A method is disclosed. The method may comprise forming an image on a surface by controlled electrostatic transfer of a fluid print agent comprising thermoplastic resin disposed in a carrier fluid The method may also comprise heating the fluid print agent on the surface to remove the carrier fluid and to melt the thermoplastic resin and allowing the melted thermoplastic resin in continuous areas on the surface to fuse together to form an image from fused print agent. The method may further involve providing a printed substrate bearing the image formed from fused print agent. The method may further comprise irradiating the printed substrate with an ultraviolet narrowband source so as to cause heating of the fused print agent to melt the thermoplastic resin. A print system and a print apparatus are also disclosed.

A heater includes a heat-resistant insulating substrate, a plurality of heat generating members arrayed in a first direction on a first surface of the substrate, and a plurality of heat radiating bodies disposed on a surface different from the first surface of the substrate at positions corresponding to gap portions between the heat generating members to passively radiate heat generated thereby.

An image forming apparatus includes a latent image forming device and a visualizing device. The latent image forming device forms a latent image with an adhesive on a base material. The visualizing device causes particles to adhere to the latent image to visualize the latent image as an uneven image. The particles each contains an insoluble substance.

A fixing device includes a belt, a roller, a heater, and a reflector. The belt is rotatable in a rotational direction. The roller is positioned to be in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the belt so as to form a nip between the roller and the belt. The heater is disposed within an inner circumference of the belt. The reflector is configured to reflect heat generated by the heater toward an inner surface of the belt. The reflector includes a first portion that is in contact with the belt at a first region downstream with respect to the nip in the rotational direction. The first portion causes a curvature of the belt at the first region to be greater than the curvature of the belt at regions of the belt adjacent to the first region.

A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.

A heating device includes a heating unit that heats in a non-contact manner an upper surface of a transport material that is transported, and a blowing unit that blows air against a lower surface of the transport material via a blowing hole that is provided in an opposing surface opposing the lower surface of the transport material, the opposing surface being obliquely disposed with respect to a horizontal direction.

A transport device includes a transport unit that transports a sheet-like transport material without holding a one-end-side portion of the transport material in a transport direction; and a blowing unit that blows air against a lower surface of the transport material that is transported by the transport unit via multiple blowing holes that open with respect to the lower surface, an arrangement interval of the multiple blowing holes in the transport direction being inconstant in the transport direction.

An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing; a photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction; a developing cartridge; a transfer unit; a solvent cartridge accommodating solvent for dissolving toner; an applicator applying the solvent to the toner on a sheet; and a cover movable between an open position and a closed position. The developing cartridge and the solvent cartridge are detachably attachable to the main casing independently of each other. The developing cartridge and the solvent cartridge are positioned between the applicator and the cover in a second direction crossing the first direction, and the solvent cartridge is positioned closer to the applicator than the developing cartridge is to the applicator in a state where the developing cartridge and the solvent cartridge are attached to the main casing and the cover is at the closed position.

An image forming device includes a transfer unit that transfers a toner image onto a recording medium that has first and second surfaces and is conveyed in a conveyance direction; a main heating unit arranged downstream of the transfer unit in the conveyance direction, and which contacts and heats the recording medium and fixes the toner image onto the recording medium; a reversing unit that reverses front and back of the recording medium having a first toner image fixed onto the first surface; and a preheating unit arranged between the transfer and main heating units in the conveyance direction and that heats the recording medium having a second toner image transferred onto the second surface. The preheating unit heats the recording medium so that a temperature of the first surface is lower than a softening point of a toner before the recording medium is heated by the main heating unit.

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.