Patent ID: 8944556
Filing Date: 2015-02-03
Classification: B41J,B41M

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a head configured to discharge an aqueous recording liquid onto a recording medium; and a coating unit configured to apply a process liquid onto the recording edit, wherein the process liquid is formed by emulsifying, by a first surfactant, water including a water-soluble polymer and a low polarity solvent which is not compatible with the water, wherein the water and the low polarity solvent are emulsified as a W/O emulsion in which the water is in a dispersed phase and the low polarity solvent is in a continuous phase, wherein at least one of the aqueous recording liquid and the process liquid includes a second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant causes an emulsified phase of the process liquid to be phase-inverted from the W/O emulsion to an O/W emulsion, and wherein, when the head discharges the aqueous recording liquid, and when the aqueous recording liquid and the process liquid contact each other, the emulsified phase of the process liquid is phase-inverted from the W/O emulsion to the O/W emulsion by the second surfactant.