An image forming method, comprising: providing an image forming device in a non-image-forming stage, applying voltages to a surface of a photosensitive element and a surface of a developer element of the image forming device to form an electric field, wherein applying the voltages comprises: a first stage of forming a first potential difference between the photosensitive element and the developer element, and a second stage of forming a second potential difference between the photosensitive element and the developer element, wherein: when a developer used by the developer element is a negatively charged developer, a direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the first potential difference and a direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the second potential difference are from the developer element to the photosensitive element, when the developer used by the developer element is a positively charged developer, the direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the first potential difference and the direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the second potential difference are from the photosensitive element to the developer element, an absolute value of the first potential difference is less than an absolute value of the second potential difference; and the second stage is between the first stage and an image forming stage, characterized in that when the image forming device is switched to the image forming stage subsequently to the non-image forming stage, the first stage is earlier than the second stage, and when the image forming device is in the image forming stage, a potential difference formed between the photosensitive element and the developer element is equal to the second potential difference. a first stage of forming a first potential difference between the photosensitive element and the developer element, and a second stage of forming a second potential difference between the photosensitive element and the developer element, wherein: when a developer used by the developer element is a negatively charged developer, a direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the first potential difference and a direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the second potential difference are from the developer element to the photosensitive element, when the developer used by the developer element is a positively charged developer, the direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the first potential difference and the direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the second potential difference are from the photosensitive element to the developer element, an absolute value of the first potential difference is less than an absolute value of the second potential difference; and the second stage is between the first stage and an image forming stage, characterized in that when the image forming device is switched to the image forming stage subsequently to the non-image forming stage, the first stage is earlier than the second stage, and when the image forming device is in the image forming stage, a potential difference formed between the photosensitive element and the developer element is equal to the second potential difference. when a developer used by the developer element is a negatively charged developer, a direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the first potential difference and a direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the second potential difference are from the developer element to the photosensitive element, when the developer used by the developer element is a positively charged developer, the direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the first potential difference and the direction from a higher potential to a lower potential of the second potential difference are from the photosensitive element to the developer element, an absolute value of the first potential difference is less than an absolute value of the second potential difference; and the second stage is between the first stage and an image forming stage, characterized in that when the image forming device is switched to the image forming stage subsequently to the non-image forming stage, the first stage is earlier than the second stage, and when the image forming device is in the image forming stage, a potential difference formed between the photosensitive element and the developer element is equal to the second potential difference.