Patent ID: 7676165

Claim:
An image forming apparatus including a primary transfer unit that primarily transfers an image on an image carrier onto an intermediate transfer member, and a secondary transfer unit that secondarily transfers the primarily transferred image on the intermediate transfer member onto a printing medium, the apparatus comprising: a speed change unit that changes a speed of the intermediate transfer member from a first speed to a second speed, when the secondary transfer unit secondarily transfers the image onto a printing medium; and a control unit that controls a transfer operation, when the speed of the intermediate transfer member is changed from the first speed to the second speed, so that the primary transfer unit primarily transfers a first image and a second image onto the intermediate transfer member with the first speed and secondarily transfers the first image onto the printing medium at the first speed by the secondary transfer unit and secondarily transfers the second image onto the printing medium at the second speed by the secondary transfer unit, wherein the control unit controls an image interval distance between a back end of the first image and a leading end of the second image when the primary transfer unit primarily transfers the first image and the second image onto the intermediate transfer member with the first speed so that the image interval distance is an interval distance (i) equal to or greater than a moving distance of the intermediate transfer member needed to change the speed of the intermediate transfer member from the first speed to the second speed and (ii) less than a moving distance traveled by a full rotation of the intermediate transfer member.