To provide an image forming apparatus and an image control method for achieving both enhancement of color registration correction accuracy and enhancement of a degree of freedom in terms of a transfer belt selection range by a scratch discrimination function.

The image forming apparatus is configured to form a transfer color image by superposing a plurality of color toner images formed by image forming parts on a belt-like transfer belt, and to transfer the transfer color image to a transfer medium. The image forming apparatus includes: a correction pattern forming means for forming each color matching correction pattern on the transfer belt; a detection sensor for detecting the correction pattern formed by the correction pattern forming means; and a controller that carries out the color matching correction calculation in response to a detection signal. When a noise included in the detection signal, the noise is detected, and a color registration correction calculation is carried out using signals other than the noise detection signal.