Image forming apparatus having a first mode for forming a multicolor image of restricted length and a second mode for forming a monocolor image of unrestricted length

A color image forming apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable image retainer for forming a monochromatic toner image thereon, said rotatable image retainer facing an image retainer charging means, an exposure means, and a developing means arranged at respective spaced apart positions;
• a rotatable transfer member facing said rotatable image retainer and having a predetermined circumferential length;
• transfer means for transferring said monochromatic toner image from said image retainer to said transfer member whenever said monochromatic toner image is formed on said image retainer;
• and
• control means for selecting either a monochromatic mode for forming a monochromatic toner image or a multicolor mode for forming a multicolor toner image composed of a plurality of monochromatic toner images and for limiting the maximum length of a multicolor toner image to be formed on said transfer member to said circumferential length of said transfer member irrespective of the circumferential length of said image retainer when said multicolor mode is selected, the maximum length of a monochromatic toner image to be formed on said image retainer and transferred to said transfer member not being limited by said circumferential length of said image retainer and transfer member when said monochromatic mode is selected.