The present invention provides a fixing device and a fixing method, and an image
forming apparatus using the fixing device, wherein at least heat is applied to
an unfixed toner image formed on a recording material to soften or melt toner of
the unfixed toner image into a state of being able to be deformed by an external
force, and, while the toner is maintained in the state of being able to be deformed
by an external force, the toner is pressed to be flowed with a pressing surface
having a temperature adjusted to be lower than a temperature at which the toner
can be deformed by an external force to be flowed, whereby it is possible to obtain
an image which is free from wasteful energy consumption, and has image quality
excellent in transparency of a toner image and in OHP permeability, and has a high
glossiness and free from gloss nonuniformity, and with which curl is hardly caused
in a recording material.
