An image forming apparatus includes a transfer drum which attracts and holds a transfer paper electrostatically. A voltage is applied to a conductive layer provided on an inner side of the transfer drum, and a grounded conductive electrode member is pressed against a dielectric layer provided on an outer side of the transfer drum through the transfer paper. A toner image formed on a photosensitive drum is transferred onto the transfer paper when the transfer paper is wound around the transfer drum and brought into contact with the photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus further includes a member which charges the transfer paper in a polarity reversed to a polarity of the transfer drum, so that the transfer drum can attract the transfer sheet electrostatically in a satisfactory manner. The image forming apparatus further includes a mechanism for removing the charges on the surface of the transfer drum via a bias switching device and a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of the transfer drum so as to eliminate defects in a transferred image, thereby upgrading the quality of a resulting image. The cleaning device may be a blade having a particular engagement crossover between the blade and transfer drum.