Image forming method and apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an intermediate transfer body;
• a liquid ejection device which ejects and deposits droplets of an ink containing a coloring material and a radiation polymerizable compound on the intermediate transfer body, the radiation polymerizable compound having a molecular structure including a radical polymerizable group and a cationically polymerizable group;
• a liquid supply device which supplies the ink to the liquid ejection device;
• a first radiation irradiation device which irradiates the ink having been deposited on the intermediate transfer body by the liquid ejection device with a first radiation so that one of the radical polymerizable group and the cationically polymerizable group in the ink is selectively polymerized and cured;
• a heating device which heats the selectively polymerized and cured ink to a temperature not lower than a softening point of the selectively polymerized and cured ink and not higher than a temperature above the softening point by 10° C.;
• a pressing device which presses the ink heated by the heating device so that the ink is transferred from the intermediate transfer body to a recording medium;
• and
• a second radiation irradiation device which irradiates the ink having been transferred to the recording medium by the pressing device with a second radiation so that the other of the radical polymerizable group and the cationically polymerizable group is polymerized and cured.