Abstract: A development process and a fixing process are carried out on a front side of a recording paper. The paper recorded on the first side is transported toward a returning transportation device. The development process and the fixing process are then carried out on a back side of the paper. A nozzle for blowing out an air flow, an inverter roll for inverting the paper and the returning transportation device are arranged between the fixing station and a reversal station. The paper is deformed by the local cooling due to the air for peeling by the nozzle, the inverter roll and the returning transportation device. The portions (working regions) which receive the local cooling are arranged such that at most two of the working regions occur at any point of the recording medium paper. The inferiority of the local images in the defects in transfer and the local lowering degree in the density of the images are decreased.

Abstract: An air flow path switching device for a printing apparatus includes a sheet hopper which holds a plurality of sheets, a sheet switchback device for inverting the sheets so that both sides of the sheets can be printed on, sheet pickup devices associated, respectively, with the sheet hopper and the sheet switchback device for picking up sheets, and a blower device for supplying pressurized suction and discharge air to the sheet pickup devices. An air flow resistance existing in the sheet switchback device, when the sheet pickup device associated with the sheet hopper is connected to the blower, and an air flow resistance existing in the sheet switchback device, when the sheet pickup device associated with the sheet hopper is disconnected from the blower, are substantially equivalent.