| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which can form color images even in the case that an image forming part containing, for example, light magenta or light cyan toner runs out of the toner by using other image forming parts, which obviates the need to stop the apparatus and improves usability, and, moreover, which stops the image forming parts which are not used, thereby prolonging the lives of the image forming parts and also decreasing running costs which is also beneficial to a user. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming parts Pa to Pf which form toner images of different colors. The image forming apparatus has also a plurality of image formation modes for making it possible to form a color image by superimposition of different colors. In the case of the occurrence of the image forming part which is not allowed to form images, the use of the image formation mode that uses this image forming part is inhibited. Instead, the use of the other image formation modes that do not use this image forming part is allowed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI |
