A heating control method for controlling heating of a fixing assembly in an image forming apparatus , comprising: when the image forming apparatus is in a printing state, determining (S11) a time duration t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from a current temperature or a temperature at a set moment to a preset target temperature; determining (S12) a time point of the fixing assembly to start heating based on a distance from a preset location to a central position of the fixing assembly, a travelling speed of a printing medium, and the time t1, wherein said determining (S11) of the time duration t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from the current temperature or the temperature at the set moment to the preset target temperature comprises: determining a heating rate of the fixing assembly; and calculating the time duration t1 based on the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at the set moment, and the preset target temperature, characterized in that, said determining the heating rate of the fixing assembly comprises: when the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing a first page of the printing medium, calculating the heating rate based on a temperature change of the fixing assembly in a preheating stage. when the image forming apparatus is in a printing state, determining (S11) a time duration t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from a current temperature or a temperature at a set moment to a preset target temperature; determining (S12) a time point of the fixing assembly to start heating based on a distance from a preset location to a central position of the fixing assembly, a travelling speed of a printing medium, and the time t1, wherein said determining (S11) of the time duration t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from the current temperature or the temperature at the set moment to the preset target temperature comprises: determining a heating rate of the fixing assembly; and calculating the time duration t1 based on the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at the set moment, and the preset target temperature, characterized in that, said determining the heating rate of the fixing assembly comprises: when the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing a first page of the printing medium, calculating the heating rate based on a temperature change of the fixing assembly in a preheating stage. determining a heating rate of the fixing assembly; and calculating the time duration t1 based on the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at the set moment, and the preset target temperature, characterized in that, said determining the heating rate of the fixing assembly comprises: when the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing a first page of the printing medium, calculating the heating rate based on a temperature change of the fixing assembly in a preheating stage. when the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing a first page of the printing medium, calculating the heating rate based on a temperature change of the fixing assembly in a preheating stage. <EOS>