According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a display section, an input section, a control section, and an image forming section. The display section displays a printing target image as a preview. The input section receives designation of an area from a user on a preview image displayed by the display section. The control section distinguishes a region of the printing target image such that a part of a region in the designated area is one of color and monochrome and the other part of the region is the other of the color and the monochrome. The image forming section forms the printing target image on a sheet according to the distinction of the color and the monochrome by the control section.