Patent ID: 8421831

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a conveyance unit that conveys a medium to be recorded in a predetermined direction; a thermal transfer sheet that includes an ink layer which is thermally transferred onto the medium to be recorded to form a printing layer, and a protective material layer which is thermally transferred onto the medium to be recorded to form a protection layer; a transfer sheet traveling unit that causes the thermal transfer sheet to travel; a reforming sheet that includes a printing opening for bringing the ink layer and the protective material layer into contact with a surface of the medium to be recorded, and a surface property reforming unit for reforming a surface property of the protection layer; a reforming sheet traveling unit that causes the reforming sheet to travel; and a thermal head that presses the surface property reforming unit on the medium to be recorded through the protective material layer having been thermally transferred to thereby heat the pressed surface property reforming unit, while thermally transferring the ink layer and the protective material layer on the medium to be recorded, wherein a region to form the protection layer is expanded to be wider than a region to reform the surface property of the protection layer.