Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding section that includes a photoconductor having a surface protection layer; a charging section that charges a surface of the image holding section with a direct current potential; an exposure section that exposes the surface of the image holding section charged by the charging section to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing section that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image holding section; a transfer section that electrostatically transfers a visible image formed on the image holding section to a transfer medium; an exposure static elimination section that eliminates a residual charge of the image holding section by using the exposure section when image formation on the image holding section is stopped; a transfer static elimination section that eliminates the residual charge of the image holding section by using at least the transfer section when the image formation on the image holding section is stopped; and a switching section that causes the exposure static elimination section to perform static elimination under a condition that the residual charge of the image holding section does not exceed a threshold value of an allowable static elimination level at which the residual charge is eliminated by the exposure static elimination section, and causes the transfer static elimination section instead of the exposure static elimination section to perform static elimination under a condition that the residual charge exceeds the threshold value.