Patent ID: 7095430

Claim:
An image exposing apparatus comprising: a GaN-based semiconductor laser for emitting an optical beam, which includes laser light and emitted light other than the laser light; an optical system for focusing the optical beam onto a photosensitive material; a scanning and exposing component for scanning and exposing the photosensitive material with an optical beam, which has been modulated in accordance with image data to be recorded; an input component for inputting a type of the photosensitive material; a setting component for setting both a sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is sensitized and a non-sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized in accordance with the type of the photosensitive material; and a driving component for driving the GaN-based semiconductor laser such that a light amount of an optical beam irradiated onto the photosensitive material becomes one of at least equal to the sensitive level and no more than equal to the non-sensitive level in accordance with the image data, wherein the setting component comprises: a ratio storage component for storing, in accordance with each type of the photosensitive material, a ratio of a first preset reference sensitive level, at which the photosensitive material is sensitized to a predetermined level, to a second preset reference sensitive level, at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized; and a sensitive level inputting component for inputting a measured sensitive level which is determined, based upon a colorimetry result of a test pattern recorded on the photosensitive material, such that the photosensitive material is sensitized; wherein, the setting component sets the measured sensitive level as the sensitive level, and calculates the non-sensitive level from both the sensitive level and the ratio corresponding to the type of the photosensitive material to set the calculated non-sensitive level.