An image forming apparatus to perform direct printing of print data, wherein the image forming apparatus receives print data encoded in a first encoding method, determines whether the received print data includes a character expressed in 2 bytes, converts the print data encoded in the first encoding method to be encoded in a second encoding method of analyzing the character expressed in 2 bytes in the image forming apparatus if the print data includes the character expressed in 2 bytes, and forms an image of the converted print data.