Image forming apparatus and image forming method using toners with different softening points

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes image forming units forming toner images with first toners having different colors and a second toner having a different softening point from the first toners, an image transfer unit superposing the toner images one on top of another and transferring the superposed toner images onto a recording medium at least such that the toner image formed of the second toner is at the top of the superposed toner images, an image fixing unit fixing the transferred toner images, and an image controller that causes the image forming unit that uses the second toner to form the toner image over at least part of an image area and also causes the image transfer unit to perform the transfer such that the toner image formed of the second toner is at the top of the superposed toner images in the at least part of the image area.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of image forming units that form respective toner images by using respective toners including a plurality of first toners having different colors and a second toner having a different softening point from the first toners; an image transfer unit that has a mode in which the toner images formed by the image forming units are superposed one on top of another and are transferred onto a recording medium at least such that one of the toner images that is formed of the second toner is at the top of the superposed toner images; an image fixing unit that fixes the toner images transferred onto the recording medium by the image transfer unit on the recording medium; and an image controller that causes, when the image transfer unit is in the mode, one of the image forming units that uses the second toner to form the toner image over at least part of an image area and also causes the image transfer unit to transfer the toner images onto the recording medium such that the toner image formed of the second toner is at the top of the superposed toner images in the at least part of the image area, wherein the image controller causes, when the transfer unit is in a first mode, the plurality of image forming units to form the toner images using the second toner on a first area coverage corresponding to the first mode, and causes, when the transfer unit is in a second mode, the plurality of image forming units to form the toner images using the second toner on a second area coverage, greater than the first area coverage, corresponding to the second mode.