Image forming apparatus and image forming method

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a head configured to discharge an aqueous recording liquid onto a recording medium;
• and
• a coating unit configured to apply a process liquid onto the recording medium,
• wherein the process liquid is formed by emulsifying, by a first surfactant, water including a water-soluble polymer and a low polarity solvent which is not compatible with the water, wherein the water and the low polarity solvent are emulsified as a W/O emulsion in which the water is in a dispersed phase and the low polarity solvent is in a continuous phase,
• wherein the head includes a first head configured to discharge the aqueous recording liquid including a colorant;
• and a second head configured to discharge the aqueous recording liquid not including the colorant,
• wherein, in an area on the recording medium onto which the process liquid is applied by the coating unit, the first head discharges the aqueous recording liquid including the colorant onto a first area, and the second head discharges the aqueous recording liquid not including the colorant onto a second area, and
• wherein the first area is different the second area.

An image forming method of forming an image, the method comprising:

• a first step of using a head configured to discharge an aqueous recording liquid onto a recording medium;
• and
• a second step of using a coating unit configured to apply a process liquid onto the recording medium,
• wherein the process liquid is formed by emulsifying, by a first surfactant, water including a water-soluble polymer and a low polarity solvent which is not compatible with the water, wherein the water and the low polarity solvent are emulsified as a W/O emulsion in which the water is in a dispersed phase and the low polarity solvent is in a continuous phase,
• wherein at least one of the aqueous recording liquid and the process liquid includes a second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant causes an emulsified phase of the process liquid to be phase-inverted from the W/O emulsion to an O/W emulsion, and
• wherein, when the head discharges the aqueous recording liquid, and when the aqueous recording liquid and the process liquid contact each other, the emulsified phase of the process liquid is phase-inverted from the W/O emulsion to the O/W emulsion by the second surfactant.