Printing method and printing device

A printing device for printing by an ink jet method on a printing medium containing a region where ink is not easily retained due to a small capillary force, the device comprising:

• a flocculant supplier adapted to supply a flocculant for promoting aggregation reaction of an aggregative material that gels by aggregation to at least a region of the printing medium having a small capillary force,
• an ink supplier adapted to shoot droplets of ink containing the aggregative material by an ink jet method to at least the region of the printing medium having a small capillary force, and
• a fixing device adapted to fix the ink that has gelled by the aggregation reaction between the aggregative material and the flocculant onto the printing medium.

A printing method of printing by an ink jet method on a printing medium having a region that extends from a front surface through to a reverse surface and permits easy penetration of ink by virtue of a great capillary force, the printing method comprising:

• supplying a flocculant for promoting aggregation reaction of an aggregative material that gels by aggregation to a given region in at least one of a front surface region and a reverse surface region of the printing medium,
• shooting droplets of ink containing the aggregative material by an ink jet method to the given region, and
• fixing the ink that has gelled by the aggregation reaction between the aggregative material and the flocculant onto the given region of the printing medium.