Patent ID: 7527369

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a first liquid application device which applies a first liquid to a recording medium; and an ejection head which ejects a second liquid onto the first liquid having been applied to the recording medium by the first liquid application device, wherein: a surface tension α 1 of the first liquid is 35 mN/m or lower; a difference (α 2 −α 1 ) between a surface tension α 2 of the second liquid and the surface tension α 1 of the first liquid is 10 mN/m or greater; an angle of contact of the second liquid on the first liquid is 35 degrees or less; the second liquid is an ink containing a coloring material; and the first liquid is a treatment liquid having a reactivity which causes at least a surface portion of a deposited droplet of the second liquid to harden.