A color image forming apparatus capable of reducing the total printing time and having an excellent cost performance. In the four developments and primary transfer by the toner of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black for forming one sheet of color image, the development and primary transfer of the toner of the last color, black, is performed at a different speed from that of the toner of the other colors. Furthermore, the secondary transfer and fixation are performed at the same speed as of the development and primary transfer of the toner of the last color, black.