Recording apparatus

A recording apparatus comprising:

• a recording medium having a recording layer having a characteristic in which a receding contact angle decreases when said recording layer is heated in a condition where said recording layer is in contact with a liquid;
• first heating means, coupled to said recording medium, for selectively heating said recording layer in accordance with image information;
• and
• first supplying means, coupled to said recording medium, for supplying a contact material to a surface of said recording layer, said contact material being selected from a liquid, a vapor and a solid which generates or changes to either a vapor or liquid under conditions of a temperature lower than a temperature at which the receding contact angle on said recording layer starts to decrease,
• wherein the receding contact angle on an area on the surface of said recording layer, where said contact material is supplied and said first heating means heats, decreases so that a latent image corresponding to said area is formed on the surface of said recording layer.