PURPOSE: To simplify a cleaning process, and to prevent damage to be inflicted to a latent image carrying body, by forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a recording picture on the surface of the latent image carrying body, making a thin layer which has formed a toner uniformly on a toner holding body contact with said carrying body, and executing its transfer.

CONSTITUTION: A thin layer T is obtained by uniformly applying a toner T on a toner holding body 1 with a doctor (d). On a latent image carrying body 2, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a recording picture is formed, it is placed between said carrying body 2 and the toner holding body 1 through the toner thin layer T, and an electric closed circuit is formed by an electric power supply E1. As a result, charge constituting the electrostatic latent image is moved to the toner thin layer T from the latent image carrying body 2, and its transfer is executed by a transfer roll 3. That is to say, the electrostatic latent image itself is not developed by the toner T but is transferred to the toner thin layer T, therefore, no toner T adheres onto the latent image carrying body 2, the cleaning process is simplified, and even if carrying failure of a recording sheet S, so called "jam" occurs, damage to be inflicted to the latent image carrying body 2 can be prevented.