Patent ID: 7044592

Claim:
An image forming process for forming an image on a recording medium with dots of ink, comprising the steps of: generating the ink droplets such that each ink dot fixed on the recording medium has an average equivalent circle diameter of 10 μm or less; and fixing the ink to the recording medium by physical or chemical modification, wherein the ink droplets are formed from an ink containing block polymers having a polyvinyl ether structure, wherein the polyvinyl ether structure has a repeating unit structure expressed by the following general formula: where 1 represents an integer of 1 to 18, each of R 2 and R 3 is independently either H or CH 3 and R 4 is selected from hydrogen, a straight chain, branched or cyclic alkyl group with 1 to 18 carbon atoms, and wherein at least one block of the block polymers has a stimuli responsive property and by the stimuli the ink is modified from a state of low viscosity to a state of high viscosity.