Image forming apparatus and a method for improving developing performance thereof

An image forming apparatus includes at least one photoconductive medium on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; at least one developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductive medium with a developer to form a visible developer image, and a developing performance improving unit for controlling at least one of the photoconductive medium and the developing device to periodically form a patch developer image using developer that has uneven attributes (such as uneven coulomb per mass (Q/M)), and clean and remove the patch developer image. Accordingly, developer having uneven Q/M is periodically used for printing patch developer image and removed, thereby preventing the developer from being used for desired images, and thereby preventing inferior developing of desired images at the uneven-developer generating parts.