Image forming apparatus and image density control method

An image forming apparatus to form a toner image onto a recoding medium, comprising:

• an image carrier to bear the toner image and a density adjustment pattern for adjusting image density of the toner image;
• an intermediate transfer member on which the toner image and the density adjustment pattern are formed, having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having a higher glossiness than that of the first portion;
• a primary transfer member to transfer the toner image and the density adjustment pattern from the image carrier onto the intermediate transfer member;
• a light source to emit light onto the intermediate transfer member and the density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member;
• a detector to detect intensity of reflected light emitted from the light source and then reflected from the intermediate transfer member and the density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member;
• and
• a processor comprising:
• a light-emission intensity adjuster to adjust light-emission intensity of light emitted from the light source based on detected intensity of light reflected from the second portion of the intermediate transfer member;
• and
• an image forming condition controller to control image forming conditions for forming the toner image based on the detected intensity of the light reflected from the density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member.