In an image forming apparatus that employs a laser scanning optical system that does not use an fθ lens, in the case where magnification correction by insertion/removal of an auxiliary pixel is performed based on the premise of digital PWM, an insertion/removal position of an auxiliary pixel is controlled in accordance with a purpose of each piece of image processing.

A system is disclosed including a cylindrical device, having at least one transparent path therethrough, configured to support a thermal dye printer film, the film comprising at least one color panel, a light source configured to illuminate through the cylindrical device at an absorption wavelength of the at least one color panel of the film, and an imaging device configured to capture an image of the film with light emitted at the absorption wavelength of the at least one color panel of the film at a target location on the cylindrical device. Another system and a method are also disclosed.

A system is disclosed including a cylindrical device, having at least one transparent path therethrough, configured to support a thermal dye printer film, the film comprising at least one color panel, a light source configured to illuminate through the cylindrical device at an absorption wavelength of the at least one color panel of the film, and an imaging device configured to capture an image of the film with light emitted at the absorption wavelength of the at least one color panel of the film at a target location on the cylindrical device. Another system and a method are also disclosed.

An optical scanning device includes a deflector for deflecting a light beam to optically scan a scanned region on a scanned surface in a main scanning direction, and an imaging optical system for guiding the light beam deflected by the deflector, to the scanned surface. The imaging optical system includes an imaging optical element in which, in the main scanning direction, a distance to an optical axis from one effective end portion through which a light beam that enters one end portion of the scanned region passes is longer than a distance to the optical axis from another effective end portion through which a light beam that enters another end portion of the scanned region passes. In the imaging optical element, a thickness in an optical axis direction of the one effective end portion is thinner than a thickness in the optical axis direction of the other effective end portion.

An optical scanning device includes a deflector for deflecting a light beam to optically scan a scanned region on a scanned surface in a main scanning direction, and an imaging optical system for guiding the light beam deflected by the deflector, to the scanned surface. The imaging optical system includes an imaging optical element in which, in the main scanning direction, a distance to an optical axis from one effective end portion through which a light beam that enters one end portion of the scanned region passes is longer than a distance to the optical axis from another effective end portion through which a light beam that enters another end portion of the scanned region passes. In the imaging optical element, a thickness in an optical axis direction of the one effective end portion is thinner than a thickness in the optical axis direction of the other effective end portion.

A light scanning device includes a deflection unit, a first imaging lens, and a second imaging lens. The first imaging lens has a bottom surface adhesively secured to a housing via a plurality of adhesion portions. The second imaging lens has a bottom surface adhesively secured to a top surface of the first imaging lens via a plurality of adhesion portions. The plurality of the adhesion portions interposed between the first imaging lens and the housing are symmetrically located with respect to a center position of the first imaging lens in a main-scanning direction. The adhesion portions interposed between the first imaging lens and the second imaging lens are symmetrically located with respect to the center position of the first imaging lens in the main-scanning direction, and are located outside in the main-scanning direction with respect to the adhesion portions between the first imaging lens and the housing.

A light scanning device includes a deflection unit, a first imaging lens, and a second imaging lens. The first imaging lens has a bottom surface adhesively secured to a housing via a plurality of adhesion portions. The second imaging lens has a bottom surface adhesively secured to a top surface of the first imaging lens via a plurality of adhesion portions. The plurality of the adhesion portions interposed between the first imaging lens and the housing are symmetrically located with respect to a center position of the first imaging lens in a main-scanning direction. The adhesion portions interposed between the first imaging lens and the second imaging lens are symmetrically located with respect to the center position of the first imaging lens in the main-scanning direction, and are located outside in the main-scanning direction with respect to the adhesion portions between the first imaging lens and the housing.

An image forming method exposes a surface of an image bearer with light according to an image pattern including an image portion to form an electrostatic latent image, and includes: setting, among pixels constituting the image portion, at least a group of pixels existing at a boundary with respect to a non-image portion as a non-exposure pixel group, and at least a group of pixels existing at a boundary with respect to the non-exposure pixel group as a high power exposure pixel group; specifying, among the pixels constituting the image portion, a predetermined pixel as a target pixel, and a group of pixels existing at a boundary with respect to the non-image portion close to the target pixel as a boundary pixel group; and specifying a light power value of the target pixel based on image identification information acquired from the pixels constituting the image portion.

An image forming method exposes a surface of an image bearer with light according to an image pattern including an image portion to form an electrostatic latent image, and includes: setting, among pixels constituting the image portion, at least a group of pixels existing at a boundary with respect to a non-image portion as a non-exposure pixel group, and at least a group of pixels existing at a boundary with respect to the non-exposure pixel group as a high power exposure pixel group; specifying, among the pixels constituting the image portion, a predetermined pixel as a target pixel, and a group of pixels existing at a boundary with respect to the non-image portion close to the target pixel as a boundary pixel group; and specifying a light power value of the target pixel based on image identification information acquired from the pixels constituting the image portion.

A housing of an optical scanning device includes a first abutting portion and a second abutting portion. In the optical scanning device, an optical axis adjustment and a focal position adjustment in a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction are conducted in a state where a part of a holder that holds a light source unit for emitting multi-beam light abuts on the first abutting portion and in a state where a part of a peripheral edge of an optical element that has both a collimator lens function and a cylindrical lens function abuts on the second abutting portion. Furthermore, a beam pitch of the multi-beam light is adjusted by rotating the holder around an optical axis in a state where the holder abuts on the first abutting portion.