Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image bearer, which runs in a predetermined direction and on which a latent image is formed and developed and a toner image is borne;
• a transfer member that is arranged so as to come in contact with or face the image bearer to form a transfer position, and transfers the toner image borne on the image bearer to a recording medium conveyed to the transfer position;
• a cleaning unit that removes and collects, from the image bearer, untransferred toner that is attached to a surface of the image bearer without being transferred to the recording medium at the transfer position;
• a guide member that is arranged so as to face a non-transfer surface of the recording medium sent out from the transfer position and that guides conveyance of the recording medium;
• a neutralizing light source that irradiates a position downstream of the transfer position in a running direction of the image bearer and upstream of the cleaning unit in the running direction of the image bearer with neutralizing light which is incident on and reflected by the recording medium sent out from the transfer position and/or the guide member, to thereby neutralize a surface potential on the image bearer;
• and
• a shielding member that is arranged between the image bearer and the neutralizing light source, and that blocks light such that the image bearer is not irradiated directly with a part or whole of neutralizing light emitted from the neutralizing light source.