Patent ID: 6915097

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; an exposing unit configured to expose the image carrier to form latent images of respective colors onto the image carrier; a developing unit configured to develop each of the latent images of the respective colors to form toner images of respective colors; an intermediate transfer member; and a secondary transferring unit configured to be contactable and retractable with and from the intermediate transfer member, wherein the image carrier transfers the toner images onto the intermediate transfer member in a multipled manner as a multiple toner image, wherein the secondary transferring unit transfers the multiple toner image on the intermediate transfer member onto a recording medium after being contact with the intermediate transfer member from a retracted state, and wherein an operating state of the secondary transferring unit transfers from the retracted state into a contacted state at such timing between an exposing operation by the exposing unit for a specific color and another exposing operation by the exposing unit for another color subsequent to the specific color within exposing operations thereof with respect to a single document.