Patent ID: 7558516

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: first developing means for containing a first developer including a non-transparent toner and a carrier and for developing an electrostatic image with the first developer; second developing means for containing a second developer including a transparent toner and a carrier and for developing an electrostatic image with the second developer; first supplying means for containing a first supply developer including a non-transparent toner and a carrier and for supplying the first supply developer to said first developing means; second supplying means for containing a second supply developer including a transparent toner and a carrier and for supplying the second supply developer to said second developing means; and control means for superimposing a toner image of the transparent toner on a non-transparent toner image so as to reduce a height difference in a toner layer or layers of the toner image provided by the non-transparent toner, wherein a carrier weight ratio of the first supply developer and a carrier weight ratio of the second supply developer are substantially equal to each other, wherein the carrier weight ratio of the first developer contained in the first developing means is different from the carrier weight ratio of the first supply developer contained in the first supply means, and wherein the carrier weight ratio of the second developer contained in the second developing means is different from the carrier weight ratio of the second supply developer contained in the second supply means.