Patent ID: 8149255

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: conveying means for conveying a recording medium in a predetermined direction; thermal transfer sheet traveling means for causing a thermal transfer sheet to travel in a predetermined direction, the thermal transfer sheet having a dye layer and a protective layer disposed side by side on a ribbon base sheet in a longitudinal direction of the base sheet, the dye layer being thermally transferred onto a surface of the recording medium to form an image thereon, the protective layer being thermally transferred onto a surface of the image formed on the surface of the recording medium to protect the image; modification sheet moving means for moving a surface modification sheet, the surface modification sheet having a print open portion and a surface modification portion disposed side by side at a ribbon base sheet in a longitudinal direction of the base sheet, the print open portion being provided so as to allow the thermal transfer sheet to directly contact the surface of the recording medium, the surface modification portion being provided to modify a surface state of the protective layer that protects the image formed on the recording medium; a thermal head that applies thermal energy and thermally transfers sequentially the dye layer and the protective layer onto the recording medium while the dye layer or the protective layer of the thermal transfer sheet opposes the surface of the recording medium; and modification sheet protecting means, disposed in a movement path of the surface modification sheet, for preventing adhesion of dust to the surface modification sheet or for eliminating the adhesion, wherein, after forming the image onto the recording medium using the thermal transfer sheet and forming the protective layer that protects the image, the surface modification portion of the surface modification sheet is aligned with a plane in which the protective layer is formed, so that heat and pressure are applied by the thermal head to modify the surface state of the protective layer formed at the recording medium.