An image forming apparatus includes a transfer roller pressed against an image
carrier for transferring an image from the image carrier to a recording medium
being conveyed via a nip between the transfer roller and the image carrier. The
transfer roller is positioned in an angular range of less than 90 from
the top of said image carrier in the direction of rotation of the image carrier.
In addition, the transfer roller has a greater diameter at its opposite end portions
than at its center portion in the axial direction thereof.