Patent ID: 8428505

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a plurality of image forming sections; a plurality of transfer sections; a belt disposed between the plurality of image forming sections and the plurality of transfer sections in a sandwiched relation such that a nip is formed between one of the plurality of transfer sections and a corresponding one of the plurality of image forming sections; a first rotatable member and a second rotatable member about which the belt is disposed; and a controller that controls transportation of at least one page of recording medium, wherein if a plurality of pages of recording media of a predetermined type are transported, control is performed such that a first distance between a trailing edge of an image area of a preceding page of two successive pages and a leading edge of an image area of a following page is equal to or longer than a second distance between the nip at a most upstream one of the plurality of image forming sections and the nip at a most downstream one of the plurality of image forming sections, and is equal to or shorter than a third distance between a rotational axis of the first rotatable member and a rotational axis of the second rotatable member, wherein the belt carries the at least one page of recording medium thereon and transports the at least one page of recording medium; and wherein the plurality of image forming sections and the plurality of transfer sections are aligned along the belt, and cooperate with each other to form images on the at least one page of recording medium.