Patent ID: 8744283

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image; a plurality of developing devices configured to supply a developer to the image bearing member; a plurality of developer cartridges configured to store the developer on an inside thereof; a plurality of cartridge side identification sections provided in the developer cartridge and configured to store a color and types indicating erasability or unerasability of developers of the developer stored by each of the developer cartridges; a plurality of developing device side identification sections provided in a unit including at least the developing device and configured to store a color and types indicating erasability or unerasability of a developer used by each of the developing devices; an identification-section detecting device configured to detect, on the basis of the cartridge side identification section and the developing device side identification section, the color and the types of the developer stored by the developer cartridge and the developer used by the developing device; and a control section configured to prohibit, on the basis of a detection result of the identification-section detecting device, the image forming apparatus from performing image formation, on performing color printing, unless the type of the developer stored by the developer cartridge and the type of the developer used by the developing device coincide with each other, and on performing color printing, unless the type of the developer stored by the developer cartridge and the type of the developer used by the developing device coincide with each other among all colors.