A lubricant replacement case for an image forming apparatus includes a housing including a plurality of storage compartments to accommodate at least one lubricant unit. The plurality of storage compartments include at least one storage compartment for unused lubricant to be inserted into the image forming apparatus and at least one storage compartment for used lubricant to be retrieved from the image forming apparatus.

An example lubricant application device includes a rotatable applicator to apply a lubricant from a solid lubricant source to a rotating member, a support member to support the solid lubricant source in contact with the rotatable applicator, a near-end detection member and an end detection member coupled to the support member. The near-end detection member is coupled to the support member such that it comes in contact with the rotatable applicator after a first amount of the solid lubricant source has been consumed. The end detection member is coupled to the support member such that it comes in contact with the rotatable applicator after a second amount of the solid lubricant source has been consumed.

An image forming apparatus has a photosensitive drum configured to bear a developer image, a developing apparatus having a developing roller that bears developer and a developing blade that regulates the amount of the developer on the developing roller, and a detection portion that detects information on the amount of the developer stored in the developing apparatus. The image forming apparatus performs a discharging operation for discharging a coating agent, applied to a developing roller in an unused state, from the developing apparatus to the photosensitive drum, while varying an operational condition for the discharging operation varied based on the information.

An image forming apparatus includes first and second image forming portions provided with first and second image bearing member, respectively. A controller controls a first operation in which the image to be transferred to the recording material is formed only in the first image forming portion, a second operation in which the image to be transferred is formed in the first and second image forming portions, and a supplying operation in which a lubricant is attached to the second image bearing member and supplied to a contacting portion of the second image bearing member. In a case that stopping time exceeds a predetermined threshold when a start instruction of the first operation is input in a stopping state of the first and second image bearing members, the controller controls to execute the supplying operation during from a current start instruction of the first operation is input until a next start instruction of the first or second operation is input.

An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer, an intermediate transferor, a primary transferor, a second transferor, and a cleaning blade. The latent image bearer has a surface onto which a lubricant comprising zinc stearate is supplied. The intermediate transferor has a surface onto which the toner image is transferred, the surface including an adhering region to which the lubricant from the latent image bearer adheres. The cleaning blade cleans the surface of the intermediate transferor including the adhering region, after the toner image is secondarily transferred. In a region outside at least a horizontal A4 sheet passing width on the intermediate transferor, a ratio of a peak area derived from zinc stearate to a peak area derived from the intermediate transferor in a difference spectrum between attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared absorption spectrums of the intermediate transferor in an unused state and after use is 0.892 or less.

A method for reducing artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages. The electrophotographic printing system is used to print a block of pages from the print job to provide corresponding printed pages. The image data for the block of pages is analyzed to determine a cross-track image profile for each page in the block of pages. Image data for a compensation image and a number of compensation images are determined, wherein the compensation image has a cross-track image profile which has an inverted shape relative to an average of the cross-track image profiles for the block of pages. The printing of the compensation images reduces image burn-in artifacts which result from the printing of the block of pages.

An image forming apparatus includes a lubricant application target member, an application roller which is provided at a position adjacent to the lubricant application target member to apply a lubricant to the lubricant application target member, a lubricant support member which supports the lubricant, and a movement mechanism which includes a guide coupled to the lubricant support member and extending along a linear direction. An engaging portion engages with the guide and restricts movement of the lubricant support member in a linear direction of the guide by engagement of the guide with the engaging portion.

An imaging system includes a lubricant roller to transfer a lubricant to the image carrier, a solid lubricant in contact the lubricant roller to supply the lubricant to the lubricant roller, and a pressing member to urge the solid lubricant against the lubricant roller. The lubricant roller includes a foam that is in contact with the image carrier. The foam is selected to have a permeability of approximately 0.15 dm.sup.3/s to 1.4 dm.sup.3/s.

An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member, a developing member that forms a toner image with a toner including a metal soap having a polarity opposite to that of the toner, a supply member that supplies the toner to the developing member, and a control unit that executes a metal soap supply operation of supplying the metal soap from the developing member to the image bearing member when an operation other than the image forming operation is executed, wherein the metal soap supply operation includes a first mode and a second mode, and a potential difference between the supply member and the developing member, which causes an electrostatic force in the direction from the supply member to the developing member to act on the metal soap, is smaller in the metal soap supply operation in the second mode than in the first mode.

A method for reducing artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages. The electrophotographic printing system is used to print a block of pages from the print job to provide corresponding printed pages. Image data for the block of pages is analyzed to determine a cross-track image profile for each page in the block of pages. Image data for a compensation image and a number of compensation images are determined, wherein the compensation image has a cross-track image profile which has an inverted shape relative to an average of the cross-track image profiles for the block of pages. The printing of the compensation images reduces image burn-in artifacts which result from the printing of the block of pages.