Patent US 4,847,657

An electrophotograpic apparatus and an electrophotographic process wherein when a developer is to be deposited on such an area of a latent image as has been exposed to light, by a reverse development operation, the non-image-forming area existing before and after the image forming area is exposed to light with the aid of an exposure lamp, whereby the potential of the non-image-forming area is lowered. By this, the possibility of variation of the potential which may otherwise be caused by continuous image forming operation and variation in the ambient conditions can be prevented. Futher, by applying a bias voltage for preventing deposition of the developer in the non-image forming area which is substantially free from potential variation, the developer is prevented from being deposited, irrespective of the variation in the ambient conditions.