Color image forming apparatus with optium operation of developing device positioning mechanism

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of color developers of a number n, wherein n is a number more than 4 which are arranged in a row in one direction;
• a means for changing a color developer opposed to a photosensitive body by moving corresponding color developers in each of said number n;
• a means for controlling the moving sequence of the plurality of color developers of said number n to form a color image of a document on a transfer sheet;
• and
• a means for adjusting a position of the developers at a predetermined adjusted position thereof during changing of the developers;
• said image forming apparatus further characterized in that;
• the color developers of said number n are arranged according to a moving sequence such that a moving distance of each of said color developers is n pitches at a maximum;
• the developers of said number n are changed through a shortest moving path when one of the plurality of developers of the number n is changed to another developer;
• and
• the position of the number n of plurality of developers is adjusted only when the predetermined adjusted position is on said shortest moving path.