Patent ID: 8199181

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising: a photo conductor; a light source configured to emit a light beam for exposing the photo conductor; an optical lens configured to guide the light beam on the photo conductor, the optical lens being disposed between the photo conductor and the light source; a development unit configured to develop an electrostatic latent image using toner, the electrostatic latent image being formed on the photo conductor by exposure with the light beam; a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image on the photo conductor to the recording medium; a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image transferred to the recording medium by the transfer unit on the recording medium; and a control unit configured to move the optical lens along an optical path of the light beam so as to make a spot area of the light beam on the photo conductor in image formation on a first recording medium larger than the spot area in image formation on a second recording medium, the second recording medium having lower surface smoothness or higher penetration of the toner into the recording medium in a state in which the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit in comparison with that of the first recording medium, wherein the control unit includes a light intensity control unit configured to control intensity of the light beam such that, when the optical lens is moved so as to make the spot area larger, intensity of the light beam in image formation on the first recording medium is lower than intensity of the light beam in image formation on the second recording medium.