Image forming apparatus and heating control method capable of suppressing image distortion

A heating control method executed by an image forming apparatus that includes a take-up portion configured to take up a strip-shaped medium;

• an ejection portion configured to eject ink toward a first surface of the medium pulled out from a supply source of the medium by the take-up portion;
• a guide portion provided at a position sandwiching the medium between the guide portion and the ejection portion, the guide portion configured to form a guide surface that guides the medium by coming into contact with a second surface of the medium on a rear side of the first surface;
• and a plurality of heating elements arranged along a width direction of the medium below the guide surface;
• the heating control method comprising:
• a determination step of determining heating elements to be driven based on a width of the medium;
• and
• a drive control step of driving the heating elements determined by the determination step as heating elements to be driven,
• wherein a central portion in the width direction of the guide surface bulges toward the medium by a distance equal to or greater than a lower limit value corresponding to a type of the medium.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a take-up portion configured to take up a strip-shaped medium;
• an ejection portion configured to eject ink toward a first surface of the medium pulled out from a supply source of the medium by the take-up portion;
• a guide portion provided at a position sandwiching the medium between the guide portion and the ejection portion, the guide portion configured to form a guide surface that guides the medium by coming into contact with a second surface of the medium on a rear side of the first surface;
• a plurality of heating elements arranged along a width direction of the medium below the guide surface;
• a determination processing portion configured to determine heating elements to be driven based on a width of the medium;
• and
• a drive control portion configured to drive the heating elements determined by the determination processing portion as heating elements to be driven,
• wherein a central portion in the width direction of the guide surface bulges toward the medium by a distance equal to or less than an upper limit value corresponding to an ink ejection speed of the ejection portion.