An electrophotographic copying apparatus includes original supporting device for supporting thereon an original to be copied, illuminating device for illuminating the original, an electrophotographic photosensitive medium movable through a charging station, a developing station and an image transfer station, the photosensitive medium having an image bearing area and a non-image bearing area set thereon, the non-image bearing area being set on the side edge portion of the photosensitive medium, charging device for charging both of the two areas of the photosensitive medium at the charging station, a projection optical system for projecting the optical image of the original upon the image bearing area of the photosensitive medium between the charging station and the developing station to form an electrostatic latent image, developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a visible image, image transfer device for transferring the visible image from the photosensitive medium to a transfer medium, supply device for supplying the transfer medium to the image transfer station through a route which brings a predetermined width area of the side edge portion of the transfer medium into accord with the non-image bearing area of the photosensitive medium, separator device adapted to engage the predetermined width area of the transfer medium to separate from the photosensitive medium the transfer medium having the visible image transferred thereto, and reflecting device disposed at a position between the illuminating device and the original supporting device and corresponding to the side edge portion of the original. The light from the illuminating device reflected by the reflecting device passes through the projection optical system and impinges on the non-image bearing area of the photosensitive medium between the charging station and the developing station.