Image forming apparatus and image structure

An image structure that is obtained by transferring an image formed on an intermediate transfer unit onto a recording medium having a high resistance value equal to or greater than a predetermined resistance value and including a conductive agent contained in a medium base material of the recording medium by using an image forming apparatus including

• the intermediate transfer unit that holds an image to be transferred onto a recording medium,
• a base image formation unit that forms a base image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using a base image forming agent excluding a transparent image forming agent, the base image being brought into contact with and disposed onto an entire surface of the recording medium or a partial region of the surface of the recording medium,
• a transparent image formation unit that forms a transparent image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using the transparent image forming agent, and
• a color image formation unit that forms a color image onto the intermediate transfer unit by using one or a plurality of color image forming agents excluding the transparent image forming agent,
• wherein the transparent image is directly superposed on the base image on a surface of the recording medium or is superposed on the base image on the surface of the recording medium with the color image interposed between the transparent image and the base image.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• intermediate transfer means for holding an image to be transferred onto a recording medium;
• base image formation means for forming a planar base image onto the intermediate transfer means by using an opaque base image forming agent, the base image being brought into contact with and disposed onto an entire surface of the recording medium or a partial region of the surface of the recording medium;
• transparent image formation means for forming a transparent image onto the intermediate transfer means by using a transparent image forming agent;
• first control means for performing control for transferring a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the base image formed on the intermediate transfer means by the base image formation means onto the recording medium;
• second control means for performing control for superposing a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the base image formed by the base image formation means onto the transparent image formed on the intermediate transfer means by the transparent image formation means and for transferring a monochromatic or polychromatic image including the transparent image and the base image onto the recording medium;
• and
• selection means for selecting the first control means or the second control means depending on a recording medium type in response to information which indicates whether the recording medium has a high resistance value that is equal to or greater than a predetermined resistance value and includes a conductive agent contained in a medium base material of the recording medium.