A printing system includes an information processing apparatus including first circuitry and an image forming apparatus. The first circuitry is configured to receive designation of superimposing an image of a particular color on a print target image, associate the image of the particular color with the print target image in response to a reception of the designation of superimposing, and transmit print data including the print target image and the image of the particular color to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes second circuitry configured to receive the print data and interpret the print data, and a printer engine configured to superimpose the image of the particular color on the print target image in printing, according to interpretation of the print data.

An image forming apparatus is configured to control a generation circuit to modulate a DC component of a developing voltage based on a first correction component such that a density unevenness is reduced. The image forming apparatus is further configured to restrict the first correction component for modulating the DC component of the developing voltage such that fogging of toner that may occur on a non-exposure region which is not exposed by an exposure unit and adhesion to a photosensitive member of carrier included in a developer are reduced.

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an image forming unit, a transfer unit, a detector, a controller, an edge detector, and an abnormality detector. The detector detects developer attached to an image carrying surface at a position between a position where an image is formed and a position where the image is transferred. The controller controls the image forming unit such that a check image including an edge that extends in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the image carrying surface is formed in a region of the image carrying surface that passes through the detection position. The edge detector determines a position of the edge based on a detection status of the developer. The abnormality detector determines whether or not the image former is abnormal based on the position of the edge.

An image forming apparatus operable at a plurality of image forming speeds includes a pattern detection unit configured to detect a registration correction pattern at a first image forming speed, a writing start timing determination unit configured to determine writing start timing at which an electrostatic latent image is started to be written on a photosensitive member by a light beam emitted from a light source, and a storage unit configured to store in advance a correction amount for correcting the writing start timing. When the image forming apparatus operates at the first image forming speed set in advance, an image is formed at the writing start timing determined by the writing start timing determination unit. When the image forming apparatus operates at a second image forming speed, an image is formed at a writing start timing corrected based on the correction amount and a speed ratio.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming portion that includes a developing portion configured to supply toner to an image bearing member bearing an electrostatic latent image formed thereon to develop the electrostatic latent image as a toner image, and is configured to form a toner image on a long paper sheet; a notification portion configured to notify a user about information; and a control portion configured to calculate, in accordance with coverage of a toner image that is a target of image formation, a toner image formation distance with which successive image formation is possible without forcibly discharging degraded toner from the developing portion, and to control the notification portion to notify the calculated toner image formation distance as a first toner image formation distance.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form an image pattern on a medium, a predetermined image repeatedly appearing in a first cycle in a sub scanning direction in the image pattern; a density detector configured to optically detect a density of the image pattern in the sub scanning direction; a cyclic image detector configured to detect a feature image having a second cycle corresponding to the first cycle in accordance with a result of the detection; and a state determining unit configured to determine whether a cycle depending on an outer circumference of a rotary member included in the image forming apparatus corresponds to the second cycle when the feature image is detected by the cyclic image detector, and determine that a state of the rotary member has deteriorated when the cycle depending on the outer circumference is determined to correspond to the second cycle.

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that holds an image, which is formed by developing a latent image and which is transferred onto a recording medium, a developing device that is disposed adjacent to the image carrier and that develops the latent image, a light-reflection-type sensing unit that is disposed below the developing device in a vertical direction and that detects the image on the image carrier, and a guiding member that guides the recording medium, which is transported between the developing device and the sensing unit, and that covers an upper side of the sensing unit in the vertical direction in a state where a space is ensured on an optical path of the sensing unit.

A method of forming an image includes forming, on a recording medium (P), a special-light responsive image (201) that includes an image forming material including a special-light responsive image forming material that reacts to special light other than visible light and a special-light irresponsive image (202) that includes an image forming material including the special-light responsive image forming material. The special-light responsive image forming material of the special-light irresponsive image (202) is less than the special-light responsive image forming material of the special-light responsive image (201), and the special-light irresponsive image (202) is a prevention image that prevents visibility of the special-light responsive image (201). The forming includes forming an overlaid portion (203) in which at least a portion of one of the prevention image and the special-light responsive image (201) is overlaid on top of another one of the prevention image and the special-light responsive image (201).

A printing system includes an information processing apparatus including first circuitry and an image forming apparatus. The first circuitry is configured to receive designation of superimposing an image of a particular color on a print target image, associate the image of the particular color with the print target image in response to a reception of the designation of superimposing, and transmit print data including the print target image and the image of the particular color to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes second circuitry configured to receive the print data and interpret the print data, and a printer engine configured to superimpose the image of the particular color on the print target image in printing, according to interpretation of the print data.

A method of forming an image includes forming, on a recording medium (P), a special-light responsive image (201) that includes an image forming material including a special-light responsive image forming material that reacts to special light other than visible light and a special-light irresponsive image (202) that includes an image forming material including the special-light responsive image forming material. The special-light responsive image forming material of the special-light irresponsive image (202) is less than the special-light responsive image forming material of the special-light responsive image (201), and the special-light irresponsive image (202) is a prevention image that prevents visibility of the special-light responsive image (201). The forming includes forming an overlaid portion (203) in which at least a portion of one of the prevention image and the special-light responsive image (201) is overlaid on top of another one of the prevention image and the special-light responsive image (201).