An image forming apparatus containing an image holding member, a contact-type
charger for charging a surface of the image holding member, an exposure unit for
forming an electrostatic latent image by exposing the charged surface of the image
holding member, a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image
with a spherical toner to obtain a toner image, and a transfer member for electrostatically
transferring the toner image from the surface of the image holding member onto
a transfer material. A number of toner particles remaining on the surface of the
image holding member before passing through an abutting portion between the image
holding member and the contact-type charger is in a range of 100 to 400 per unit
area (mm2).