Patent ID: 8654419

Claim:
An image forming apparatus that performs pseudo gradation processing by implementing dithering, the image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a plurality of light-emitting element arrays that are arranged in a main-scanning direction and that include a plurality of light-emitting elements; an image forming unit that performs lighting control of the plurality of light-emitting element arrays and forms a pattern image on the image carrier; a detecting unit that detects a density of the pattern image formed on the image carrier; a position detecting unit that detects a position in the main-scanning direction of the detecting unit with respect to the light-emitting element arrays; a determining unit that, based on the detected position, determines whether or not the detecting unit is positioned at a proper detection position with respect to the pattern image on which a noise has no effect; and an operation control unit that, when it is determined that the detecting unit is positioned at the proper detection position, makes use of the detecting unit to perform an image density detection operation with respect to the pattern image.