An image forming apparatus includes an obtaining unit that obtains image information for forming a confirmation image, a state of formation of the confirmation image at a peripheral portion of a recording medium when an image formation position with respect to the recording medium is a predetermined position differing from a state of formation of the confirmation image at the peripheral portion of the recording medium when the image formation position is shifted from the predetermined position; and a forming section that, when ascertaining the shift of the image formation position from the predetermined position, performs an image forming process using the image information obtained by the obtaining unit.