Patent ID: 7796294

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for forming a color image, comprising: a charging device configured to charge a moving image bearing member; a writing device configured to form a latent image on the image bearing member by exposing a plurality of colors according to image information; and a developing device configured to develop the latent image with toner of each of the plurality of colors, wherein the writing device and the developing device are configured to perform exposure and development for each color of the plurality of colors after a single charge of the image bearing member by the charging device; wherein, for each color, the developing device is configured to superimpose the toner of the color on the image bearing member after exposure for the color is performed by the writing device, so that the color image is formed from superimposed toner of each of the plurality of colors on the image bearing member; the writing device is configured to expose an image portion forming pixel supposed to be adhered with toner at a next development so as to decrease an electric potential of the image portion forming pixel in absolute value to a lower level than an electric potential of a blank portion forming pixel that is not exposed; and the writing device is configured to expose to a blank portion forming pixel that has a higher electric potential in absolute value than another blank portion forming pixel of blank portion pixels that are formed in a second or later exposure at a same time as exposure to an image portion is performed, so that an electric portion of the blank portion forming pixel becomes a same level as an electric potential of the another blank portion.