An image forming apparatus includes recording heads, head holders, a carriage, a guide member, a reference member, and a pressing member. The recording heads have nozzles to eject liquid droplets. The holders hold the recording heads. The carriage is reciprocally movable in a main scanning direction and holding the holders. The guide member is disposed along the main scanning direction to guide the carriage along the main scanning direction. The reference member is disposed parallel to the guide member in the carriage to hold the holders. The pressing member presses at least one of the holders toward at least another of the holders. The holders have reference faces to contact each other in the main scanning direction to determine relative positions of the holders. With the recording heads positioned based on the reference faces of the holders, the recording heads are held by the holders.