An image forming apparatus (500) includes an image forming unit (101) to form an image on a recording medium (110, 210) by discharging liquid droplets onto the medium (110, 210); and a media heater (121, 131) to heat the medium (110, 210) by contacting a rear surface of the medium (110, 210) opposite a surface of the medium (110, 210) on which the image is formed, in which the media heater (121, 131) includes a contact member (121) with a contact surface (200) having a predetermined curvature that the medium (110, 210) contacts, the contact member (121) is a roller (121), and the medium (110, 210) closely contacts the contact surface (200) of the contact member (121) across an entire width of the medium (110, 210) in a direction perpendicular to the media conveyance direction.