A heating device includes a rotator, a heating source, a reflector, a shield, a rotator holder, and a liquid or semi-solid substance. The rotator is rotatably held. The heating source heats the rotator. The reflector reflects radiant heat emitted from the heating source. The shield is disposed closer to a longitudinal end portion of the rotator than to a longitudinal center portion of the rotator to shield, between the heating source and the rotator, the radiant heat emitted from the heating source. The shield has a reflectance lower than a reflectance of the reflector. The rotator holder holds the longitudinal end portion of the rotator. The liquid or semi-solid substance has lubricity and adheres to the rotator holder.

A heating device includes a rotator, a heating source, a rotator holder, and a liquid or semi-solid substance. The rotator is rotatably held. The heating source heats the rotator. The rotator holder holds a longitudinal end portion of the rotator. The rotator holder includes a reflector disposed at least at a portion to be irradiated with radiant heat emitted from the heating source to reflect the radiant heat. The reflector has a reflectance of not less than 60%. The liquid or semi-solid substance has lubricity and adheres to the rotator holder.

Various variable gloss reduction techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment, a gloss reduction technique is disclosed using a textured roller and a wiper impregnated with fuser oil to create a differential gloss pattern that reduces the gloss of an image printed on a substrate. In one embodiment, a gloss reduction technique is disclosed using a combination of heat and pressure to create a differential gloss pattern that reduces the gloss in specific regions of an image printed on a substrate. In one embodiment, a gloss reduction technique is disclosed using a differential gloss pattern to generate a security mark on a printed image to prevent against copying or fraudulent misrepresentation of the image.

A fixing device fixes a toner image to a medium conveyed in a conveying direction, the toner image formed on the medium, the fixing device including a heating rotating body, a heater, a pressing member, a pressing rotating body, and a lubricant holding member. The heater heats the heating rotating body, which is supported to be rotatable. The pressing member is disposed inside the heating rotating body. The pressing rotating body is pressed against the pressing member through the heating rotating body to form a nip through which the medium passes. The lubricant holding member has an abutting surface that abuts against an inner circumferential surface of the heating rotating body, and the abutting surface includes a first region filled with a first lubricant and a second region filled with a second lubricant.

A pressing device includes a rotator, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The rotator has flexibility and a sleeve form and includes an inner portion having a sliding surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The secured member is inside a loop of the rotator and has a slide surface on which the sliding surface of the rotator is to slide. The slide surface has a smaller surface roughness than a surface roughness of the sliding surface. The pressure rotator presses the rotator against the secured member and forms a nip between the rotator and the pressure rotator. The lubricant between the rotator and the secured member has a consistency of 275 or less.

A heating device includes a rotator, a heater heating the rotator, a rotator holder holding a longitudinal end of the inner peripheral surface of the rotator, and lubricant applied to the rotator holder. The rotator holder includes a holding portion contacting the end of the inner peripheral surface, a flange portion contacting a longitudinal end of the rotator and extending outward in a radial direction of a loop of the rotator, and an inclined surface. The inclined surface is inclined in a direction away from an inner peripheral surface of the rotator from the holding portion toward the flange portion.

A fixing device includes a pressure member, and a holder. The pressure member forms a pressure area between the pressure member and a fixing belt. The holder is provided inside the fixing belt, has a sliding surface in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt via a lubricant, and holds a heater for heating the fixing belt. The holder includes a plurality of slits and a blocking portion. The plurality of slits are arranged in an axial direction on the sliding surface upstream of the pressure area in a passing direction of a medium and guide movement of the lubricant from upstream to downstream in a rotational direction of the fixing belt. The blocking portion restricts an outflow of the lubricant from each of the slits and restricts a fall of the fixing belt into each of the slits.

A fixing device includes a rotating body, an endless belt, a base material of the endless belt being made of a heat-resistant resin having a glass transition temperature of 140° C. or more, a heater configured to heat at least one of the rotating body and the endless belt, a sliding sheet contacting an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, a base material of the sliding sheet being made of a heat-resistant resin having a glass transition temperature of 140° C. or more, a pressure pad, the endless belt and the sliding sheet being interposed between the pressure pad and the rotating body, and grease provided between the endless belt and the sliding sheet. The grease includes a base oil made of a fluorine oil and a thickener made of a solid lubricant containing fluorine. The consistency of the grease is 330 to 385 at 25° C.

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a fixing belt having a surface to which a lubricant is applied, a heater contacting the surface and including heating elements arranged along a width direction of the belt and including first end second end heating elements and a central heating element, and a pressing roller capable of pressing and rotating the belt, a power supply configured to supply power to the heating elements, and a controller configured to determine a first amount of power to be supplied to the central heating element and a second amount of power to be supplied to each end heating element such that the first amount is greater than the second amount, and control the power supply to supply the first and second amounts to the central heating element and each end heating element before controlling the pressing roller to rotate.

A fixing device includes a heater, a fixing rotator, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a contact rotator, and circuitry. The fixing rotator has an outer circumferential surface having a first area and a second area. The first area contacts both a first sheet and a second sheet having a width narrower than the width of the first sheet. The second area contacts the first sheet but does not contact the second sheet. The first temperature sensor detects a first temperature of the first area. The second temperature sensor detects a second temperature of the second area. The contact rotator contacts both the first area and the second area and rotates at the one of at least two relative velocities with respect to the fixing rotator. The circuitry sets one of the at least two relative velocities based on the first temperature and the second temperature.