Abstract: This disclosure is directed to formulations for inks and methods for achieving those formulations for use in an emerging class of variable data digital lithographic image forming devices. Specific sub-system requirements that are unique to the emerging architecture caused an exploration of formula boundaries that, through experimentation, were determined to substantially reduce particle sizes for the color pigments enabling a higher latitude for ink image thickness. Experimentally-derived behavior in reducing particle size and adjusting rheological properties results when a inks are processed using a 3-roll mill with cooling employed. Inks demonstrated a preferably reduced preferred particle size distribution enabling a higher latitude for ink image thickness down to about 0.5 microns.

Abstract: An ink composition useful for digital offset printing applications includes a colorant and a high viscosity thickening agent. The ink is formulated to incorporate polyester viscosity modifier to help meet the requirement of two different viscosity or temperature pairs at two different stages of the process. In digital offset printing a bulk ink is first transferred onto an anilox roll, and then from the anilox roll onto the imaging cylinder blanket. During the bulk ink to anilox roll the disclosed ink has a low viscosity while the transfer from roll to imaging blanket the ink has a higher viscosity. The addition of the polyester viscosity modifier increases the viscosity difference within the allowable temperature range, thus, increasing process latitude and robustness.

Abstract: An ink composition, including 30% or less pigment, 10% or less dispersant, between 40% and 80% acrylate, 12% or less photoinitiator, and having a viscosity between 2×106 cP and 5×107 cP at 25° C., and between 2.×105 cP and 4.×106 cP at 60° C., and a 60 second tack between 40 and 65 g-m at 25° C., and between 10 and 20 g-m at 60° C.

Abstract: Methods for making pigmented, curable, liquid ink compositions, and the ink compositions prepared from the methods are disclosed. The method includes adding at least one monomer and a dispersant to mixing vessel, and metering into the mixing vessel at least one pigment over a period of time. The method further includes adding at least one initiator and at least one curing agent, and then milling the composition. The pigmented, curable, high viscosity liquid ink compositions are suitable for digital offset printing.

Abstract: A white ink composition for ink-based digital printing includes a white pigment. The white pigment is titanium dioxide. A method for ink-based digital printing includes applying dampening fluid to an imaging member to form a dampening fluid layer, patterning the dampening fluid layer using a laser imaging system, applying a white ink composition to the imaging member surface having the patterned dampening fluid disposed thereon to form an ink image, partially curing the ink image, and transferring the partially cured ink image to a printable substrate.

Abstract: An ink composition, including 20% or less pigment, 10% or less dispersant, between 50% and 75% acrylate with acrylate being a mixture of a trifunctional acrylate monomer, a tetrafunctional polyester acrylate oligomer, and an optional difunctional polyester acrylate oligomer, 12% or less photoinitiator, and wherein an effective amount of the trifunctional acrylate monomer in combination with the tetrafunctional polyester acrylate oligomer, and the optional difunctional polyester acrylate oligomer provides the ink composition with a near-zero shear viscosity between 2×106 cP and 5×107 cP at 25° C., and between 2.×105 cP and 4.×106 cP at 60° C., and a 60 second tack between 40 and 65 g-m at 25° C., and between 10 and 20 g-m at 60° C., and an energy of activation between 15 and 180 at kJ/mol at 1 rad/s, and between 40 and 120 at kJ/mol at 100 rad/s.

Abstract: A toner including a resin; and a colorant wax comprising a plurality of colorant wax particles comprising a colorant core surrounded by a wax shell, wherein the colorant wax particles exhibit a particle size distribution of from about 150 nanometers to less than about 300 nanometers; and wherein the colorant wax is prepared by (a) melting and mixing a dry colorant with at least one wax to form a colorant concentrate, wherein the colorant concentrate contains at least 25 percent by weight of colorant; (b) milling the colorant concentrate of step (a) to form a milled colorant concentrate; (c) combining the milled colorant concentrate of (b) with water and dispersing to form the plurality of colorant wax particles; wherein the melting and mixing of step (a) and the milling of step (b) is done in an immersion media mill; and wherein the combining of step (c) is done using a piston homogenizer.

Abstract: A toner including a resin; and a colorant wax comprising a plurality of colorant wax particles comprising a colorant core surrounded by a wax shell, wherein the colorant wax particles exhibit a particle size distribution of from about 150 nanometers to less than about 300 nanometers; and wherein the colorant wax is prepared by (a) melting and mixing a dry colorant with at least one wax to form a colorant concentrate, wherein the colorant concentrate contains at least 25 percent by weight of colorant; (b) milling the colorant concentrate of step (a) to form a milled colorant concentrate; (c) combining the milled colorant concentrate of (b) with water and dispersing to form the plurality of colorant wax particles; wherein the melting and mixing of step (a) and the milling of step (b) is done in an immersion media mill; and wherein the combining of step (c) is done using a piston homogenizer.

Abstract: A method for continuous production of radiation curable ink suitable for ink-based digital printing includes feeding ingredients suitable for forming a pigment concentrate to an extruder; blending the ingredients in the extruder to form a pigment concentrate paste; feeding additional ingredients to the extruder for blending with the ink concentrate to form an ink product configured for ink-based digital printing, wherein a pigment particle size is less than about 1 micron.

Abstract: An ink composition useful for digital offset printing applications comprises a fluorescent colorant and a plurality of curable compounds. The compounds have Hansen solubility parameters as described herein, and the resulting ink composition is both compatible with certain dampening fluids and has certain rheological properties, including a low viscosity. The fluorescent ink composition is useful for printing security features at high speed in short runs with customized data to produce anti-counterfeit packaging.

Abstract: Methods for making pigmented, curable, liquid ink compositions, and the ink compositions prepared from the methods are disclosed. The method includes adding at least one monomer and a dispersant to mixing vessel, and metering into the mixing vessel at least one pigment over a period of time. The method further includes adding at least one initiator and at least one curing agent, and then milling the composition. The pigmented, curable, high viscosity liquid ink compositions are suitable for digital offset printing.

Abstract: Compatible acrylate ink sets include acrylate ink composition having 30% or less by weight pigment, 10% or less dispersant, between 40% and 80% acrylate, 12% or less photoinitiator, a viscosity between 5×105 and 3×107 cps at 35° C., and a 60 second tack between 25 and 50 g-m at 35° C.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a process black ink composition for digital offset printing including a cyan colorant including a cyan pigment, a magenta colorant including a magenta pigment and a yellow colorant including a yellow pigment, wherein the process black ink composition includes a total amount of pigment of at least about 15 wt %, a photo-initiator a dispersant, and a curable ink vehicle component including at least one component selected from a curable monomer or a curable oligomer; wherein the process black ink composition comprises a ratio of the cyan colorant to the yellow colorant of 0.70-0.80:1.0 and a ratio of the magenta colorant to the yellow colorant of 0.90-0.80:1.0, and wherein the process black ink composition does not comprise carbon black. Methods of preparing the present process black ink composition and using the process black ink composition are also provided.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a process black ink composition for digital offset printing including a cyan colorant including a cyan pigment, a magenta colorant including a magenta pigment and a yellow colorant including a yellow pigment, wherein the process black ink composition includes a total amount of pigment of at least about 15 wt %, a photo-initiator, a dispersant, and a curable ink vehicle component including at least one component selected from a curable monomer or a curable oligomer wherein the process black ink composition comprises a ratio of the cyan colorant to the yellow colorant of 0.70-0.80:1.0 and a ratio of the magenta colorant to the yellow colorant of 0.90-0.80:1.0, and wherein the process black ink composition does not comprise carbon black. Methods of preparing the present process black ink composition and using the process black ink composition are also provided.

Abstract: Methods for making pigmented, curable, liquid ink compositions, and the ink compositions prepared from the methods are disclosed. The method includes adding at least one monomer and a dispersant to mixing vessel, and metering into the mixing vessel at least one pigment over a period of time. The method further includes adding at least one initiator and at least one curing agent, and then milling the composition. The pigmented, curable, high viscosity liquid ink compositions are suitable for digital offset printing.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for producing variable pearlescent image elements or portions on image receiving media substrates using a variable digital data offset lithographic architecture which provides for varying lithographic images between cycles of a marking device. Pearlescent inks are provided with a solid particle pearlescent pigment components in a proportion of at least 30% by weight suspended in solution in an ink composition. Pearlescent inks are provided with a solid particle pearlescent pigment components having particle sizes in excess of ten microns suspended in solution in the ink composition. The disclosed systems and methods provide for variable pearlescent image elements or portions to be formed on an image receiving medium substrate separate from, or in combination with, other ink image elements or portions applied using other inks in a single device, and/or in a single pass of the image receiving media substrates through an image forming system.

Abstract: Ink compositions are prepared by processes that include acoustically mixing a plurality of components at a resonance frequency. This encourages mixing of the components over a large range of viscosities with a minimal temperature rise and also shortens mixing time.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a white ink composition for use in digital offset printing, including a first white colorant including a first plurality of white pigment particles, wherein an average diameter of at least about 40% of the first plurality of white pigment particles is in a range of about 250 nanometers to about 350 nanometers, a second white colorant including a second plurality of white pigment particles, wherein an average diameter of at least about 40% of the second plurality of white pigment particles is in a range of about 350 nanometers to about 550 nanometers, at least one dispersant, at least one component selected from a curable monomer or a curable oligomer, and a photo-initiator. Also provided is a method of digital offset printing using the white ink composition of the present disclosure.

Abstract: An ink composition, including 30% or less pigment, 10% or less dispersant, between 40% and 80% acrylate, 12% or less photoinitiator, and having a viscosity between 2×106 cP and 5×107 cP at 25° C., and between 2.×105 cP and 4.×106 cP at 60° C., and a 60 second tack between 40 and 65 g-m at 25° C., and between 10 and 20 g-m at 60° C.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for producing variable pearlescent image elements or portions on image receiving media substrates using a variable digital data offset lithographic architecture which provides for varying lithographic images between cycles of a marking device. Pearlescent inks are provided with a solid particle pearlescent pigment components in a proportion of at least 10% by weight suspended in solution in an ink composition. Pearlescent inks are provided with a solid particle pearlescent pigment components having particle sizes in excess of ten microns suspended in solution in the ink composition. The disclosed systems and methods provide for variable pearlescent image elements or portions to be formed on an image receiving medium substrate separate from, or in combination with, other ink image elements or portions applied using other inks in a single device, and/or in a single pass of the image receiving media substrates through an image forming system.