Fixing systems including image conditioner and image pre-heater and methods of fixing marking material to substrates

A method of fixing marking material to a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• applying marking material to a surface of a substrate with a marking device;
• pre-heating the substrate and the marking material disposed on the surface of the substrate using a non-contact pre-heating device;
• feeding the pre-heated substrate and the pre-heated marking material disposed on the surface of the substrate to a fixing nip of a heated fixing device disposed downstream from the non-contact pre-heating device, the fixing nip being formed by a pair of opposed fixing members, at least one of the pair of opposed fixing members being heated by a heat source;
• applying heat and pressure to the pre-heated substrate and the pre-heated marking material disposed on the surface of the substrate at the fixing nip to fix the marking material on the substrate;
• feeding the substrate and the marking material disposed on the surface of the substrate to at least one non-heated conditioning device positioned between the non-contact pre-heating device and the heated fixing device, the at least one non-heated conditioning device being comprised of a pair of opposed first non-heated conditioning members that apply pressure to level the marking material disposed on the surface of the substrate;
• and
• applying pressure to level the marking material disposed on the surface of the substrate with the at least one non-heated conditioning device,
• wherein, when received by the at least one non-heated conditioning device, the substrate and the marking material disposed on the surface of the substrate are at a temperature condition that satisfies a relationship:
• Tamb<Tint<Tm, where Tamb is ambient temperature, Tint is a temperature at an interface between the marking material and the surface of the substrate on which the marking material is disposed, and Tm is a melting temperature of the marking material, and the temperature Tint is increased to at least Tm when the substrate and the marking material disposed on the surface of the substrate are passed through the fixing nip.