Transfer unit and image forming apparatus employing the same

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a printing medium supply unit which supplies a printing medium;
• a plurality of image carrying bodies;
• a light scan unit which scans a beam to the image carrying bodies to form electrostatic latent images;
• a plurality of developing units which supply developers to the image carrying bodies to form visible images;
• a transfer unit which transfers the visible images from the image carrying bodies to the printing medium as a color image;
• and
• a fixing unit which fuses the color image to the printing medium,
• the transfer unit comprising:
• an intermediate transfer body to receive the images from the image carrying bodies, having a curved transfer surface, and having an ASKER-A hardness of about 25° to 40°;
• a transfer member having an ASKER-C hardness of about 45° to 70°, disposed in contact with the intermediate transfer body at a nip, and transferring the images from the intermediate transfer body to the printing medium at the nip;
• and
• a de-electrifying member to de-electrify the printing medium, disposed adjacent to an exit of the nip, and having a DC power and an AC power concurrently applied thereto,
• wherein the DC power has a voltage of about 200V to 800V and the AC power has a voltage of about |3.0| kV to |3.6| kV.