Pre-processing fluid, ink set, image forming apparatus, and image forming method

1. A pre-processing fluid comprising:

water:

a water soluble organic solvent;

a water soluble flocculant;

a compound represented by C 6 F 13 —CH 2 CH 2 O(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H Chemical formula 1,

where n represents an integer of from 1 to 40; and

a compound represented by HOR 1 R 3 C—(CH 2 ) m —CR 2 R 4 OH Chemical formula 2,

where R 1 and R 2 each, independently represent alkyl groups having 3 to 6 carbon atoms, R 3 and R 4 each, independently represent methyl groups or ethyl groups, and m represents an integer of from 1 to 6.

2. The pre-processing fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by Chemical formula 1 accounts for 0.01% by weight to 1% by weight.

3. The pre-processing fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by Chemical formula 2 accounts for 0.1% by weight to 0.5% by weight.

4. The pre-processing fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the water soluble flocculant comprises a water soluble aliphatic organic acid or a water soluble metal salt.

5. An ink set comprising:

the pre-processing fluid of claim 1 ; and

an aqueous pigment ink.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an application device to apply the pre-processing fluid of claim 1 to a recording medium; and

a discharging device to discharge an aqueous pigment ink to a surface of the recording medium to which the pre-processing fluid of claim 1 is already applied.

7. An image forming method comprising:

applying the pre-processing fluid of claim 1 to a recording medium; and

discharging an aqueous pigment ink to a surface of the recording medium to which the pre-processing fluid of claim 1 is already applied.