Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming on a recording medium an image whose resistance to water and light is improved and whose image quality is enhanced, with printing speed being increased due to drying of ink being accelerated. The methods include the steps of: forming a layer including resin particles on a surface of an intermediate transfer medium or on a surface of a recording medium; recording the image by jetting ink from an inkjet recording head onto the resin particle layer so that the ink is retained in cavities of the resin particle layer; and either transferring the resin particle layer from the surface of the intermediate transfer medium to a recording medium to fix the resin particle layer thereto or fixing the recording medium having the resin particle layer retaining the ink.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image carrier, a circularly driven intermediate transfer member and a transfer fixation device. The transfer fixation device includes a fixed pad, a pressure roll, a heating device and a corrugation suppression member. The fixed pad is brought into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member. The pressure roll is pressed against the fixed pad through the intermediate transfer member being interposed therebetween. The heating device for heating and melting the toner on the intermediate transfer member is located at an upstream side of a contact position of the fixed pad in a movement direction of the intermediate transfer member. The corrugation suppressing member provided along the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member in its circumferential direction is located between a position where the heating device is provided and a position where the fixed pad is provided.

Abstract: By freely adjusting the heat generation distribution of an object to be heated, the heat generation distribution which matches a purpose can be easily obtained. In an electromagnetic induction heating device including an object to be heated having at least an electromagnetic induction heat generating layer and a magnetic field generating unit which is arranged toward the electromagnetic induction heat generating layer of the object to be heated in an opposed manner and includes an exciting coil which generates a magnetic flux penetrating the electromagnetic induction generating layer, a magnetic flux adjusting member which is made to be interlinked with a portion of the magnetic flux of the exciting coil to generate an electromagnetic induction action so that the magnetic flux acting on the electromagnetic induction heat generating layer is changed is disposed in the vicinity of the exciting coil.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image carrier, a circularly driven intermediate transfer member and a transfer fixation device. The transfer fixation device includes a fixed pad, a pressure roll, a heating device and a corrugation suppression member. The fixed pad is brought into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member. The pressure roll is pressed against the fixed pad through the intermediate transfer member being interposed therebetween. The heating device for heating and melting the toner on the intermediate transfer member is located at an upstream side of a contact position of the fixed pad in a movement direction of the intermediate transfer member. The corrugation suppressing member provided along the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member in its circumferential direction is located between a position where the heating device is provided and a position where the fixed pad is provided.

Abstract: By freely adjusting the heat generation distribution of an object to be heated, the heat generation distribution which matches a purpose can be easily obtained. In an electromagnetic induction heating device including an object to be heated having at least an electromagnetic induction heat generating layer and a magnetic field generating unit which is arranged toward the electromagnetic induction heat generating layer of the object to be heated in an opposed manner and includes an exciting coil which generates a magnetic flux penetrating the electromagnetic induction generating layer, a magnetic flux adjusting member which is made to be interlinked with a portion of the magnetic flux of the exciting coil to generate an electromagnetic induction action so that the magnetic flux acting on the electromagnetic induction heat generating layer is changed is disposed in the vicinity of the exciting coil.