Patent ID: 7006119

Claim:
An image forming method comprising the steps of: (a) generating, on an image forming surface of a photoconductive body, an evaluation chart having a pattern group formed by one of a plurality of light beams with a phase which is shifted in advance in a main scan direction, with respect to each of a first pattern group and a second pattern group; (b) measuring a tone of the pattern group in the evaluation chart; and (c) setting a phase correcting amount in the main scan direction, based on the tone measured by said step (b), wherein: in each first pattern forming said first pattern group, with respect to a row of dots formed in the main scan direction by a predetermined light beam, a row of dots formed by a next light beam is shifted in the main scan direction, and in each second pattern forming said second pattern group, with respect to a row of dots formed in the main scan direction by the predetermined light beam, the row of dots formed by the next light beam is shifted in the main scan direction but in a direction opposite to a shift direction of said first pattern group.