group of individual color separations for an image sequentially on an intermediate transfer roller, transferring the first group from the intermediate transfer roller to a printable substrate, gathering a second group of individual color separations for the image sequentially on the intermediate transfer roller, and transferring the second group from the intermediate transfer roller to the substrate.

An optical scanning device includes a rotating polygon mirror, a light source that irradiates first and second light beams at one side of the rotating polygon mirror and irradiates third and fourth light beams at the other side thereof, a first optical element that reflects the first light beam and allows the second light beam to pass therethrough, a second optical element that reflects the second light beam, a third optical element that allows the third and fourth light beams to pass therethrough, and a fourth optical element that reflects the fourth light beam. The second light beam is a light beam corresponding to yellow, the first, the third, and the fourth light beams are light beams corresponding to three colors other than the yellow. Between the third and fourth optical elements, a scanning lens is arranged. Between the first and second optical elements, a scanning lens is not arranged.