Patent ID: 6547383
Filing Date: 2003-04-15
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:diffusion liquid discharging means for discharging diffusion liquid onto a surface of a recording material in order to adhere the diffusion liquid to the surface of the recording material; ink discharging means for discharging an ink drop onto the surface of the recording material in order to adhere the ink to the location where the diffusion liquid is adhered on the surface of the recording material; and controlling means for controlling the movements of the diffusion liquid discharging means and the ink discharging means; wherein the diffusion liquid spreads the ink in a planar direction of the surface of the recording material; wherein the controlling means controls the amount of diffusion liquid adhered to the surface of the recording material and the amount of ink adhered to the location where the diffusion liquid is adhered in order to control a tone gradation at the location where the ink is adhered; and wherein the controlling means controls the amount of diffusion liquid adhered to the surface of the recording material and the amount of ink adhered to the location where the diffusion liquid is adhered by controlling the number of droplets of the diffusion liquid and the number of droplets of the ink.