An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member that bears an image; and a transfer roller, having a concave portion in its circumferential surface and rotating central to a rotational axis, whose circumferential surface aside from the concave portion makes contact with the image bearing member and transfers the image onto a recording material. The circumferential surface of the transfer roller aside from the concave portion makes contact the image bearing member due to rotation of the transfer roller while the rotational axis of the transfer roller moves away from the image bearing member.