An image forming apparatus to perform mono printing and color printing having different printing speeds and enhance printing performance includes an image forming unit to perform the color printing and the mono printing, and a control unit to determine whether to change a printing speed by comparing an amount of printing to be processed with a predetermined critical value and, if it is determined to change the printing speed, controlling the image forming unit to perform printing according to the amount of printing to be processed by switching a printing speed from printing at a relatively slow printing speed to printing at a relatively fast printing speed.