Patent ID: 7062185

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit configured to form a first visible image based on input image information; a first visible-image carrying unit configured to receive the first visible image from the image forming unit, to form a second visible image, and configured to carry the second visible image; a second visible-image carrying unit configured to receive the second visible image from the first visible-image carrying unit, to form a third visible image, and configured to carry the third visible image; a printing unit configured to perform printing by transferring the second visible image to one side of a recording medium and transferring the third visible image to another side of the recording medium, wherein the first visible-image carrying unit is configured to transfer the second visible image to the recording medium and the second visible-image carrying unit is configured to transfer the third visible image to the recording medium; a control unit configured to control the image forming unit, the first visible-image carrying unit, the second visible-image carrying unit, and the printing unit based on correction pattern information configured to print a pattern image for correcting image quality on at least either side of the recording medium, the correction pattern information being a basis of the pattern image for correcting image quality transferred to the at least either side of the recording medium; and a reading unit configured to read information of the pattern image for correcting image-quality printed on the recording medium, wherein when the reading unit reads the information of the pattern image for correcting image quality printed on the at least either side of the recording medium, the control unit compares the information of the pattern image for correcting image-quality with the correction pattern information, and controls the image forming unit based on a result of the comparison to correct the image quality on the at least either side of the recording medium.