An infrared irradiating portion is turned on in accordance with power-on of an image forming apparatus 10, and an air sucking operation of an air sucking portion 300 is started after a temperature of an infrared radiation member 305 of an IR irradiating portion 13 reaches a predetermined temperature.

A light irradiator includes a housing having vents and a light-emission opening. The housing has a first surface having a first side with a first dimension and a second side with a second dimension, a second surface having the second side and a third side with a third dimension, and a third surface having the first side and the third side. The housing includes the light-emission opening in the first surface, and a first vent and a second vent in the second surface. The first vent is nearer the light-emission opening than the second vent. The second vent is opposite to the light-emission opening. The light irradiator includes an axial fan at the second vent that has a fan size greater than the first dimension and less than the second dimension, and a plate that faces the axial fan with a spacing with the first dimension or less.

A method is disclosed. The method may comprise applying a coating of electrically charged fluid print agent to a developer surface, the fluid print agent comprising particles of thermoplastic resin in a carrier fluid. The method may further comprise controlling migration of fluid print agent from the developer surface to form an image from fluid print agent on a first surface. The method may further comprise irradiating the print agent on the first surface with ultraviolet radiation to heat the print agent to a temperature of at least 70° C. to melt the thermoplastic resin. A print system and a heating unit are also disclosed.

A volt meter and a current meter may measure a voltage and a current for the calculation of power consumption. A controller may calculate the power consumption when a heating element is activated and when the heating element is deactivated. Based on the power consumptions when the heating element is activated or deactivated, a failure condition may be determined.

A photoresponsive polymer that is fluidized by light irradiation and reversibly non-fluidized and contains a structural unit represented by a general formula (1) shown below:

##STR00001## wherein each substituent is defined as described in the specification.

A compound that is fluidized by light irradiation and reversibly non-fluidized and is represented by the following general formula (1):

##STR00001##

In the general formula (1), Ar.sub.1 and Ar.sub.2 each independently represent an aromatic hydrocarbon group optionally having a substituent or an aromatic heterocyclic group optionally having a substituent, and Y, Z.sub.1, and Z.sub.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group.

A digital printing process for xerography printing with curable dry toner. The process includes: forming a latent image as a pattern of electric charge on a surface of an imaging member; transferring dry toner onto a development member; developing the latent image by transferring dry toner from the development member onto the imaging member in accordance with the pattern; transferring the dry toner from the imaging member to a first substrate; applying a second substrate on the transferred dry toner, fusing the transferred dry toner, and bonding the second substrate to the first substrate. The fusing is done before and/or during and/or after the applying of the second substrate. After application of the second substrate, the dry toner is irradiated with actinic radiation or particle beams to cure at least the fused transferred dry toner. The irradiating is done after and/or during the fusing.

A photocuring printing system. A developing drum is rotatable and is light-transmissive; the developing drum and a carrier are oppositely arranged and movable with respect to each other; the developing drum has a developing surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by the developing engine; a feeder and the developing surface are oppositely arranged; during a rotation of the developing drum, a photocurable material provided by the feeder is selectively attracted by the electrostatic latent image to form a material layer on the developing surface; the material layer is applied, by the developing drum, on a forming surface of the carrier or a cured model on the carrier; and a curing light beam emitted by a curing light source passes through a material-laying side of the developing drum to irradiate the material layer between the developing drum and the carrier to form a cured layer.

An infrared irradiating portion is turned on in accordance with power-on of an image forming apparatus 10, and an air sucking operation of an air sucking portion 300 is started after a temperature of an infrared radiation member 305 of an IR irradiating portion 13 reaches a predetermined temperature.

An image forming method for forming an image on a base material by using powder includes: attaching a protective material to a surface of the base material on which the image is to be formed; forming an attachment layer on at least one of the base material and the protective material attached to the base material; attaching the powder to the attachment layer after attaching the protective material; and removing excess powder attached to the protective material from the protective material without attaching to the attachment layer.