Externally heated NFFR fuser

A combination belt and roll fuser has a pair of pressure engageable rolls with a belt looped or wrapped around one of the pressure engageable rolls such that the belt is sandwiched therebetween. The belt is deformed due to the force exerted by the pressure rolls such that it forms a single fusing nip. Substrates carrying toner images pass through the single fusing nip with the toner images contacting the outer surface of the belt. An internally heated, thermally conductive roll contacts a portion of the belt externally at a pre-nip location for elevating its temperature. The pressure engageable roll about which the belt is entrained is internally heated during warm-up for minimizing droop. This belt and roll fuser configuration exhibits the characteristics of a Nip Forming Fuser Roll (NFFR) fuser.