PURPOSE: To provide a recording device having functions to improve productive efficiency and prevent mixture of hot melt ink, and a hot melt ink to be used for it.

CONSTITUTION: When a quantity of a hot melt ink in an ink tank 17 becomes smaller than a predetermined quantity, a light emitting lamp 7 equipped at an ink melting chamber 13 emits light having a predetermined wavelength. Then, fluorescent dye 1 in an ink nugget 5 used as a source of hot melt ink which is inserted into the ink melting chamber 13 emit fluorescence and a light receiving element 9 detects the light and sends a signal to a control device 21. When the signal is correct, a melting chamber heating device 11 is actuated so as to heat and melt the ink nugget 5 for a predetermined quantity. When the signal from the light receiving element 9 is not correct, the melting chamber heating device 11 is not actuated and an output device 23 indicates an abnormality for an operator.