Recording medium conveyance method and apparatus, and image forming apparatus

A recording medium conveyance apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyance device which grips a leading end of a cut sheet of a recording medium by a gripper provided at a conveyance body and wraps the cut sheet about a circumferential surface of the conveyance body and conveys the cut sheet in a conveyance direction by rotating the conveyance body, the conveyance body being one of a drum and a belt, a back surface of the cut sheet being in contact with the circumferential surface of the conveyance body;
• a pressing device which presses a pressing member to a front surface of the cut sheet held on the circumferential surface of the conveyance body, to apply pressing force to the cut sheet to make the cut sheet close contact with the circumferential surface of the conveyance body;
• and
• a pressing force control device which controls the pressing force so as to gradually decrease the pressing force from a leading end of the cut sheet toward a trailing end of the cut sheet in terms of the conveyance direction.