Patent ID: 8554105

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image bearing member, on a surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing apparatus which forms a coloring particle image in which the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member is converted into a real image by using a liquid developer containing a carrier liquid, coloring particles dispersed in the carrier liquid, and resin dissolved in the carrier liquid; a rotatable intermediate transfer body which is disposed so as to oppose the image bearing member; a primary transfer unit which transfers the coloring particle image formed on the surface of the image bearing member to the intermediate transfer body; a secondary transfer unit which transfers onto a recording medium the coloring particle image transferred to the intermediate transfer body; a cleaning unit which recovers liquid developer remaining on the intermediate transfer body after transfer by the second transfer unit; and an aggregation promoting agent addition unit which is disposed on a downstream side of the secondary transfer unit in a direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer body and on an upstream side of the cleaning unit in a direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer body and which adds to the surface of the intermediate transfer body an aggregation promoting agent that promotes aggregation of resin contained in the liquid developer.