Patent ID: 8186799

Claim:
An image forming apparatus that is provided with a carriage in which recording heads having nozzles for ejecting liquid droplets are mounted and is configured to form an image on a recording medium being transported, the image forming apparatus comprising: a pattern forming unit that forms an impact position displacement adjustment pattern formed of plural independent liquid droplets on a water repellent member; a reading unit that includes a light emitting unit for emitting light onto the adjustment pattern and a light receiving unit for receiving specular reflection light from the adjustment pattern; and an impact position correcting unit that corrects an impact position of a liquid droplet to be ejected from the recording head based on a read result by the reading unit; wherein the reading unit is disposed on the carriage and is arranged close to a guide member that guides movement of the carriage, and wherein the reading unit is disposed at a centroid of the recording heads in a recording head moving direction.