Abstract: The present invention provides ink receptive particles, for receiving an ink containing a recording material, the ink receptive particles comprising trap structures for trapping at least a liquid component of the ink, and a liquid absorbing resin. Using the ink receptive particles, the invention also provides a marking materials system, an ink receiving method, a recording method, a recording apparatus, and an ink receptive particle storage cartridge.

Abstract: The invention provides a treatment liquid for ink jet, which includes at least an organic acid having a pKa value of 4.5 or less, a nonionic substance, and water, wherein: (I) the treatment liquid has a pH value of 1.5 to 5.5, (II) the nonionic substance has a weight-average molecular weight of 300 or more but less than 5,000, and (III) a difference in solubility parameter (SP value) between a fundamental skeleton part of the organic acid excluding its acid group and the nonionic substance is 0.01 to 0.75.

Abstract: An inkjet ink containing at least a pigment, a water-soluble solvent, at least two types of surfactant, and water, wherein: (I) at least one type of nonionic surfactant, and at least one of an anionic surfactant and/or an amphoteric surfactant are contained as the surfactants; (II) the nonionic surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of 1000 or less and an SP value of 9.2 to 13, and the total number of carbon atoms and oxygen atoms in a unit constituting a hydrophilic group portion is 10 or more in the nonionic surfactant; and (III) the at least one of an anionic surfactant and/or an amphoteric surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of from 175 to 1500.

Abstract: The invention provides a recording apparatus comprising an image forming liquid imparting device for imparting an image forming liquid to a recording medium, wherein an image forming liquid imparting port of the image forming liquid imparting device is provided with a supplying device for supplying at least one ionic liquid. The supplying device preferably mixes the ionic liquid with the image forming liquid in advance and supplies the ionic liquid together with the image forming liquid to the image forming liquid imparting port through the image forming liquid imparting device. Further, the amount of the ionic liquid to be mixed with the image forming liquid preferably exceeds the solubility of the ionic liquid to the image forming liquid.

Abstract: Provided is an ink at least containing a colorant and an ionic liquid, which is favorably used in the inkjet process. Also provided is an ink set consisting of the ink and/or a processing solution at least containing a flocculant. Also provided is a recording method and a recording device using the ink set, which apply the ink and the processing solution so that the ink and the processing solution contact each other and thus form an image on a recording medium. The ink may contain water and/or an organic solvent.

Abstract: The present invention is an ink set for ink-jet recording using at least two kinds of inks comprising a first ink containing at least a pigment, a water-soluble solvent and water, and a second ink containing at least a pigment, a coagulant, a water-soluble solvent and water and having the absolute value of ?-potential of not less than 10 mV. The present invention also provides an ink-jet recording method using the ink set for ink-jet recording, wherein an image is formed by applying the first ink and second ink on a recording medium so as to contact to each other. The present invention further provides an ink-jet recording apparatus comprising a recording head for ejecting at least the first ink and second ink.

Abstract: An ink-jet ink set comprising a first liquid and a second liquid, wherein the first liquid includes a colored particle, a dispersant, a water-soluble solvent, and water, the second liquid includes a water-soluble solvent, water, a coagulant capable of coagulating or insolubilizing the first liquid, the colored particle has a core-shell structure in which a core part is coated with a shell part, the core part comprises an uncolored component, and the shell part comprises a colored component. An ink-jet ink tank, an ink-jet recording method and an ink-jet recording apparatus utilizing the ink-jet ink set.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording head that ejects ink droplets, an ink tank that supplies ink to the recording head, a waste ink recovering mechanism that recovers ink droplets ejected from the recording head as waste ink, a waste-ink tank, which is connected to the waste-ink recovering mechanism and stores the waste ink, a diluent tank which is communicated with the waste-ink tank and accommodates a diluent that dilutes the waste ink, and at least one of diluent supplier, that is, one of a first diluent supplier which supplies the diluent in the diluent tank to the waste-ink tank to make the conductivity of the waste ink in the waste-ink tank substantially the same as the conductivity of the ink stored in the ink tank and a second diluent supplier which supplies the diluent in the diluent tank to the waste-ink tank to make the specific gravity of the waste ink in the waste-ink tank substantially the same as the specific gravity of the ink stored in the ink tank.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a liquid composition for ink jet which contains at least an organic acid having an acid dissociation constant pKa of 4.5 or less, a water-soluble solvent, and water, further comprising at least one of compounds selected from the following group, and this is utilized for an ink set for ink jet, an ink jet recording method and an ink jet recording apparatus, (a): a polyvalent metallic salt having an amount of addition to the organic acid which is equal to or more than 0.01 and is less than 1 in a mole ratio (the polyvalent metallic salt/organic acid); and (b): an organic amine compound having an amount of addition to the organic acid which is equal to or more than 0.1 and is equal to or less than 0.9 in a mole ratio (an organic amine compound/organic acid).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a kind of ink containing at least a pigment, first to third water-soluble solvent groups and water, wherein the first water-soluble solvent group contains one or more kind(s) water-soluble solvent having a solubility parameter SP1, the second water-soluble solvent group contains one or more kind(s) of water-soluble solvents having a solubility parameter which is at least 1 greater than SP1, and the third water-soluble solvent group contains one or more kind(s) of water-soluble solvents having a solubility parameter which is at least 1 less than SP1.

Abstract: An inkjet recording method which prints out by ejecting onto a recording medium an ink set for inkjet use, wherein the ink set comprises at least: a first liquid containing at least a coloring material, a water soluble solvent and water; a second liquid containing at least a coagulant, a water soluble solvent and water; and a third liquid containing at least a coagulant, a water soluble solvent and water; wherein, (A) printing modes comprise a single sided printing mode and a double sided printing mode, (B) when the single sided printing mode is selected printing is carried out by ejecting the first liquid and the second liquid, (C) when the double sided printing mode is selected printing is carried out by ejecting the first liquid and the third liquid, (D) the relationship 0.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink jet recording method which includes ejecting an ink set. The ink set includes a first liquid which includes a colorant, a water soluble solvent and water, and a second liquid which includes a coagulating agent, a water soluble solvent and water. Recording in a double sided print mode and recording in a single sided print mode are possible. The following Expression (1) is satisfied. 0.01 < RD 2 × RM 1 RD 1 × RM 2 < 1 Expression ? ? ? ( 1 ) In Expression (1), RD1 is an application amount per unit area of the first liquid in double sided printing mode. RD2 is an application amount per unit area of the second liquid in double sided printing mode. RM1 is an application amount per unit area of the first liquid in single sided printing mode. RM2 is an application amount per unit area of the second liquid in single sided printing mode.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink set for ink-jet recording that is able to form an image having a sufficient optical density and causing no feathering and intercolor bleed within a short period of time while being excellent in reliability of the maintenance unit. The ink set comprises at least a liquid (a) containing a colorant, water soluble solvent and water; a liquid (b) containing a pH adjusting agent, water soluble solvent and water; and a liquid (c). The ink set satisfies any one of the conditions in the first embodiment: (i) the colorant is anionic, (ii) the liquid (b) has a pH of not higher than 6.5, (iii) the liquid (c) has a pH of not lower than 8.0, and (iv) the mixed liquid of the liquid (b) and the liquid (c) in a mass ratio of 1:1 has a pH of not lower than 7; or the second embodiment: (i) the colorant is cationic, (ii) the liquid (b) has a pH of not lower than 8.5, (iii) the liquid (c) has a pH of not higher than 6.

Abstract: The present invention is an ink set for ink-jet recording using at least two kinds of inks comprising a first ink containing at least a pigment, a water-soluble solvent and water, and a second ink containing at least a pigment, a coagulant, a water-soluble solvent and water and having the absolute value of ?-potential of not less than 10 mV. The present invention also provides an ink-jet recording method using the ink set for ink-jet recording, wherein an image is formed by applying the first ink and second ink on a recording medium so as to contact to each other. The present invention further provides an ink-jet recording apparatus comprising a recording head for ejecting at least the first ink and second ink.

Abstract: An ink set for ink jet using at least 3 or more of liquids, wherein the first liquid contains a colorant, a water soluble solvent and water, the second liquid contains a coagulant which coagulates components constituting the first liquid, a water soluble solvent and water, and the third liquid contains a compound capable of forming a chelate structure with the coagulant in the second liquid, a water soluble solvent and water; an ink jet recording method using the ink set; and an ink jet recording apparatus equipped with a recording head which injects the fore-mentioned ink set for ink jet from the recording head.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink set for ink jet recording using at least two kinds of liquids. The first liquid contains at least a colorant, a water soluble solvent and water, and the second liquid contains at least a compound represented by the following general formula (1), a water soluble solvent and water. The present invention also provides an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a recording head from which the ink set for ink jet recording is ejected, and an ink jet recording method by which an image is formed by applying the first and second liquids on a recording medium so as to contact each other.

Abstract: A recording paper containing pulp fibers, a filler, and an amine, wherein the amine is a primary, secondary, or tertiary amine represented by the following Formula (&agr;). In the following Formula (&agr;), at least one of substituents represented by R1, R2, and R3 is a hydrocarbon group containing a hydroxyl group. In addition, also provided are an ink jet recording method including recording images on the recording paper; an ink jet recording device equipped with a recording head for ejecting ink onto the recording paper; an electrophotographic recording method including fusing toner images on the recording paper surface; and an electrophotographic recording device including a fusing means that fuses a toner image on the recording paper surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet recording method using a first liquid and a second liquid wherein at least one of these liquids contains a colorant. The method includes providing the first liquid on a recording medium and providing the second liquid so as to be in contact with a region where the first liquid has been provided on the recording medium, to thereby form an image. The contact angle of the second liquid with respect to plain paper is less than 85° and the contact angle of the second liquid with respect to the region where the first liquid is provided on the plain paper is 60° or more.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming method excellent in reduction in color unevenness, optical density unevenness, bleeding, inter-color bleeding, a drying time, caused by the printing order; and an image forming apparatus excellent in adaptability to a higher speed. The image forming method and the image forming apparatus are characterized by use of an ink-set, wherein an average value of rates of change over time in contact angle of the respective inks on plain paper is from 1.25 to 3.5 degrees/sec, a rate of change over time in contact angle of each ink on plain paper is less than 4.5 degrees/sec, a rate of change over time in contact angle of a mixed liquid of each ink and the liquid composition on plain paper is from 5 to 10 degrees/sec and the number of coarse particles each of 5 &mgr;m or more in diameter in the mixed liquid is 1×104 particles/&mgr;L or more.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a kind of ink containing at least a pigment, first to third water-soluble solvent groups and water, wherein the first water-soluble solvent group contains one or more kind(s) water-soluble solvent having a solubility parameter SP1, the second water-soluble solvent group contains one or more kind(s) of water-soluble solvents having a solubility parameter which is at least 1 greater than SP1, and the third water-soluble solvent group contains one or more kind(s) of water-soluble solvents having a solubility parameter which is at least 1 less than SP1.