An intermediate transfer belt, configured to receive a toner image formed by developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member with a toner, includes a base layer and an elastic layer. The elastic layer has an irregular surface formed with spherical particles, and the spherical particles include flexible particles having 0.1 MPa to 30 MPa of compressive strength and 15% to 50% of restoring ratio at the time of 10% deformation. Image forming apparatus. Image forming method.

An intermediate transfer member includes: a base layer; an elastic layer that is disposed on the base layer; and a surface layer that is disposed on the elastic layer, wherein, when a breaking elongation of the surface layer is Ah, and a breaking elongation of the elastic layer is Ad, Ad/Ah=4 to 100 is satisfied, and when a linear expansion coefficient of the surface layer is Bh, and a linear expansion coefficient of the elastic layer is Bd, Bd/Bh=0.8 to 2 is satisfied.

An intermediate transfer member includes: a base layer; an elastic layer that is disposed on the base layer; and a surface layer that is disposed on the elastic layer, wherein, when a breaking elongation of the surface layer is Ah, and a breaking elongation of the elastic layer is Ad, Ad/Ah=4 to 100 is satisfied, and when a linear expansion coefficient of the surface layer is Bh, and a linear expansion coefficient of the elastic layer is Bd, Bd/Bh=0.8 to 2 is satisfied.

An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer, an electrostatic latent image forming device, a potential sensor, a toner image forming device, a toner adhesion amount detector, and circuitry. The circuitry controls the electrostatic latent image forming device to create an adjustment pattern on the latent image bearer when the image forming apparatus is not printing, controls the potential sensor to detect an electric potential of the adjustment pattern, controls the electrostatic latent image forming device and the toner image forming device to create a test toner image during a printing period, controls the toner adhesion amount detector to detect a toner adhesion amount of the test toner image, and adjusts at least one image forming condition of the electrostatic latent image forming device and the toner image forming device based on the electric potential of the adjustment pattern and the toner adhesion amount of the test toner image.

An image forming apparatus includes image bearing members, an intermediate transfer member, a transfer unit, a control unit, and image forming units respectively corresponding to the image bearing members and each configured to form and transfer an image to the intermediate transfer member, which is then transferred to the conveyed recording material. Image patterns on the intermediate transfer member are detected for positional deviation detection. In a first mode, timing of image formation is determined using a first reference. In a second mode, timing of image formation is determined using a second reference. Based on timings at which formed image patterns are detected, the control unit, in the second mode, corrects timing of image formation performed by a second image forming unit or corrects timing at which the recording material is conveyed to the transfer unit.

An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer, an electrostatic latent image forming device, a potential sensor, a toner image forming device, a toner adhesion amount detector, and circuitry. The circuitry controls the electrostatic latent image forming device to create an adjustment pattern on the latent image bearer when the image forming apparatus is not printing, controls the potential sensor to detect an electric potential of the adjustment pattern, controls the electrostatic latent image forming device and the toner image forming device to create a test toner image during a printing period, controls the toner adhesion amount detector to detect a toner adhesion amount of the test toner image, and adjusts at least one image forming condition of the electrostatic latent image forming device and the toner image forming device based on the electric potential of the adjustment pattern and the toner adhesion amount of the test toner image.

An intermediate transfer belt, configured to receive a toner image formed by developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member with a toner, includes a base layer and an elastic layer. The elastic layer has an irregular surface formed with spherical particles, and the spherical particles include flexible particles having 0.1 MPa to 30 MPa of compressive strength and 15% to 50% of restoring ratio at the time of 10% deformation. Image forming apparatus. Image forming method.

A method of controlling a color-tone density (CTD) of an image forming apparatus including a plurality of developers configured to circularly perform a developing operation. The method includes developing test patches on an OPC sequentially from a developer to be developable preferentially, measuring CTDs of the developed test patches, and controlling a development variable using the measure CTDs.

An image forming apparatus includes image bearing members, an intermediate transfer member, a transfer unit, a control unit, and image forming units respectively corresponding to the image bearing members and each configured to form and transfer an image to the intermediate transfer member, which is then transferred to the conveyed recording material. Image patterns on the intermediate transfer member are detected for positional deviation detection. In a first mode, timing of image formation is determined using a first reference. In a second mode, timing of image formation is determined using a second reference. Based on timings at which formed image patterns are detected, the control unit, in the second mode, corrects timing of image formation performed by a second image forming unit or corrects timing at which the recording material is conveyed to the transfer unit.