PURPOSE: To prevent the fatigue and the deterioration of a photosensitive drum caused by an exposure irradiation before a transfer, and also to realize efficient transfer and separation performances by controlling a destaticizing lamp for erasing before a transfer a charge of a developing surface of a picture carrier body which formed an image by a developer by a signal from a picture density detecting means.

CONSTITUTION: When a copying start button is operated, pre-scanning prior to exposure scanning for copying an original is executed, and in this case, the density information of an original D and a reference density plate 15 is detected, and thereafter, by scanning of an exposing light source 16 in the direction opposite to the direction as indicated with an arrow A, an operation of exposure scanning for copying is executed. When density of the original D is detected correctly by an original density detector 10, its original density signal is amplified by an amplifier 17, and thereafter, sent to a control part 19 from a discriminating circuit 18, a detecting data corresponding to a density value of the original D is processed, and also a destaticizing lamp 9 is flickered or the quantity of light is controlled. The destaticizing lamp 9 is an illuminating member such as a fluorescent lamp, etc.