To provide an image forming device and its control method by which the image having excellent image quality is formed even in the case of using a recycled image carrier and also to provide an image carrier by which the rotational speed or the like of the image carrier is properly and easily controlled even when it is used for any image forming device.

In the method for controlling the image forming device, which is provided with the image carrier in which a photoreceptive layer is formed on the surface of the drum-like metallic base body consisting of a recycled base body, the image carrier is rotated and driven at the rotational speed controlled in accordance with the number of recycling times of the metallic base body, thereby performing the image formation. The image forming device has a history recording part, in which the history of the number of recycling times of the metallic base body is recorded, and a rotational speed control means to control the rotational speed of the image carrier in accordance with the number-of-recycling-times history information detected by a number-of-recycling-times history detecting means from the recording part. The image carrier is provided with a number-of-recycling-times history part at the metallic base body or at a part of a member formed integrally with the base body.