Patent ID: 8874020

Claim:
An image forming apparatus having a decolorizing function, the image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier using a developing agent containing a decolorable toner and forming a developing agent image; a transferring and conveying mechanism including a transfer member and configured to press the transfer member against the image carrier and selectively execute processing for transferring the developing agent image onto a transfer material and processing for separating the image carrier and the transfer member and conveying the transfer material without driving the image carrier, wherein the transfer member is a transfer roller; and a fixing and decolorizing mechanism configured to selectively execute processing for fixing the developing agent image transferred onto the transfer material at first temperature and forming an image and processing for decolorizing an image formed with the decolorable toner at second temperature higher than the first temperature.