Abstract: An ink jet printing method having the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink-receptive substrates; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition having from about 30 to about 90% by weight of water, from about 0.5 to about 30% by weight of a pigment, from about 0.05 to about 2% by weight of an aromatic sulfonate or disulfonate which is sodium p-toluenesulfonate, disodium 2,5-dihydroxybenzene-disulfonate monohydrate, sodium p-hydroxybenzene-sulfonate or sodium p-aminobenzenedisulfonate, and from about 10 to about 50% by weight of a humectant of a polyhydric alcohol; and D) printing on an ink-receptive substrate using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method, comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink-receptive elements comprising a support having thereon an image-receiving layer comprising a highly branched dendrimer or hyperbranched polymer having a cationic moiety; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition comprising water, a humectant, and a water-soluble anionic dye; and D) printing on the image-receiving layer using the ink jet ink in response to said digital data signals.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method having the steps of: a) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; b) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element of a substrate having thereon an image-receiving layer of an inorganic, anionic pigment, an organic, anionic binder, an organic, cationic mordant and thermoplastic polymer particles; c) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and d) printing on the recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: A dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon at least one dye layer area comprising an image dye in a binder and another area comprising a transferable protection layer, the transferable protection layer area being approximately equal in size to the dye layer area, wherein the transferable protection layer contains inorganic particles, a polymeric binder and unexpanded synthetic thermoplastic polymeric microspheres, the microspheres having a particle size in the unexpanded condition of from about 5 to about 20 &mgr;m, and which expand to about 20 to about 120 &mgr;m upon application of heat during transfer of the protection layer to an image-receiving layer to provide a matte surface thereon, the transferable protection layer being less than about 1 &mgr;m thick.

Abstract: A method for treating a metallic oxide or metallic nitride ink jet printhead nozzle plate comprising stamping the front surface thereof with an anti-wetting agent using an elastomeric stamp.

Abstract: A process for making a stable coating comprising an inorganic, anionic pigment, an organic, anionic binder and an organic, cationic mordant comprising: a) mixing the inorganic, anionic pigment with the organic, cationic mordant; b) lowering the pH of the mixture to below about 4; and c) adding the organic, anionic binder to the mixture, thus providing a coating composition which has an approximately constant viscosity over a period of time.

Abstract: An inkjet printing method, comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-receiving layer comprising at least about 70% by weight of porous polymeric particles in a polymeric binder, the porous polymeric particles having a core/shell structure comprising a porous polymeric core covered with a shell of a water-soluble polymer; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and D) printing on the ink jet recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method, comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink jet recording elements comprising a substrate having thereon an image-receiving layer comprising inorganic particles encapsulated with an organic polymer having a Tg of less than about 20° C., the weight ratio of the inorganic particles to the organic polymer being from about 20 to about 0.2; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and D) printing on the ink jet recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: An ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a binder and a polymeric mordant, the image-recording layer providing a total concentration of charged polymeric binding sites greater than about 3×1026/m3, and the image-receiving layer having a concentration of salts providing charges, opposite to the charge of the binding sites, of less than about 5.8×1026 charges/m3, the salt having a molecular weight of less than 10,000 grams/mole.

Abstract: An ink jet recording element including a support having thereon, in the order recited, a base layer including a hydrophilic or porous material and a porous, ink-receptive top layer capable of accepting an ink jet image having a polymeric adhesive binder and thermally-activated adhesive polymeric particles, a particle-to-binder ratio being between about 95:5 and 70:30, and wherein both the binder and a polymer used to make the adhesive polymeric particles have: a) a tensile strength at break of greater than about 1 MPa; b) an elongation at break of greater than about 10%; c) a tensile modulus of greater than about 1 MPa; and d) a Tg of less than about 50° C.; and the polymeric particles also having a particle size of less than about 10 &mgr;m and a Tm or softening point of greater than about 50° C.

Abstract: A method for replenishing fouled coatings on a nozzle plate for an ink jet printhead, the nozzle plate comprising the following layers in the order recited: i) a first monomolecular layer of an organic material having first and second functional groups, the first functional group of the first monomolecular layer being bound to the surface of the nozzle plate, and the second functional group of the first monomolecular layer being bound to a second monomolecular layer, and ii) the second monomolecular layer of an organic material having first and second functional groups, the first functional group of the second monomolecular layer being bound to the second functional group of the first monomolecular layer, and the second functional group of the second monomolecular layer being an anti-wetting group, the second monomolecular layer having been fouled; the method comprising A) unbinding the first functional group of the fouled second monomolecular layer so that it is no longer bound to the second functional group

Abstract: A dye-receiving element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having on one side thereof a dye image-receiving layer comprising a polymeric binder and an aliphatic ester plasticizer, the polymeric binder comprising a crosslinked polymer network being formed by the reaction of a multifunctional isocyanate with: a) a polycarbonate polyol having at least two terminal hydroxy groups and an average molecular weight of about 1000 to about 10,000, and b) an aliphatic glycol having at least one of the following formulas: HO—(CH2)n—OH HO—[(CH2)n—O]m—H or HO—[(CH2)5—CO2]p—[(CH2)n—O]m—H  where n is between about 3 and about 10, m is between about 3 and about 60, and p is between about 1 and about 16.

Abstract: A process of forming a single color, ablation image comprising imagewise heating by means of a laser in the absence of a separate receiving element, an ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon, in order, a barrier layer and a colorant layer comprising a colorant dispersed in a polymeric binder, the colorant layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, the laser exposure taking place through the colorant side of the element, and removing the ablated colorant to obtain the image in the ablative recording element, wherein the barrier layer comprises a thin metal film having a UV optical density up to about 3.0.

Abstract: An ink jet printing process for improving the dye density and fixability of an ink jet image comprising: a) providing an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a mixture of an anionic, water-dispersible polyester ionomer and a hydrophilic polymer; and b) applying droplets of a liquid ink on the image-recording layer in an image-wise manner, the ink comprising water, humectant and a water-soluble cationic or basic dye.

Abstract: An ink jet printing process for improving the dye density and fixability of an ink jet image comprising: a) providing an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a mixture of an anionic, water-dispersible polyurethane and a hydrophilic polymer; and b) applying droplets of a liquid ink on the image-recording layer in an image-wise manner, the ink comprising water, humectant and a water-soluble cationic or basic dye.

Abstract: A process for making an ink jet ink comprising: a) providing a dispersion containing a pigment, an alcohol carrier and an amine-terminated polyether dispersant; b) mixing the pigment dispersion with rigid milling media less than 100 &mgr;m; c) introducing the mixture of step (b) into a mill; d) milling the mixture from step (c) until the pigment particle size is below about 100 nanometers; e) separating the milling media from the mixture milled in step (d); and f) diluting the mixture from step (e) to obtain an ink jet ink having a pigment concentration suitable for ink jet printers.

Abstract: An ink jet printing process for improving the dye density and fixability of an ink jet image comprising: a) providing an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a mixture of a hydrophilic polymer and a polyolefin polymer or wax; and b) applying droplets of a liquid ink on the image-recording layer in an image-wise manner, the ink comprising water, humectant and a water-soluble cationic or basic dye.

Abstract: An ink jet ink/receiver set comprising: a) an ink receiving layer containing a reactive coupling agent and deposited thereon b) an image formed from an ink jet ink containing a compound with mineral surfaces; wherein the reactive coupling agent reacts with the mineral surfaces in the ink.

Abstract: An ink jet printing process for improving the light stability and wet abrasion resistance of an ink jet image comprising: a) providing an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a cross-linkable polymer of gelatin or acetoacetylated poly(vinyl alcohol) and a mordant; b) applying liquid ink droplets of a dye on the image-recording layer in an image-wise manner, the dye being a water-soluble deprotonated cationic dye which is capable of being reprotonated to a cationic dye having a N—H group which is part of a conjugated system; and c) applying an aqueous solution of an organic hardener to the image to cross-link the polymer.

Abstract: A recording process is provided for producing recorded images having enhanced durability. The process includes applying droplets of ink by means of an ink-jet printer or a pen plotter in an image-wise fashion onto the surface of an ink-receiving layer supported on a transparent, plastic film support to record an image thereon, contacting the surface of the ink-receiving layer containing the recorded image against an opaque or transparent substrate to form a composite of the supported ink-receiving layer and the opaque or transparent substrate so that the ink-receiving layer containing the recorded image is positioned between the substrate and the transparent, plastic film support and then applying sufficient heat and pressure to the composite thus formed to adhere or laminate the supported ink-receiving layer to the substrate so that the recorded image is protected by the transparent, plastic film against abrasion, smearing, fading and water damage.