An image forming apparatus includes a transport unit that transports a continuous medium; an image forming unit that forms an image on a surface of the medium; a pasting unit that pastes a protection member to the surface of the medium on which the image has been formed; an inspection unit disposed downstream of the image forming unit in a direction in which the medium is transported, the inspection unit inspecting whether the image is defective; a cutting unit disposed downstream of the inspection unit in the direction, the cutting unit being capable of performing an operation of forming a cut in the protection member and the medium so as to surround the image; and a controller that controls the cutting unit so that the cutting unit does not perform the operation of forming a cut in the protection member and the medium if the image is defective.