An image forming apparatus comprising: an image-forming section for forming a toner image on a recording medium; and a fixing unit for fixing the toner image on the recording medium, the fixing unit including: a heating member that extends in a first direction; a belt that is in contact with said heating member to form, between said belt and said heating member, a fixing region through which the recording medium passes in a direction transverse to the first direction for fixing; a pressure member (14, 34) configured to press said belt against said heating member; a pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) configured to engage said pressure member to apply a pressing force to said pressure member toward the fixing region; and a controller configured to drive said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8), characterised in that said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) extends in a second direction substantially parallel to the first direction and includes a surface (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) configured to be brought into contact engagement with said pressure member (14, 34), the surface including an adjustable profile of geometry in the second direction, and in that said controller is configured to adjust, in accordance with information on the recording medium, the profile of the surface of said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) within a width of the recording medium in the first direction to adjust a profile of distribution of the pressing force within the width of the recording medium in the first direction. an image-forming section for forming a toner image on a recording medium; and a fixing unit for fixing the toner image on the recording medium, the fixing unit including: a heating member that extends in a first direction; a belt that is in contact with said heating member to form, between said belt and said heating member, a fixing region through which the recording medium passes in a direction transverse to the first direction for fixing; a pressure member (14, 34) configured to press said belt against said heating member; a pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) configured to engage said pressure member to apply a pressing force to said pressure member toward the fixing region; and a controller configured to drive said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8), characterised in that said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) extends in a second direction substantially parallel to the first direction and includes a surface (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) configured to be brought into contact engagement with said pressure member (14, 34), the surface including an adjustable profile of geometry in the second direction, and in that said controller is configured to adjust, in accordance with information on the recording medium, the profile of the surface of said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) within a width of the recording medium in the first direction to adjust a profile of distribution of the pressing force within the width of the recording medium in the first direction. a heating member that extends in a first direction; a belt that is in contact with said heating member to form, between said belt and said heating member, a fixing region through which the recording medium passes in a direction transverse to the first direction for fixing; a pressure member (14, 34) configured to press said belt against said heating member; a pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) configured to engage said pressure member to apply a pressing force to said pressure member toward the fixing region; and a controller configured to drive said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8), characterised in that said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) extends in a second direction substantially parallel to the first direction and includes a surface (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) configured to be brought into contact engagement with said pressure member (14, 34), the surface including an adjustable profile of geometry in the second direction, and in that said controller is configured to adjust, in accordance with information on the recording medium, the profile of the surface of said pressing mechanism (13, M1-M8) within a width of the recording medium in the first direction to adjust a profile of distribution of the pressing force within the width of the recording medium in the first direction.