An image forming apparatus includes a control section which controls a forming section and a detection section to form an image patterns at a non-image area between image areas on an image carrier, to detect the image patterns as required, and to execute various types of compensation operations for correcting image forming conditions, and, when a timing of executing a first compensation operation coincides with a timing of executing a second compensation operation and the image pattern for the first compensation operation and the image pattern for the second compensation operation have a relationship such that the positions of forming the image patterns on the image carrier do not overlap each other, controls the image forming section to form both image patterns in the same non-image area.