Patent ID: 8626013

Claim:
A recording material detection apparatus comprising: a light source configured to irradiate a recording material with light; a reference panel having a reference surface to be irradiated with light from the light source, the reference panel being arranged on the side of the light source with respect to a recording material in the direction orthogonal to the surface of the recording material; a light-receiving unit having a plurality of pixels and configured to receive light reflected from a surface of the recording material irradiated with the light from the light source and the reference surface; a detecting device configured to detect information relating to a surface state of the recording material on the basis of the light reflected from the surface of the recording material and received by the light-receiving unit, the detecting device controlling conditions for detection of the information relating to the surface state of the recording material on the basis of the light reflected from the reference surface and received by the light-receiving unit, and a light-shielding portion configured to cover a portion of the reference panel other than the reference surface so as to prevent the light from the light source from being reflected by the portion of the reference panel other than the reference surface and being received by the light-receiving unit.