Print image treatment device

A print image treatment device comprising:

• supply means for supplying an excessive ink removing liquid, said excessive ink removing liquid not dissolving in a printing ink forming a print image and having a lower surface tension than that of the printing ink;
• a rotating contact member having an outer surface, on which said excessive ink removing liquid is supplied from the supply means;
• a facing member situated adjacent to the contact member for nipping and carrying a printing sheet having been printed between the contact member and the facing member, an excessive printing ink forming the print image on the printing sheet being transferred to the excessive ink removing liquid when the printing sheet contacts the contacting member;
• cleaning means contacting the contact member for removing the excessive printing ink with the excessive ink removing liquid;
• and
• separation means receiving the excessive ink removing liquid with the excessive printing ink for separating the excessive ink removing liquid from a mixture containing the excessive printing ink having been transferred from the printing sheet and the excessive ink removing liquid, said separation means including a filter having the thickness and air-flow resistance indicated below:
• 0.05<air-flow resistance/thickness in units of Kpa.multidot.sec/m.sup.2.