| 摘要 |
<p>An image recording apparatus includes a printing unit (100, 500) for making ink adhere to a recording medium (RM) without contact therewith to form an image on the recording medium (RM), and a dye receiving layer coating unit (200, 201, 202, 510) for coating an image formation surface of the recording medium (RM) with a dye receiving layer before the recording medium (RM) is transported to the printing unit (100, 500). The printing unit (100, 500) forms an image by vaporizing powdery sublimation dye ink and intermittently ejecting the vaporized ink in accordance with image data. The dye receiving layer coating unit (200, 201, 202, 510) makes dye receptor particles adhere to the recording medium (RM) electrostatically, or liquid dye receptor adhere to the recording medium (RM) by ejection, and thereafter fixes the dye receptor particles or the liquid dye receptor adhering on the recording medium (RM). A common fixing unit (14) may be used for the dye receiving layer coating unit (510) and the printing unit (500). In addition, a sensor (20) for deciding whether the recording medium (RM) is of specific paper with a preapplied dye receiving layer or of plain paper may be provided so as to operate the dye receiving layer coating unit (200, 201, 202, 510) only when the plain paper is detected. <IMAGE></p> |
