An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a transfer material in an image forming mode, includes: a photoreceptor rotatable in a predetermined rotation direction; a developer that forms a toner image on the photoreceptor using a two-component developing agent including toner and a carrier; a transferor that transfers the toner image on the photoreceptor onto the transfer material; a carrier collector that applies an electric field corresponding to a collecting bias to a carrier adhering to the photoreceptor to collect the carrier; a carrier detector that detects a carrier remaining on the photoreceptor after collecting the carrier by the carrier collector; and a hardware processor that sets the collecting bias in the image forming mode on the basis of the amount of carriers detected by the carrier detector when a carrier adhesion detecting mode for forcibly causing a carrier to adhere to the photoreceptor is executed.

An image forming apparatus includes a potential applier, a cleaning device and a hardware processor. The cleaning device includes an abutting member abutting a surface of the image carrier and removes residual toner on the surface of the image carrier by means of the abutting member after a toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier is transferred to a transfer material. In a cleaning mode for removing a foreign matter attached to the abutting member of the cleaning device, the hardware processor controls the potential applier to alternately apply a first potential and a second potential which is lower than the first potential to the image carrier so as to periodically change a potential of the abutting member without causing saturation.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material with a liquid developer containing a toner and a carrier liquid, wherein the carrier liquid contains a first substance for imparting an electrical polarity to the toner and a second substance, higher in volume resistivity than the first substance, as a dispersion medium for dispersing the toner; and a carrier separating device configured to separate the carrier liquid into the first substance charged to an opposite polarity to a charge polarity of the toner and the second substance by applying an electric field to the liquid developer collected from the image forming portion so as to collect each of the first substance and the second substance.

An electrostatic collecting device includes a rotatable collecting body including a collecting member for forming a collecting portion in contact with an object-to-be-cleaned and formed of an insulator, wherein the rotatable collecting body rubs the object-to-be-cleaned in the collecting portion with the collecting member by rotation thereof, and collects, in the collecting member, a substance-to-be-collected from the object-to-be-cleaned moved relative to the collecting portion; a removing member for removing the substance-to-be-collected from the collecting member; and a charge-removing member provided opposed to the object-to-be-cleaned on a side downstream of the collecting portion with respect to a movement direction of the object-to-be-cleaned relative to the collecting portion. The charge-removing member constitutes at least a part of at least one of the rotatable collecting body and the removing member. The charge-removing member is electrically connected to an electric conductor which is in non-contact with the object-to-be-cleaned.

An image forming apparatus includes a bearer, a charger charging the bearer at a charging position, a developing device forming an image at a developing position, a transferor transferring the image onto a transfer medium in a transfer period, a power source to flow a first current during the transfer period and a second current during a non-transfer period, and circuitry. The circuitry controls the power source to set a value of the second current to at least one of zero or a value having the same polarity as the first current and an absolute value different from that of the first current and set a charge amount of toner on the bearer between the charging position and the developing position to be from 30 C/g to 25 C/g.

An electrophotographic image-forming apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photoreceptor that serves as a member to be charged, a cleaning member that is in contact with a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and a plasma actuator. The plasma actuator is provided with a dielectric, a first electrode that is provided to a first surface of the dielectric, and a second electrode that is provided to the first electrode with the dielectric interposed therebetween. The plasma actuator generates an induced current from an edge of the first electrode along an exposed part of the first surface of the dielectric, the exposed part not being covered by the first electrode. The plasma actuator is disposed so as to be capable of directly supplying the induced current to the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor. The plasma actuator controls the electric potential of transfer residual toner on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.