Patent ID: 9568877
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: G03G

Claim:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming device which includes at least four image bearers and which forms images of color toners on corresponding image bearers of the at least four image bearers; a transferring device which includes a movable transfer medium and which transfers the color toner images on the at least four image bearers to the transfer medium; and a controller to control the image forming apparatus, wherein the controller performs a compulsory toner consumption processing including calculating a necessary toner compulsory consumption amount of each of the color toners to determine a necessary toner compulsory consumption cumulative amount thereof; specifying color toners whose necessary toner compulsory consumption cumulative amount is greater than a threshold value; forming compulsory consumption toner images of the specified color toners on the corresponding image bearers; and transferring the compulsory consumption toner images to the transfer medium to form a compulsory consumption combined toner image on the transfer medium, wherein when a number of the specified color toners is three or more, the compulsory consumption combined toner image includes at least two overlaid image portions each consisting of two of the compulsory consumption toner images, wherein the at least two overlaid image portions are arranged side by side with a space therebetween in a first direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the transfer medium.