Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image carrier having a photoconductive layer on a surface thereof;
• a charging device that charges the surface of the image carrier to a predetermined surface potential;
• an exposure device that exposes the surface of the image carrier having been charged by the charging device, forming an electrostatic latent image by attenuating the charge;
• a development device
• that includes
• a development container storing a nonmagnetic one-component developer composed only of a toner,
• a developer carrier that is pressed against the image carrier with a predetermined pressing force and on which a toner layer is formed by carrying the toner on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and
• a regulation blade that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the developer carrier to regulate a layer thickness of the toner layer formed on the outer circumferential surface of the developer carrier, and
• that supplies the toner to the image carrier on which the electrostatic latent image has been formed;
• and
• a development voltage power supply that applies, to the developer carrier, a development voltage that is a direct-current voltage,
• wherein
• the image forming apparatus alternately forms white regions and exposed regions at a predetermined pitch repeatedly on the surface of the image carrier to form a solid image with an area ratio lower than 100%, and
• where V0 represents a white-region potential of the image carrier, VL represents an exposed-region potential of the image carrier, Vt represents a toner-layer potential, and Vd represents the development voltage, expression (1) below is fulfilled:
• Vd
• ≤
• 0.5
• *
• (
• V
• ⁢
• 0
• -
• V
• ⁢
• L
• )
• +
• V
• ⁢
• L
• -
• Vt
• .
• (
• 1
• )