An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrying member, on
a surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a
charging roll that is in contact with the image carrying member to charge
the surface of the image carrying member to a prescribed potential. The
charging roll has, in non-image forming areas in both end parts in an
axial direction of the charging roll, large diameter parts having a
larger outer diameter than an outer diameter of a center part of the
charging roll, and small diameter parts having a smaller outer diameter
than the outer diameter of the center part inside the large diameter
parts in the axial direction. Differences in outer diameter of the large
diameter part and the small diameter part from the outer diameter of the
center part each is approximately 0.25% or less of the outer diameter of
the center part.