Patent ID: 7546045

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier configured to support an image produced by a developing material; an image placement portion, which is operative when an image having a size equal to or less than a prescribed size is formed, configured to decide placement of the image on said image carrier so as to reserve a vacant area, which is provided for forming an adjustment pattern for adjusting at least one of an image formation position and an image formation density, on said image carrier; an image forming portion configured to form the image on said image carrier in accordance with the decided placement, and for forming an adjustment pattern in the vacant area; a reading portion configured to read the adjustment pattern that has been formed on said image carrier; and an adjustment portion configured to adjust at least one of the image formation position and the image formation density based upon the adjustment pattern that has been read, wherein said image placement portion reserves the vacant area outside an area, in which the image is formed, on said image carrier along a main-scan direction by deciding placement of the image in such a manner that short sides of the image will lie along the main-scan direction of said image carrier.