Abstract: An image forming method including: forming a liquid receiving particle layer on an intermediate transfer member using a liquid receiving particle that is capable of receiving a recording liquid including a recording material; forming an image of the recording material on a surface of the liquid receiving particle layer by applying a liquid droplet of the recording liquid to the liquid receiving particle layer on the basis of image data and holding the recording material on the surface of the liquid receiving particle layer on the intermediate transfer member; applying a transfer auxiliary liquid in at least a portion of a formation range of the image; and transferring the liquid receiving particle layer to which the recording liquid is applied to a transfer receiving member from the intermediate transfer member, such that the image is interposed between the transfer receiving member and the liquid receiving particle layer is provided.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method utilizing an ink set for ink jet recording which includes at least two types of liquids including an ink that contains at least a colorant, and a liquid composition that contains at least a component for aggregating and/or thickening the ink. The relation represented by the following formula (1) is satisfied: b2/a2<b1/a1 ??Formula (1) wherein a1 and b1 represent the respective amounts of the ink and the liquid composition applied per unit area, when the ink is applied to the recording material before the liquid composition is applied; a2 and b2 represent the respective amounts of the ink and the liquid composition applied per unit area, when the liquid composition is applied to the recording material before the ink is applied; and a1 and b1 satisfy the relation a1>b1 and a2 and b2 satisfy the relation a2>b2.

Abstract: A recording device including an intermediate transfer unit; a supply unit that supplies ink receiving particles that receive an ink onto the intermediate transfer unit in the form of a layer; a particle density increasing unit that increases the particle density of the layer of the ink receiving particles supplied onto the intermediate transfer unit; an ink application unit that applies an ink to the layer of the ink receiving particles supplied onto the intermediate transfer unit; a transfer unit that transfers the layer of the ink receiving particles onto a recording medium; and a fixing unit that fixes the layer of the ink receiving particles transferred onto the recording medium.

Abstract: An image recording device includes a processing solution-supplying unit that supplies, to a recording medium, a processing solution; an ink-ejecting unit that ejects ink to the recording medium; and an energy supplying unit that supplies energy to the recording medium, wherein the processing solution contains a polybasic acid having two or more groups reactive with components constituting the recording medium in a molecule.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method utilizing an ink set for ink jet recording which includes at least two types of liquids including an ink that contains at least a colorant, and a liquid composition that contains at least a component for aggregating and/or thickening the ink. The relation represented by the following formula (1) is satisfied: b2/a2<b1/a1 ??Formula (1) wherein a1 and b1 represent the respective amounts of the ink and the liquid composition applied per unit area, when the ink is applied to the recording material before the liquid composition is applied; a2 and b2 represent the respective amounts of the ink and the liquid composition applied per unit area, when the liquid composition is applied to the recording material before the ink is applied; and a1 and b1 satisfy the relation a1>b1 and a2 and b2 satisfy the relation a2>b2.

Abstract: Droplet ejecting apparatus has a recording medium carrier portion provided with recording medium carrier rollers conveying a recording medium, a droplet ejecting portion discharging droplets to the recording medium, and a droplet adherence preventing liquid applying portion applying droplet adherence preventing liquid preventing adherence of the droplets to at least one of the recording medium carrier rollers.

Abstract: A controller for a liquid drop ejecting device including a first head with plural first liquid drop ejectors, and a second head with plural second liquid drop ejectors, is provided. The controller includes: a scanning controlling section scanning at least the first head plural times a same region of a recording medium; and an ejection controlling section controlling the first and second head such that a proportion of an applied amount, per unit surface area, of the second liquid drops with respect to an applied amount, per unit surface area, of the first liquid drops in a first scan, is within a range of 0 to a first value, and the proportion in scans from a second scan on is within a range of a second value to 1, and the proportion in the first scan is smaller than the proportion in the scans from the second scan on.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink set having at least: an ink comprising a pigment and a resin that disperses the pigment; and a liquid that coagulates the pigment. The neutralization degree of the resin is in a range of about 0.1 to 0.6. The acid value of the resin is in a range of about 100 to 400 KOH mg/g. The amount of the resin contained in the ink is in a range of about 20 to 100% by mass relative to the amount of the pigment contained in the ink. The invention further provides an ink jet recording method including forming an image by imparting the ink set onto a surface of a recording medium. The invention further provides a droplet ejecting apparatus having a droplet ejecting unit that forms an image by ejecting droplets of the ink set onto a surface of a recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet recording method and an ink jet recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by using an ink containing a coloring agent and a liquid composition containing a component for coagulating and/or thickening the ink. The method is characterized in that the ink and the liquid composition are ejected onto the recording medium such that they are not in contact with each other on the recording medium immediately after the ejection and come into contact when a certain period of time has lapsed since the application.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method utilizing an ink set for ink jet recording which includes at least two types of liquids including an ink that contains at least a colorant, and a liquid composition that contains at least a component for aggregating and/or thickening the ink. The relation represented by the following formula (1) is satisfied: b2/a2<b1/a1 ??Formula (1) wherein a1 and b1 represent the respective amounts of the ink and the liquid composition applied per unit area, when the ink is applied to the recording material before the liquid composition is applied; a2 and b2 represent the respective amounts of the ink and the liquid composition applied per unit area, when the liquid composition is applied to the recording material before the ink is applied; and a1 and b1 satisfy the relation a1>b1 and a2 and b2 satisfy the relation a2>b2.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet recording method adopting an ink-jet recording apparatus including a printer head, which accommodates one or more kinds of ink and has a nozzle face on which one or more nozzles are provided, wherein the printer head is tilted when printing is being stopped so that an axis intersecting with the nozzle face at a right angle is displaced by 3 or more degrees from a direction of the axis when printing is being conducted, and an ink-jet recording apparatus used in the method.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet recording black ink containing at least water, a water-soluble organic solvent and a self-dispersible carbon black, and an ink-jet recording ink set and an ink-jet recording method using the ink-jet recording black ink. A volume mean diameter of dispersed particles contained in the black ink is in a range of 85 to 115 nm, and a volume of dispersed particles having a particle diameter of 0.5 to 1.0 ?m contained in the black ink is in a range of 0.001 to 0.03% relative to a volume of the ink.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink set for inkjet recording to form a black image portion in a color image with a black ink and a color ink, wherein the black ink contains at least cationic or anionic self-dispersible carbon black while the color ink contains at least a substance having an opposite polarity to that of the self-dispersible carbon black; and a method and an apparatus for inkjet recording using the ink set.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet recording black ink containing at least water, a water-soluble organic solvent and a self-dispersible carbon black, and an ink-jet recording ink set and an ink-jet recording method using the ink-jet recording black ink. A volume mean diameter of dispersed particles contained in the black ink is in a range of 85 to 115 nm, and a volume of dispersed particles having a particle diameter of 0.5 to 1.0 &mgr;m contained in the black ink is in a range of 0.001 to 0.03% relative to a volume of the ink.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet recording method adopting an ink-jet recording apparatus including a printer head, which accommodates one or more kinds of ink and has a nozzle face on which one or more nozzles are provided, wherein the printer head is tilted when printing is being stopped so that an axis intersecting with the nozzle face at a right angle is displaced by 3 or more degrees from a direction of the axis when printing is being conducted, and an ink-jet recording apparatus used in the method.

Abstract: The ink-jet recording method and apparatus use an ink containing at least, a pigment self-dispersible in water, a water soluble organic solvent and water, and carry out printing with an amount of the ink of 20 ng or less per one droplet, and the ink satisfies the following conditions: a dynamic contact angle upon dropping 4 &mgr;L of the ink on plain paper is about 60° or less after one second from dropping; a volume average particle diameter mv of dispersed particles of the pigment in the ink is about from 150 to 250 nm; and in the dispersed particles, a number of particles having a particle diameter of from 0.5 to 5 &mgr;m is about from 25×104 to 2,000×104 per microliter, and a number of particles having a particle diameter of 5 &mgr;m or more is about 100 per microliter or less.

Abstract: The ink-jet recording method and apparatus use an ink containing at least, a pigment self-dispersible in water, a water soluble organic solvent and water, and carry out printing with an amount of the ink of 20 ng or less per one droplet, and the ink satisfies the following conditions: a dynamic contact angle upon dropping 4 &mgr;L of the ink on plain paper is about 60° or less after one second from dropping; a volume average particle diameter mv of dispersed particles of the pigment in the ink is about from 150 to 250 nm; and in the dispersed particles, a number of particles having a particle diameter of from 0.5 to 5 &mgr;m is about from 50×104 to 2,000×104 per microlitter, and a number of particles having a particle diameter of 5 &mgr;m or more is about 100 per microlitter of less.

Abstract: In an aqueous ink jet recording liquid including at least water, a water-soluble organic solvent and a water-insoluble coloring material, (1) the absolute value of the zeta potential is 20 mV or more, (2) the conductivity is from 0.05 to 0.75 S/m, (3) the number average particle size of dispersed particles is from 15 to 200 nm, and (4) the number of particles having a particle size of 0.5 &mgr;m or more present in one liter is 2.5×1011 or less. Due to the aforementioned, dispersion stability of the coloring material can be maintained in the ink jet recording liquid in which the water-insoluble coloring material is dispersed, and the aqueous ink jet recording liquid is provided, which is excellent regarding stability over long periods of time, causes no ink flow route clogging and prevents kogation in printing, provides a recorded material having excellent rub resistance, printing quality, optical density, water resistance and lightfastness, and can prevent uneven density.

Abstract: A recording material is disclosed, comprising a colorless or pale solution containing an electrolyte, a water-soluble organic solvent and water, and an ink containing a pigment, an anionic compound, a water-soluble organic solvent and water, wherein the number of particles of 0.5 &mgr;m or more present in 1 L of the recording material is 1×1011 or more, and the number of particles of 5 &mgr;m or more is 1×109 or more. Also disclosed is an image forming method using the recording material.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink for ink jet recording comprising water, a water-soluble organic solvent, a pigment and a dispersant, wherein the dispersant has a hydrophilic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety and comprises a copolymer obtained by copolymerizing from 40 to 80 mol % of a monomer having an &agr;,&bgr;-ethylenically unsaturated group constituting the hydrophilic moiety and from 20 to 60 mol % of a monomer having an &agr;,&bgr;-ethylenically unsaturated group constituting the hydrophobic moiety.