An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material includes a cartridge, a main assembly including a positioner positioning the cartridge and an urger urging the cartridge to the positioner, a mover supporting the cartridge and movable between a pulled out position outside of the main assembly and an inside position inside the main assembly, and a gripper mounted to the mover and movable between a reference position and an outward position located outwardly with respect to the pull out direction of the mover. When the mover is at the inside position, the cartridge is positioned to the positioner by the urger to be placed in a positioning state when the gripper is at the reference position and the positioning state of the cartridge is released by moving the gripper from the reference position to the outward position.