A jacket includes: a first layer that is on a cylinder body side when the jacket is attached to a rotating cylinder body; and a second layer that is a layer located on a side opposite to the cylinder body with respect to the first layer, has a hardness lower than that of the first layer, and does not exist at a position where at least one of end edges of the cylinder body in a rotation axis direction is located inward of the first layer in the rotation axis direction.

A transfer device includes: a transfer drum that has a groove-like recess extending in an axial direction in an outer circumferential portion thereof, rotates about an axis thereof, and comes into contact with a medium being transported at a portion thereof on an upstream side of the recess in a rotation direction; a nip member, the nip member and the transfer drum forming therebetween a nip part where the medium is nipped; an application member that applies a voltage to the nip part where the medium is nipped, so that an image is transferred to the medium; and a contact mechanism that causes the nip member to come into contact only with a portion on the upstream side of the recess in the transfer drum in the rotation direction at a transfer-start time when the transfer of the image to the medium starts.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming portion, an endless belt, a plurality of stretching rollers including an inner roller, an outer roller, a position changing mechanism capable of changing a position of the inner roller to a first position and a second position positioned downstream of the first position with respect to a rotational direction of the endless belt, a feeding member, a feeding member driving portion, and a controller. A feeding start timing of a recording material by the feeding member depends on the position of the inner roller during transfer of a toner image onto the recording material.

A jacket includes: a first layer that is on a cylinder body side when the jacket is attached to a rotating cylinder body; and a second layer that is a layer located on a side opposite to the cylinder body with respect to the first layer, has a hardness lower than that of the first layer, and does not exist at a position where at least one of end edges of the cylinder body in a rotation axis direction is located inward of the first layer in the rotation axis direction.

A toner for developing an electrostatic charge image contains toner particles, layered-compound particles, and inorganic particles. The percentage Fa of layered-compound particles free from the toner particles is 5% by volume or more and 20% by volume or less.

A transfer unit includes a reading unit to read an image on a sheet conveyed along a conveyance path, a first signal transmission member having a flat shape and is connected to the reading unit, and a relay member connected to the first signal transmission member. The relay member relays a signal from the first signal transmission member, and a second signal transmission member having a round shape and is connected to the relay member. The second signal transmission member leads into an apparatus body from an inner portion of the transfer unit in an axial direction of a first rotation shaft.

An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyer that conveys a recording medium; a transfer part that forms a transfer nip between with the conveyer, and conveys, toward the transfer nip, an image to be transferred onto the recording medium; and an inclination part that inclines the recording medium conveyed by the conveyer with respect to a conveyance direction of the recording medium in the conveyer.

A toner for developing an electrostatic charge image contains toner particles, layered-compound particles, and inorganic particles. The percentage Fa of layered-compound particles free from the toner particles is 5% by volume or more and 20% by volume or less.

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes: a registration roller; a motor configured to drive the roller; and a controller configured to control the motor. The roller is disposed at a first position on a conveyance path of paper on which an image is to be formed, and sends out the paper toward a second position on the conveyance path. The second position is downstream from the first position on the conveyance path and is an image transfer position on the paper. The controller controls the motor by using both speed control and position control when the leading end of the paper is at a position from the first position to the second position, and controls the motor by using only the speed control when the leading end of the paper reaches the second position.

An image-forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a cam, a switching mechanism, a sheet tray, a sheet feed mechanism, a sheet sensor, and a controller. The switching mechanism rotates the cam to move the developing roller from a contact position in contact with the photosensitive drum to a separated position away from the photosensitive drum after development for the first sheet, if feeding of a second sheet is not started after elapse of a prescribed time period since detection of a first sheet. If image data for the second sheet is ready and upon elapse of a predetermined standby time period from elapse of the prescribed time period, the sheet feed mechanism starts feeding the second sheet toward the photosensitive drum and the switching mechanism rotates the cam to move the developing roller to the separated position in accordance with conveyance of the second sheet.