To shorten a pre-printing maintenance operation time required after an image forming apparatus is left as it is for a long time after printing.

The image forming apparatus includes a maintenance and recovery function for maintaining and recovering head performance to eject an ink drop, and includes: a means for detecting the presence/absence of a print start request from a user; a means for detecting the presence/absence of an execution request of the maintenance and recovery function from the user; and a calculation means for calculating a time required for executing the maintenance and recovery function when the print start request is sent from the user, when the print start request is not sent from the user and when detecting that the execution request of the maintenance and recovery function is not sent from the user, and includes an automatic maintenance and recovery function execution means for automatically executing the maintenance and recovery function when the time required for executing the maintenance and recovery function exceeds a predetermined time.