Abstract: Provided herein is an aqueous ink, which is excellent in both image density and fixing ability irrespective of the kind of a recording medium even when the volume of an ink droplet is small and has such excellent properties that white stripes are not caused even when high-speed recording is conducted. The aqueous ink comprises at least water, a water-soluble organic solvent, a water-insoluble coloring material, a surfactant and a poor medium for the water-insoluble coloring material and/or a salt. The dynamic surface tension of the aqueous ink at a lifetime of 50 milliseconds determined by a maximum bubble pressure method is higher than 47 mN/m, and the dynamic surface tension at a lifetime of 5,000 milliseconds determined by the maximum bubble pressure method is 38 mN/m or lower.

Abstract: In an ink set having a plurality of inks, the ink set has at least a pigment ink and a dye ink. The pigment ink contains at least water, a surfactant, a self-dispersion pigment, and a poor medium for self-dispersion pigment and/or a salt; a dynamic surface tension of the pigment ink at a lifetime of 50 milliseconds is higher than 47 mN/m. The dye ink contains at least water, a surfactant and a dye. An ink set is provided which can obtain images having a high image density and a superior bleeding resistance without regard to the types of recording mediums.

Abstract: In an ink set having a plurality of inks, the ink set has at least a pigment ink and a dye ink. The pigment ink contains at least water, a surfactant, a self-dispersion pigment, and a poor medium for self-dispersion pigment and/or a salt; a dynamic surface tension of the pigment ink at a lifetime of 50 milliseconds is higher than 47 mN/m. The dye ink contains at least water, a surfactant and a dye. An ink set is provided which can obtain images having a high image density and a superior bleeding resistance without regard to the types of recording mediums.

Abstract: Provided herein is an aqueous ink, which is excellent in both image density and fixing ability irrespective of the kind of a recording medium even when the volume of an ink droplet is small and has such excellent properties that white stripes are not caused even when high-speed recording is conducted. The aqueous ink comprises at least water, a water-soluble organic solvent, a water-insoluble coloring material, a surfactant and a poor medium for the water-insoluble coloring material and/or a salt. The dynamic surface tension of the aqueous ink at a lifetime of 50 milliseconds determined by a maximum bubble pressure method is higher than 47 mN/m, and the dynamic surface tension at a lifetime of 5,000 milliseconds determined by the maximum bubble pressure method is 38 mN/m or lower.

Abstract: A media reader for a removable digital storage medium, such as a memory stick for a digital camera, has a housing and a media reading unit, contained within the housing, into which the removable digital storage medium is inserted for reading data. The media reader also includes a manual manipulation unit for selecting a predetermined function to be communicated to a peripheral device, where the manipulation unit has different size buttons corresponding to each predetermined function, wherein the size of each button varies based on a frequency of use of the function. A signal indicative of the selected predetermined function is communicated by a controller to the peripheral device, which causes an application program in the peripheral device to be automatically commenced to perform the selected predetermined function, the application program in the peripheral device performing the selected predetermined function, including obtaining data from the removable digital storage medium.

Abstract: A media reader for a removable digital storage medium, such as a memory stick for a digital camera. The media reader has a housing having at least a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and a media reading unit, contained within the housing, into which the removable digital storage medium is inserted for reading data contained thereon, the media reading unit having at least a proximal end adjacent the proximal end of the housing and a distal end opposite the proximal end of the media reading unit, the distal end having a connector for electrically connecting the media reading unit and the removable digital storage medium.

Abstract: A storage container for sealingly carrying an ink jet recording head cartridge having an ink jet recording head having the discharge orifices for discharging the ink and a mounting portion for mounting an ink tank replaceably. The ink jet recording head cartridge comprises a storage tank, mounted on the mounting portion, having a negative pressure producing member accommodating chamber having a negative pressure producing member for producing the negative pressure, with an atmosphere communicating portion for communicating to the outside, and a sealed chamber having a communicating portion for communicating to the negative pressure producing member accommodating chamber and forming a sealed space from the outside, except for the communicating portion, with a sealing member for sealing the discharge orifices.

Abstract: In a packaging for and method of storing a detachable, exchangeable type ink jet printing head to be mounted on ink jet printing device, the ink jet printing head is cleaned and vacuum dried and then contained in a containing member without ink charging until the time of its use, in order to prevent initial printing failure caused by printing ink adhesion, ink evaporation and leakage.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a carriage carrying a recording head, and which scans both recording and non recording areas, a cleaning member contacting the recording head so as to clean a discharge port forming surface of the head, the cleaning member having plural cleaning elastic blades, and recording mode setting means for setting the apparatus' recording mode to either a first mode in which plural colors are used for recording, or a second mode where a single color is used, and which single color differs from the plural colors. The discharge port surface is cleaned by the plural blades when the first recording mode is set, and by a single such cleaning blade when the second mode is set.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus that records by causing ink to adhere to a recording medium includes a recording head with nozzles for ejecting ink and a cap member for covering and sealing the ink ejecting surface of the recording head and containing a porous body for retaining ink introduced into the cap member one of two ways, either by ejecting it from the nozzles or by using a suction pump communicating with the cap member. The recording apparatus has two storage modes, one of which is used for long-term storage, whereby a relatively large amount of ink is retained by the porous body, and the other of which is used for short-term storage, whereby a smaller amount of ink is retained by the porous body.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus has an ink jet head provided with a discharge port forming surface formed with discharge ports for discharging ink therethrough, a cleaning member for bearing against the discharge port forming surface of the ink jet head to clean the discharge port forming surface, a recording mode setter capable of setting a first recording mode in which the ink is discharged from the ink jet head to effect recording, and a second recording mode differing from the first recording mode, a cleaning mode setter means capable of setting a first cleaning mode corresponding to the first recording mode set by the recording mode setter, and a second cleaning mode corresponding to the second recording mode set by the recording mode setter, and a driver means for moving the ink jet head and the cleaning member relative to each other to effect the cleaning of the discharge port forming surface.