Drying apparatus, printing system and drying method for drying printing medium by hot wind

A drying apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor which conveys a printing medium having a recording surface and a non-recording surface opposite to the recording surface, an aqueous ink adhering to the recording surface,
• a preceding-stage dryer which dries the printing medium by injecting a gas toward the recording surface of the printing medium being conveyed by the conveyor;
• and
• a next-stage dryer which dries the printing medium by injecting the gas toward the recording surface of the printing medium being conveyed by the conveyor on a side downstream of the preceding-stage dryer in a moving direction of the printing medium conveyed by the conveyor,
• a wind velocity of the gas injected by the preceding-stage dryer being lower than a wind velocity of the gas injected by the next-stage dryer,
• wherein the preceding-stage dryer includes a plurality of first nozzles arrayed in the moving direction of the printing medium conveyed by the conveyor on the recording surface side of the printing medium and injects the gas toward the recording surface of the printing medium from the first nozzles,
• wherein the next-stage dryer includes a plurality of second nozzles arrayed in the moving direction of the printing medium conveyed by the conveyor on the recording surface side of the printing medium and injects the gas toward the recording surface of the printing medium from the second nozzles, and
• wherein a wind velocity of the gas injected by the first nozzle is lower than a wind velocity of the gas injected by the second nozzle.