Abstract: A process for preparing an aqueous ink composition including 1) preparing a colorant concentrate; 2) preparing a colorant wax dispersion 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 a colorant wax dispersion 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; 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; and 3) blending the colorant wax dispersion with an aqueous ink vehicle and optional i

Abstract: A process for preparing a pigmented wax dispersion including (a) melting and mixing a dry pigment with at least one wax to form a pigment concentrate, wherein the pigment concentrate contains at least 25 percent by weight of pigment; (b) milling the pigment concentrate of step (a) to form a milled pigment concentrate; (c) combining the milled pigment concentrate of (b) with water and dispersing to form a pigmented wax dispersion comprising a plurality of pigmented wax particles comprising a pigment core surrounded by a wax shell, wherein the pigmented wax particles exhibit a particle size distribution of from about 150 nanometers to less than about 300 nanometers; 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: An aqueous ink composition including water; a co-solvent; and an aqueous submicron colorant wax dispersion 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; wherein the aqueous submicron colorant wax dispersion 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 colorant wax dispersion; wherein the melting and mixing of step (a) and the milling of step (b) is done in an immersion media mill or a horizontal mill; and wherein the combining of step (c) is done using a piston homogenizer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are sacrificial coating compositions comprising at least one polymer chosen from polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, a wax emulsion comprising at least one wax, at least one surfactant, at least one hygroscopic agent, and water. In certain embodiments, the at least one wax in the wax emulsion has a melting point approaching but just below the ink transfer temperature, such as, for example, a melting point ranging from about 50° C. to about 150° C. Also disclosed herein is a blanket material suitable for transfix printing comprising a sacrificial coating composition, as well as an indirect printing process comprising a step of applying a sacrificial coating composition to a blanket material.

Abstract: An aqueous ink composition including water; a co-solvent; and an aqueous submicron colorant wax dispersion 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; wherein the aqueous submicron colorant wax dispersion 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 colorant wax dispersion; wherein the melting and mixing of step (a) and the milling of step (b) is done in an immersion media mill or a horizontal mill; and wherein the combining of step (c) is done using a piston homogenizer.

Abstract: A process for preparing a pigmented wax dispersion including (a) melting and mixing a dry pigment with at least one wax to form a pigment concentrate, wherein the pigment concentrate contains at least 25 percent by weight of pigment; (b) milling the pigment concentrate of step (a) to form a milled pigment concentrate; (c) combining the milled pigment concentrate of (b) with water and dispersing to form a pigmented wax dispersion comprising a plurality of pigmented wax particles comprising a pigment core surrounded by a wax shell, wherein the pigmented wax particles exhibit a particle size distribution of from about 150 nanometers to less than about 300 nanometers; 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 process for preparing an aqueous ink composition including 1) preparing a colorant concentrate; 2) preparing a colorant wax dispersion 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 a colorant wax dispersion 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; 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; and 3) blending the colorant wax dispersion with an aqueous ink vehicle and optional i

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 process for preparing a pigment dispersion including melting a phase change ink carrier and an optional dispersant at a temperature of from about 100° C. to about 170° C. in a jacketed vessel comprising a jacket surrounding an immersion mill or basket mill attachment and a dispersion blade attachment disposed within the jacketed vessel; mixing the melted phase change ink carrier and optional dispersant with a dispersion blade in the jacketed vessel; adding a pigment to the melted, mixed phase change ink carrier and optional dispersant in the jacketed vessel; wetting the pigment; after pigment wetting, reducing the pigment particle size using an immersion mill or basket mill attachment in the jacketed vessel; and discharging the pigment dispersion.

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: 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: A system and method are provided for producing Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) characters on image receiving medium substrates using a variable digital data offset lithographic architecture which provides for varying lithographic images between cycles of a marking device. MICR inks are provided with a solid particle magnetizable pigment components in a proportion of at least 20% by weight suspended in solution in the ink composition. MICR inks are provided with a solid particle magnetizable pigment components having particle sizes in excess of one micron suspended in solution in the ink composition. The disclosed systems and methods provide for MICR characters to be formed on an image receiving medium substrate over background images applied using other inks in a single device, and/or in a single pass of the image receiving medium substrate through the device.

Abstract: A process for preparing a pigment dispersion including melting a phase change ink carrier and an optional dispersant at a temperature of from about 100° C. to about 170° C. in a jacketed vessel comprising a jacket surrounding an immersion mill or basket mill attachment and a dispersion blade attachment disposed within the jacketed vessel; mixing the melted phase change ink carrier and optional dispersant with a dispersion blade in the jacketed vessel; adding a pigment to the melted, mixed phase change ink carrier and optional dispersant in the jacketed vessel; wetting the pigment; after pigment wetting, reducing the pigment particle size using an immersion mill or basket mill attachment in the jacketed vessel; and discharging the pigment dispersion.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for producing Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) characters on image receiving medium substrates using a variable digital data offset lithographic architecture which provides for varying lithographic images between cycles of a marking device. MICR inks are provided with a solid particle magnetizable pigment components in a proportion of at least 20% by weight suspended in solution in the ink composition. MICR inks are provided with a solid particle magnetizable pigment components having particle sizes in excess of one micron suspended in solution in the ink composition. The disclosed systems and methods provide for MICR characters to be formed on an image receiving medium substrate over background images applied using other inks in a single device, and/or in a single pass of the image receiving medium substrate through the device.

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.

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 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.

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: An ink composition useful for digital offset printing applications comprises a photochromic material 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 photochromic ink compositions are useful for providing security information in certain printing applications.