Abstract: An image forming apparatus of an ink-jet type of the present invention is provided with an ink head section having a carriage that is composed of a plurality of ink head and scans so as to print. The ink head section is provided with black ink heads and a color ink head in such a manner that the black ink heads sandwich the color ink head. This eliminates the difference in blackness in printing, even if the carriage scans in two ways so as to print. Meanwhile, the ink heads are increased in number only by one, thereby limiting an increase in cost. In short, without a large increase in cost, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that forms a high-quality image, while printing time is shorted since the printing is carried out in two ways in a scanning direction.

Abstract: An ink-jet image forming method forms an image by forming dots using a fast-drying ink and a slow-drying ink, in which, when forming an image, an ambient temperature of an area where the image is formed is detected, and dot density of a predetermined area of the image is recognized based on image data. A process used to form dots is selected based on the detected ambient temperature and the recognized dot density. Under the condition where the inks are easily dried, the slow-drying ink is used to form dots, and under the condition where it is difficult to dry the inks, the slow-drying ink is used suitably with the fast-drying ink to form dots. As a result, the inks can be dried efficiently while suppressing deterioration of image quality.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithographic printing plate material for silver complex diffusion transfer process by scanning type exposure which comprises a film support and, provided thereon, at least a silver halide emulsion layer and a surface physical development nuclei layer, wherein water content in the whole lithographic printing plate material including the support is 1.5% or less. Preferably, the silver halide emulsion comprises about 95 mol % or more of silver chloride, 90% by weight or more of the silver halide grains have a size within .+-.40% of average grain size, the silver halide grains have an average grain size of about 0.3.mu.-about 1.0.mu., and the surface of the grains is replaced with about 0.1 mol %-about 3.0 mol % of an iodide per 1 mol of the silver halide.