Provided is a method of operating an image forming apparatus. The method includes: calculating a remaining lifespan of at least one component consumed through an image forming job in the image forming apparatus; determining whether to proceed with a refill operation to refill a toner in a cartridge of the image forming apparatus, based on the remaining lifespan of the at least one component; and displaying guide information to guide the refill operation based on a result of the determining.

An image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge and a controller. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a charger and a drum cartridge memory storing a life count value and discharge history information. The controller includes a voltage applying circuit, and an abnormal discharge detection circuit. In a case where the abnormal discharge detection circuit detects an abnormal discharge, the controller does not permit printing in a case where the life count value is equal to or more than a first reference value and a number of abnormal discharges which is included in the discharge history information read from the drum cartridge memory is equal to or more than a particular threshold value, or permits printing in a case where the life count value is equal to or more than the first reference value and the number of abnormal discharges is less than the particular threshold value.

There is provided a printing apparatus including: an installing part in which a consumable item to be used in printing is to be installed; a printer configured to print an image on a printing medium by using the consumable item installed in the installing part; and a controller. The printing apparatus is configured to operate in a contract mode based on content of a contract regarding the consumable item to be used in the printing. The controller is configured to execute a profit returning process of performing profit return according to the content of the contract in a case that the consumable item installed in the installing part has a type corresponding to a non-contract mode not based on the content of the contract and that the printing apparatus is operated in the contract mode.

In an image forming apparatus, a controller performs processes in accordance with an operation mode settable to one of a first subscription mode and a second subscription mode. The first subscription mode corresponds to a first subscription in which a specific-color cartridge is a subscription subject and a non-specific-color cartridge is not the subscription subject. The second subscription mode corresponds to a second subscription in which both the specific-color cartridge and the non-specific-color cartridge are the subscription subject. The controller performs restricting usage of the non-specific-color cartridge in a case where the first subscription mode is set as the operation mode and the type information of the non-specific-color cartridge indicates the subscription type, compared to a case where the second subscription mode is set as the operation mode and the type information of the non-specific-color cartridge indicates the subscription type.

In an image forming apparatus a toner cartridge includes a toner memory storing toner identification information. The toner cartridge is detachably attachable to a drum cartridge. The drum cartridge includes a drum memory storing drum identification information. The drum cartridge is detachably attached to the main-body casing. A controller performs a request process to request execution of a density correction process to correct a density of developer, in a case where a toner identification information determination process determines that the toner identification information stored in the toner memory does not match the toner identification information which is stored in the main-body memory in a toner identification information storing process or a drum identification information determination process determines that the drum identification information stored in the drum memory does not match the drum identification information which is stored in the main-body memory in the drum identification information storing process.

An image forming apparatus includes a controller, a drum cartridge and a toner cartridge. The controller is configured to perform determining a value of a first initial developing bias for a first toner cartridge based on a cumulative number of drum rotations that is stored in a drum memory of the drum cartridge at the time when the cumulative dot count stored in the toner memory of the first toner cartridge is equal to zero. After determining the first initial developing bias, the controller is configured to perform determining a value of a second initial developing bias for a second toner cartridge based on the cumulative number of drum rotations that is stored in the drum memory at the time when the cumulative dot count stored in the toner memory of the second toner cartridge is equal to zero.

A transform wrapper is stored on a memory device and the memory device may be included in a printer cartridge. The transform wrapper may dynamically build a transform map for a printer based on metadata stored at the memory device. The metadata may indicate at least one of a type of depositing material, transform map, print media and printer.

An example print device may comprise a consumable component comprising a human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier. The example print device may also comprise a sensor to read the human-indiscernible hardware-based identifier.

An image forming apparatus includes image forming units having unit identification data, unit attachment portions having attachment portion identification data, an acquisition unit, a calculator, a storage unit, a controller, and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires data set of the two types of data. The calculator calculates data that are correction data for correcting image forming conditions or data on corrected image forming conditions. The storage unit stores the data set and the calculation data corresponding to the data set. The controller executes a data reuse control of controlling the image forming units using the calculation data that are stored in the storage unit and correspond to the data set after the data set is changed. The notification unit notifies execution-related information on execution of the data reuse control before the data reuse control.

A cartridge includes: a housing; a storage medium having an electrical contact surface; and a holder movable relative to the housing. The holder includes a first holder member and a second holder member movable relative to the first holder member. The first holder member includes at least one pawl and holds the electrical contact surface at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The second holder member includes at least one corner part engageable with the at least one pawl to provide an engaging portion therebetween. The second holder member has a through-hole that is open at another end face of the second holder member in the first direction. The engaging portion is accessible from an outside of the holder through the through-hole.