An image forming apparatus includes an input portion to input data, an image forming portion to form a latent image on an image carrying member by irradiating a laser beam onto a reflecting member rotatably driven by a motor and irradiating light reflected by the reflecting member onto the image carrying member, and to enable a pre-rotation of the reflecting member by driving the motor prior to irradiation of the laser beam, and a control portion to cause a pre-rotation of the reflecting member when a first function using the image forming portion for the data inputted from the input portion is selected, and to prohibit the pre-rotation of the reflecting member when a second function to store the data inputted from the input portion in a storing medium or to transmit the data to an external terminal apparatus without using the image forming portion is selected.