Image forming method and apparatus

1. An image forming method for forming an image on an image formation body, by using an ink liquid, including a coloring material and an aggregation treatment agent including a component that causes the coloring material to aggregate, the method comprising:

an aggregation treatment layer formation step of forming, on the image formation body, a semisolid aggregation treatment layer that includes the aggregation treatment agent and substantially colorless microparticles and has a moisture content ratio not more than 56%;

an ink droplet deposition step of ejecting droplets of the ink liquid and depositing the droplets of the ink liquid onto the image formation body where the aggregation treatment layer has been formed; and

a solvent removal step of removing a liquid solvent present on the image formation body after the ink droplet deposition step, wherein

a mean particle size of the microparticles is 0.1 μm to 10.0 μm; and

an amount of the microparticles applied to the intermediate transfer body is 0.01 g/m 2 to 5.0 g/m 2 .

2. The image forming method as defined in claim 1 , wherein a liquid including the aggregation treatment agent and the substantially colorless microparticles is dried in the aggregation treatment layer formation step.

3. The image forming method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the image forming method employs a direct image formation system in which an image is directly formed on the image formation body.

4. The image forming method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the image formation body is a recording medium having a property of being mildly permeable or impermeable to liquid.

5. The image forming method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the image forming method employs an intermediate transfer system in which an image is formed on the image formation body that is impermeable and the image is then transferred onto a recording medium.

6. The image forming method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the solvent removal step includes the step of removing the liquid solvent present on the image formation body by drying.

7. The image forming method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the solvent removal step includes the step of removing the liquid solvent present on the image formation body by absorption on an absorbing body.

8. An image forming apparatus which forms an image on an image formation body by using an ink liquid including a coloring material and an aggregation treatment agent including a component that causes the coloring material to aggregate, the apparatus comprising:

an aggregation treatment layer formation device which forms, on the image formation body, a semisolid aggregation treatment layer that includes the aggregation treatment agent and substantially colorless microparticles and has a moisture content ratio not more than 56%;

an ink droplet deposition device which ejects droplets of the ink liquid and deposits the droplets of the ink liquid onto the image formation body where the aggregation treatment layer has been formed; and

a solvent removal device which removes a liquid solvent present on the image formation body after the droplets of the ink liquid have been deposited on the image formation body by the ink droplet deposition device, wherein

the aggregation treatment layer formation device is a device suitable to apply the microparticles having a mean particle size of 0.1 μm to 10.0 μm to the image formation body, at a rate of 0.01 g/m 2 to 5.0 g/m 2 .

9. The image forming apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the aggregation treatment layer formation device comprises:

an aggregation treatment liquid application device which applies an aggregation treatment liquid obtained by converting the aggregation treatment agent into a liquid onto the image formation body; and

an aggregation treatment liquid drying device which dries the aggregation treatment liquid having been applied on the image formation body and forms the semisolid aggregation treatment layer on the image formation body.

10. The image forming apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the image forming apparatus is of a direct image formation system in which an image is directly formed on the image formation body.

11. The image forming apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the image formation body is a recording medium having a property of being mildly permeable or impermeable to liquid.

12. The image forming apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the image forming apparatus is of an intermediate transfer system in which an image is formed on the image formation body that is impermeable and the image is then transferred onto a recording medium.

13. The image forming apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the solvent removal device includes a device which removes a liquid solvent present on the image formation body by drying.

14. The image forming apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the solvent removal device includes a device which removes a liquid solvent present on the image formation body by absorption on an absorbing body.

15. An image forming method, comprising the steps of:

applying a liquid including a component that causes a coloring material of an ink to aggregate and substantially colorless microparticles onto an intermediate transfer body;

drying the liquid applied on the intermediate transfer body and forming a particulate layer including the microparticles and having a moisture content ratio not more than 56%;

ejecting droplets of the ink and depositing the droplets of the ink onto the intermediate transfer body where the particulate layer has been formed, in accordance with image data;

removing a liquid solvent present on the intermediate transfer body; and

transferring an image formed on the intermediate transfer body to a recording medium, wherein

a mean particle size of the microparticles is 0.1 μm to 10.0 μm; and

an amount of the microparticles applied to the intermediate transfer body is 0.01 g/m 2 to 5.0 g/m 2 .

16. The image forming method as defined in claim 15 , wherein the microparticles include an organic compound.

17. The image forming method as defined in claim 16 , wherein the microparticles include a polymer.

18. The image forming method as defined in claim 17 , wherein the microparticles include a polyolefin.

19. An image forming method, comprising the steps of:

applying a first liquid including substantially colorless microparticles to an intermediate transfer body;

applying a second liquid including a component that causes a coloring material of an ink to aggregate to the intermediate transfer body;

drying the first liquid and the second liquid present on the intermediate transfer body after at least the second liquid has been applied on the intermediate transfer body, and forming a particulate layer including the microparticles and having a moisture content ratio not more than 56%;

ejecting droplets of the ink and depositing the droplets of the ink onto the intermediate transfer body where the particulate layer has been formed, in accordance with image data;

removing a liquid solvent present on the intermediate transfer body; and

transferring an image formed on the intermediate transfer body to a recording medium, wherein

a mean particle size of the microparticles is 0.1 μm to 10.0 μm; and

an amount of the microparticles applied to the intermediate transfer body is 0.01 g/m 2 to 5.0 g/m 2 .

20. The image forming method as defined in claim 19 , wherein the microparticles include an organic compound.

21. The image forming method as defined in claim 20 , wherein the microparticles include a polymer.

22. The image forming method as defined in claim 21 , wherein the microparticles include a polyolefin.

23. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a liquid application device which applies a liquid including a component that causes a coloring material of an ink to aggregate and substantially colorless microparticles onto an intermediate transfer body;

a drying device which dries the liquid having been applied on the intermediate transfer body and forms a particulate layer including the microparticles and having a moisture content ratio not more than 56%;

an ink droplet deposition device which ejects droplets of the ink and deposits the droplets of the ink onto the intermediate transfer body where the particulate layer has been formed, in accordance with image data;

a solvent removal device which removes a liquid solvent present on the intermediate transfer body; and

a transfer device which transfers an image formed on the intermediate transfer body to a recording medium,

wherein the liquid application device is a device suitable to apply the microparticles having a mean particle size of 0.1 μm to 10.0 μm to the intermediate transfer body, at a rate of 0.01 g/m 2 to 5.0 g/m 2 .

24. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a first liquid application device which applies a first liquid including substantially colorless microparticles to an intermediate transfer body;

a second liquid application device which applies a second liquid including a component that causes a coloring material of an ink to aggregate to the intermediate transfer body;

a drying device which dries the first liquid and the second liquid present on the intermediate transfer body after at least the second liquid has been applied on the intermediate transfer body and forms a particulate layer including the microparticles and having a moisture content ratio not more than 56%;

an ink droplet deposition device which ejects droplets of the ink and deposits the droplets of the ink onto the intermediate transfer body where the particulate layer has been formed, in accordance with image data;

a solvent removal device which removes a liquid solvent present on the intermediate transfer body; and

a transfer device which transfers an image formed on the intermediate transfer body to a recording medium,

wherein the first liquid application device is a device suitable to apply the microparticles having a mean particle size of 0.1 μm to 10.0 μm to the intermediate transfer body, at a rate of 0.01 g/m 2 to 5.0 g/m 2 .