An image forming apparatus, comprising: an imaging section to form an image with toner on a recording sheet; and a thermal fixing device to fuse the toner image onto the recording sheet passing through a fixing nip, the fixing device including: a fixing member rotatable to convey the recording sheet during fixing; a pressure member pressed against the fixing member to form the fixing nip therebetween; a heater to heat at least a portion of the fixing member; a temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the fixing member; and a temperature controller to control the temperature of the fixing member such that the heater is only locally heating the fixing member during standby where the fixing member stops rotation, and uniformly heating the rotating fixing member to an operational temperature during recovery where the fixing member resumes rotation in preparation for fixing, characterised in that the apparatus is further adapted such that the temperature controller initially operates in an on-off mode upon entering recovery, and subsequently switches to a PID mode at a threshold time elapsing after entering recovery, wherein the temperature controller determines the threshold time according to the duration of standby. an imaging section to form an image with toner on a recording sheet; and a thermal fixing device to fuse the toner image onto the recording sheet passing through a fixing nip, the fixing device including: a fixing member rotatable to convey the recording sheet during fixing; a pressure member pressed against the fixing member to form the fixing nip therebetween; a heater to heat at least a portion of the fixing member; a temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the fixing member; and a temperature controller to control the temperature of the fixing member such that the heater is only locally heating the fixing member during standby where a fixing member rotatable to convey the recording sheet during fixing; a pressure member pressed against the fixing member to form the fixing nip therebetween; a heater to heat at least a portion of the fixing member; a temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the fixing member; and a temperature controller to control the temperature of the fixing member such that the heater is only locally heating the fixing member during standby where the fixing member stops rotation, and uniformly heating the rotating fixing member to an operational temperature during recovery where the fixing member resumes rotation in preparation for fixing, characterised in that the apparatus is further adapted such that the temperature controller initially operates in an on-off mode upon entering recovery, and subsequently switches to a PID mode at a threshold time elapsing after entering recovery, wherein the temperature controller determines the threshold time according to the duration of standby. characterised in that the apparatus is further adapted such that the temperature controller initially operates in an on-off mode upon entering recovery, and subsequently switches to a PID mode at a threshold time elapsing after entering recovery, wherein the temperature controller determines the threshold time according to the duration of standby.