An image forming apparatus which can efficiently perform image forming processing to a recording medium and achieve improvement in production efficiency. In the image forming apparatus in which the recording medium is loaded onto a stage member at a loading position, the image is formed in the recording medium while the stage member passes through an image forming unit, and the recording medium in which the image has been formed is unloaded from the stage member at an unloading position, two stage members are provided. The image forming apparatus includes upper and lower circulating means in which one of the two stage members is moved below the image forming unit from the unloading position to the loading position while the other stage member passes through the image forming unit with the recording medium loaded thereon.