Transfer unit and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image holding body that has a surface on which an image is held;
• an image forming device that forms the image on the surface of the image holding body;
• a belt-shaped transfer target member that has an edge, an image region to which the image is transferred, and a non-image region to which the image is not transferred and which exists along the edge of the transfer target member and that is transported in a path passing through a contact position at which the transfer target member is brought into contact with the image holding body so as to allow the image to be transferred thereto;
• a first transfer device that transfers the image from the image holding body to the transfer target member;
• a holding member that is brought into contact with the non-image region from an image holding body side so as to hold the transfer target member while contact of the holding member with the image region is avoided;
• and
• a second transfer device that transfers the image from the transfer target member to a recording medium.