Image Forming Apparatus and Image Forming Method

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• a charger configured to charge the photosensitive member;
• a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member;
• a transfer device configured to transfer a developer image on the photosensitive member to a sheet;
• and
• a controller configured to execute:
• a printing control, in which the controller rotates the photosensitive member in a forward direction and applies a first transfer bias to the transfer device;
• a reverse rotation control, in which the controller rotates the photosensitive member in a reverse direction and applies a second transfer bias to the transfer device after finishing the printing control, the second transfer bias being zero or having an opposite polarity to the first transfer bias and an absolute value smaller than the first transfer bias;
• and
• a forward rotation control, in which the controller rotates the photosensitive member in the forward direction and applies a third transfer bias to the transfer device for a predetermined period of time including a time that a part of the photosensitive member reaches the transfer device after finishing the reverse rotation control, the part facing the developing device at a time of switching the rotating direction of the photosensitive member, and the third transfer bias having an opposite polarity to the first transfer bias and an absolute value larger than the second transfer bias.