Image forming apparatus and exposure apparatus for forming image using rod lens array

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• an exposure head including a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a direction intersecting a direction of rotation of a photosensitive body to be rotationally driven, and a rod lens array configured to form an image of light outputted from each of the plurality of light-emitting elements based on image data, on the photosensitive body, and configured to form a latent image on the photosensitive body;
• a memory configured to store correction data for correcting a streak image, the correction data including characteristic information indicating an image forming characteristic of the rod lens array;
• and
• at least one processor configured to correct the image data based on the correction data read out from the memory,
• wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reduce streak-like density unevenness occurring in the latent image by correcting the image data for driving the plurality of light-emitting elements based on the characteristic information read out from the memory,
• wherein the at least one processor is further configured to (1) identify a pixel to be corrected in the image data based on characteristic information and (2) correct pixel data of the identified pixel based on the characteristic information,
• wherein the characteristic information includes (1) positional information indicating a position of the pixel to be corrected among a plurality of pixels constituting the image data, and (2) a correction level to be applied to the pixel data of the pixel to be corrected,
• wherein the positional information includes information indicating a position of a pixel that is among the plurality of pixels constituting the image data and is first among a series of pixels to be corrected, and
• wherein the characteristic information includes the correction level for each of the series of pixels to be corrected.