Image forming apparatus capable of executing speed reduction control of system linear speed at time of warming-up

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image carrying member including a photosensitive layer formed on a surface thereof;
• a charging device that charges the image carrying member to a prescribed surface potential;
• an exposure device that exposes to light the surface of the image carrying member charged by the charging device so as to form thereon an electrostatic latent image with attenuated electrostatic charge;
• a developing device including:
• a development container for containing a non-magnetic one-component developer composed only of a toner;
• a developer carrying member that is brought into pressure contact at a prescribed pressing force with the image carrying member and has an outer circumferential surface on which the toner is carried to form a toner layer;
• and
• a regulation blade that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the developer carrying member so as to regulate a thickness of the toner layer formed on the outer circumferential surface of the developer carrying member,
• the developing device supplying the toner to the image carrying member on which the electrostatic latent image is formed;
• a control section that controls driving of the developing device;
• and
• a temperature detecting device that detects a temperature in a vicinity of the developing device,
• wherein
• the control section executes speed reduction control to reduce a rotation speed of the developer carrying member at a time of warming-up before image formation to a first speed lower than a reference speed at a time of the image formation, and
• when a printing operation to be performed after the warming-up is intermittent printing and an interval of the intermittent printing is not less than a prescribed amount of time or the temperature detected by the temperature detecting device is not more than a prescribed temperature, the control section reduces the rotation speed of the developer carrying member in the speed reduction control to a second speed lower than the first speed.