Abstract: The invention provides an ink set, a process for forming a colored portion and an ink-jet recording apparatus which are used for obtaining higher-quality ink-jet recorded articles. The ink set includes an aqueous ink containing at least an ultrafinely particulate pigment as a coloring material and an aqueous liquid composition containing fine particles, dispersed therein and electrically charged at the surface in a polarity opposite to the ink.

Abstract: An ink jet ink set and recording element combination including A) a porous ink jet recording element having a 60° specular gloss of at least about 5; and B) a pigment based inkjet ink set including at least two inks; wherein the RGD value is less than 40% when 60° is used as the specular angle and the RGD value is calculated according to Equation (A): RGD ⁢   ⁢ % = ∑ I = 1 N ⁢ &LeftBracketingBar; Gloss ⁢  

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods of ink jetting oleophilic images onto a substrate. The composition includes an oleophilic polymer having polar moieties that is soluble in an organic carrier and adheres to a substrate. Compositions of the present invention may be used to form oleophilic image areas for lithographic printing.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink composition for ink jet printing, a composition for color toner, and a composition for a color filter, all of which contain a dye represented by the following General Formula (1), and an ink jet recording method using the ink composition for ink jet recording. A—N═N—B In General Formula (1), A and B independently represent a heterocyclic group which may be substituted. At least one of A and B includes an alkyl chain having at least 4 carbon atoms, and no ionic hydrophilic group is included.

Abstract: An ink set for ink-jet recording is provided, in which the color bleed is reduced at adjoining portions of inks and the deposition of dye or the like in a color ink is not caused when a plurality of colors are recorded on regular paper. The ink set for ink-jet recording, which is composed of inks of a plurality of colors, includes at least one first ink and at least one second ink having the following compositions respectively. The first ink contains at least one anionicity-added pigment. The second ink contains at least one anionic dye and at least one ethanolamine hydrochloride selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine hydrochloride, diethanolamine hydrochloride, triethanolamine hydrochloride, and thioethanolamine hydrochloride.

Abstract: An ink set for ink-jet recording that includes a plurality of inks containing coloring materials insoluble in water to form a high quality ink-jet recording image is provided. The water-based ink set for ink-jet recording includes a black ink and a color ink, wherein the black ink contains a carbon black as a coloring material having a volume average particle diameter determined by dynamic light scattering of not less than 50 nm, the color ink contains a pigment as a coloring material having a volume average particle diameter determined by dynamic light scattering of not more than 60 nm, and an accumulative 90% particle diameter of volume particle size distribution of not more than 100 nm, the volume average particle diameter of the carbon black of the black ink is larger than the volume average particle diameter of the pigment of the color ink, and the black ink has a surface tension higher than that of the color ink.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for allowing a high quality image to be recorded with good coloring.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided using ultraviolet (UV) light or other curable composition or stable or other printable substance having a dye-component therein. The ink is jetted onto a substrate, the composition is cured, then heated to set the dye. Sublimation dye-based UV ink printing onto polyester is preferred.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to ink-vehicle compositions and systems adapted for use in low dye load ink compositions, contain no salts, and provide low orifice plate puddling. Specifically, a non-reactive ink-vehicle for low dye-load ink-jet inks can include an effective amount of water; from 1% to 3% by weight of a 1,5-pentanediol co-solvent; from 7.5% to 15% by weight of a trimethylolpropane co-solvent; and from 5% to 8% by weight of a third co-solvent, with the proviso that the ink-vehicle include at least 20% by weight of total co-solvent. Alternatively, a non-reactive ink-vehicle for low dye-load ink-jet inks can include an effective amount of water; from 1% to 3% by weight of a 1,5-pentanediol co-solvent; from 7.5% to 15% by weight of a trimethylolpropane co-solvent; and from 0.05% to 0.25% of a buffer consisting essentially of 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol. These ink-jet ink vehicles can be used in swappable ink-jet pen systems having a common service station.

Abstract: A method of printing with an ink-jet printer. The method includes printing a dye onto a substrate, printing a deactivating agent on the dye, causing the agent to react with either the dye or the substrate, and washing the substrate. The invention is also an ink-jet cartridge having a plurality of reservoirs, some of which contain an ink having a dye and at least one of which contains a deactivating agent.

Abstract: The invention provides curable ink compositions that are inkjet printable and that adhere to a variety of substrates, for example, glass and polymer. The ink compositions of the invention can be formulated so to provide cured inks that are very flexible or very rigid depending upon the desired application. The invention provides a cure-on-demand curable ink composition including a homogeneous mixture of at least one of: (a) a compound having 2 reactive silyl groups, and (b) a compound having at least 3 reactive silyl groups; acid generating catalyst; and pigment or pigment chip. The invention also provides methods of making and using the ink compositions and imaged articles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid composition for forming a colored portion on a recording medium together with an anionic or cationic water-based ink containing a coloring material. The liquid composition comprises a solvent, fine particles in a dispersion state, wherein the fine particles have a surface charge in a polarity opposite to the water-based ink and has ion whose polarity is opposite to that of the fine particles in an ionic equivalence of 0.1-40 meq/l.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for in-line conditioning of swellable print media prior to printing. Treatment with an amphiphilic solvent increases the hydrophilicity of the media surface, thereby accelerating ink penetration and improving image quality in high throughput printing. In addition, ionic components in the treatment fluid can be used to accelerate precipitation of pigment or dye from the ink.

Abstract: A pigment-based ink set for ink jet printing is described, wherein each ink in the ink set has a normalized differential specular reflectance, N&Dgr;RS(X), of less than 1.25. N&Dgr;RS(X) is defined as the maximum value within a set of N&Dgr;RS(Xn) values in which each N&Dgr;RS(Xn) is the normalized specular reflectance for a density patch of a printed test image. The printed test image consists of a series of at least ten density patches printed such that the ink laydown of the patches increases incrementally, from no ink laydown to a maximum level generating a density of at least about 1.

Abstract: A method for producing blocks on a support that are designed to be removed by scratching. An ink jet printing technique is used to produce the blocks. The ink used is of the type with phase change. The method can be used to form a support containing an information or a graphic design on its surface and a scratchable block masking the information or graphic design. The scratchable block consists of juxtaposed and/or superposed dots of material. The method is particularly applicable to smart cards.

Abstract: An ink set and a recording method are provided according to which light-fastness is good, and color reproducibility, clogging properties and other properties are satisfied, by using an ink set including inks each of which contains at least a dye, a water-soluble organic solvent and water, the ink set including a combination of magenta ink that contains a specific dye, yellow ink and cyan ink.

Abstract: An ink jet recording medium including a substrate, an ink receiving layer containing fine inorganic particles, formed on the substrate and a layer containing silica/alumina composite particles, formed on the ink receiving layer, wherein the layer containing silica/alumina composite particles, is a layer containing a xerogel having an average pore radius of at least 6.0 nm, obtained by removing a solvent from a silica/alumina composite sol containing agglomerated particles including silica and alumina.

Abstract: An ink for ink-jet recording of the present invention includes water and a pigment. A total amount of free monovalent metal is not more than 300 ppm in the ink, and a total amount of free divalent or polyvalent metal is not more than 5 ppm in the ink. The ink may further comprise an antiseptic/fungicidal agent. The ink is excellent in dispersion stability of the pigment. The ink is stably discharged from a head over a long period without causing any clog-up at an ink flow passage and a nozzle of the head of a recording apparatus.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided on large area substrates such as wide width textile webs. The printheads are driven by linear servo motors across a bridge that extends across the substrate. The timing of the jetting of the ink is coordinated with the motion of the printheads, so that the heads can be rapidly moved and the ink can be jetted while the printheads are accelerating or decelerating as they move on the bridge. Preferably, ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink is jetted and first partially cured with UV light and then subjected to heating to more completely reduce uncured monomers of the ink on the substrate.

Abstract: An offset print apparatus for applying a substance to a web is provided. The offset print apparatus has a transfer roll that is capable of being rotated. An ink jet printer is present and has a print head that is located proximate to the transfer roll. The print head has a plurality of orifices from which the substance is dispensed onto the transfer roll. The distance between the surface of the print head and the transfer roll is defined as a throw distance. A web is present and contacts the transfer roll. The substance is dispensed onto the transfer roll and is transferred to the web through contact of the transfer roll and the web. The web has an amount of dust laden boundary air that is formed proximate to the web when the web is moving. The print head of the ink jet printer is not in contact with the boundary air.