An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed device to feed a sheet along a sheet feed path, a sheet cutting device including a cutter and a cutter holder to cut the sheet to a desired length, a controller to control the sheet feed device and the cutter holder. The cutter holder holds the cutter and is reciprocally movable in a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction. The cutter holder, after cutting the sheet, is movable in the width direction with the cutter holder retracted away from the sheet feed path in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet feed direction and the width direction. The controller controls the sheet feed device to feed the sheet while the cutter holder moves in the width direction with the cutter holder retracted away from the sheet feed path in the thickness direction.