Abstract: An image forming method is provided. The method includes the steps of (a) applying an ink to a recording medium to form an image and (b) applying a pressure to the recording medium to which the ink has been applied. The ink comprises water, an organic solvent, and a colorant. When the ink is formed into an ink film, a maximum value of logarithmic damping ratio of the ink film is 1.50 or less and a time elapsed until the logarithmic damping ratio reaches the maximum value is 3,800 seconds or less, when measured by a rigid-body pendulum test at 60° C.

Abstract: Provided is a set of an ink and a print medium, the set including an ink and a print medium, wherein the ink includes at least one organic solvent, polyurethane resin particles, a colorant, and water, wherein the at least one organic solvent includes a compound having a saturated vapor pressure at 100° C. of 65 mmHg or greater but 400 mmHg or less, and wherein a sensor output at a critical image peeling point, measured by a microscratching method, of a solid image formed on the print medium in a manner that the ink is attached in an amount of 0.96 mg/cm2 is 600 or greater.

Abstract: A method of using recorded matter is provided. The method includes conveying a recorded matter at a relative humidity of 40% or less, where the recorded matter includes a recording medium and a recorded layer on the recording medium. The recorded layer includes an organic solvent, a colorant, and a resin. The organic solvent includes a hexanediol and a propylene glycol. The resin includes an acrylic resin and a urethane resin, where a mass ratio of the urethane resin to the acrylic resin ranges from 0.1 to 0.7.

Abstract: Ink includes a coloring material, an organic solvent, and water, wherein the ink satisfies the following requisites: I. the organic solvent includes an organic solvent X having a solubility parameter (SP value) of 8.9-12.0, II. the organic solvent includes glycol ether compound (compound Z) having a vapor pressure of 50 mmHg or greater at 100 degrees C., and III. a mass ratio of the organic solvent X to the glycol ether compound is 1:1-8:1.

Abstract: An image forming method includes applying an ink for the first time to a recording medium to form an image and rolling up the recording medium in a roll form, wherein the recording medium is continuous paper, the ink includes water, an organic solvent, and a coloring material, and the image has a tackiness power of from 80 to 110 nN.

Abstract: Provided is an ink including water, at least one organic solvent, a coloring material, urethane-based resin particles, and acrylic-based resin particles, wherein a difference between a total HSP value of an organic solvent having the highest boiling point of the at least one organic solvent and a total HSP value of the urethane-based resin particles is 6.0 [(J/cm3)0.5] or less, and wherein a difference between a polarity HSP value of the organic solvent having the highest boiling point of the at least one organic solvent and a polarity HSP value of the urethane-based resin particles is 5.0 [(J/cm3)0.5] or less.

Abstract: Provided is an ink including: an organic solvent; water; a coloring material; a wax; and resin particles, wherein the resin particles include acrylic resin particles and urethane resin particles, and wherein a ratio by mass (urethane resin particles/acrylic resin particles) of a proportion (percent by mass) of the urethane resin particles to a proportion (percent by mass) of the acrylic resin particles is 0.1 or greater but 0.7 or less. In a preferable aspect, the wax is a polyethylene wax. In another preferable aspect, the urethane resin particles are polycarbonate urethane resin particles.

Abstract: Provided is a set of an ink and a print medium, the set including an ink and a print medium, wherein the ink includes at least one organic solvent, polyurethane resin particles, a colorant, and water, wherein the at least one organic solvent includes a compound having a saturated vapor pressure at 100° C. of 65 mmHg or greater but 400 mmHg or less, and wherein a sensor output at a critical image peeling point, measured by a microscratching method, of a solid image formed on the print medium in a manner that the ink is attached in an amount of 0.96 mg/cm2 is 600 or greater.

Abstract: A method for producing a cleaning blade including at least a strip-shaped elastic blade, the method including: (1) a step of producing an elastic blade preform formed of a polyurethane rubber; (2) a step of impregnating at least a part, which is to contact an image bearer, of the elastic blade preform with an ultraviolet-curable composition including a (meth)acrylate compound; (3) a step of immersing the part impregnated of the elastic blade preform in a washing solvent to remove the ultraviolet-curable composition including the (meth)acrylate compound remaining on a surface of the impregnated part; and (4) a step of curing the ultraviolet-curable composition including the (meth)acrylate compound that has impregnated the elastic blade preform to produce an elastic blade.

Abstract: Ink includes a coloring material, an organic solvent, and water, wherein the ink satisfies the following requisites: I. the organic solvent includes an organic solvent X having a solubility parameter (SP value) of 8.9-12.0, II. the organic solvent includes glycol ether compound (compound Z) having a vapor pressure of 50 mmHg or greater at 100 degrees C., and III. a mass ratio of the organic solvent X to the glycol ether compound is 1:1-8:1.

Abstract: Provided is an ink containing a wax, a plurality of organic solvents, and water, wherein the plurality of organic solvents include a compound having a solubility parameter of 9 or greater but 11 or less and a compound having a saturated vapor pressure at 100° C. of 20 mmHg or greater but 400 mmHg or less.

Abstract: A cleaning blade cleaning the surface of an object includes a rigid holder; and a strip-shaped elastic body fixed on the holder, including a tip ridgeline contacting the surface of the object. The elastic body has a length (L) projecting from the holder not less than 4 mm, a Martens hardness of from 1.0 to 10.0 N/mm2 from the tip ridgeline to the middle (L/2) thereof, and a Martens hardness of from 0.3 to 0.8 N/mm2 from the middle (L/2) thereof.

Abstract: A cleaning blade, including: rectangular elastic body blade containing cured first-UV-curable resin at tip ridgeline portion thereof, brought into contact with surface of to-be-cleaned member, the cured first-UV-curable resin being formed by impregnating the tip ridgeline portion with the first-UV-curable resin, followed by curing, and depth of the elastic body blade impregnated with the first-UV-curable resin from edge surface thereof is 50 ?m-150 ?m, wherein the elastic body blade contains surface layer containing cured second-UV-curable resin at the edge surface, wherein load-displacement curve of Martens hardness thereof has inflection points, and is obtained by pressing region of the surface layer thereof via resin particles having average particle diameter of 5 ?m-10 ?m, and distance of the region from the tip ridgeline portion is 0.5 mm or less, and wherein ratio of displacement at the inflection point, with which load is maximum, to the average particle diameter is 1.5-2.0.

Abstract: A cleaning blade cleaning the surface of an object includes a rigid holder; and a strip-shaped elastic body fixed on the holder, having a tip ridgeline to contact the surface of the object. The elastic body has a Martens hardness M1 in the range of from 0.9 to 10.0 N/mm2 at a position 300 ?m from the ridgeline on an undersurface of the elastic body including the ridgeline, a Martens hardness M2 at a position 1,000 ?m therefrom and a Martens hardness M3 at a position 2,000 ?m therefrom, and M1, M2 and M3 satisfy the following relationship: M1>M2>M3.

Abstract: A cleaning blade, including: rectangular elastic body blade containing cured first-UV-curable resin at tip ridgeline portion thereof, brought into contact with surface of to-be-cleaned member, the cured first-UV-curable resin being formed by impregnating the tip ridgeline portion with the first-UV-curable resin, followed by curing, and depth of the elastic body blade impregnated with the first-UV-curable resin from edge surface thereof is 50 ?m-150 ?m, wherein the elastic body blade contains surface layer containing cured second-UV-curable resin at the edge surface, wherein load-displacement curve of Martens hardness thereof has inflection points, and is obtained by pressing region of the surface layer thereof via resin particles having average particle diameter of 5 ?m-10 ?m, and distance of the region from the tip ridgeline portion is 0.5 mm or less, and wherein ratio of displacement at the inflection point, with which load is maximum, to the average particle diameter is 1.5-2.0.

Abstract: A cleaning blade cleaning the surface of an object includes a rigid holder; and a strip-shaped elastic body fixed on the holder, including a tip ridgeline to contact the surface of the object. The cleaning blade includes a part having a Martens hardness of from 0.9 to 5.0 N/mm2 at a depth of 20 ?m from an undersurface of the blade including the ridgeline, 0.3 to 0.8 N/mm2 at a depth of 40 ?m therefrom, and the Martens hardness at a depth of 20 ?m therefrom larger than that at a depth of 40 ?m therefrom by 0.6 N/mm2.

Abstract: A cleaning blade includes a supporting member, and a tabular elastic member. One end portion of the elastic member is fixed to the supporting member, and the other end portion is a free end portion whose tip edge is to be contacted with a member to be cleaned while rubbing the surface to remove a residual material therefrom. The tip portion of the free end portion of the elastic member ranging in length from 0 to 500 ?m from the tip surface thereof includes at least a cured material of a curable compound and an elastic material of the elastic member. The elastic member satisfies the relationship, 0.05(%)?[(tM?tA)/tA]×100?2%, wherein tM represents the maximum thickness of the tip portion of the elastic member, and tA represents the average thickness of the rear portion of the free end portion of the elastic member.

Abstract: A cleaning blade cleaning the surface of an object includes a rigid holder; and a strip-shaped elastic body fixed on the holder, having a tip ridgeline to contact the surface of the object. The elastic body has a Martens hardness M1 in the range of from 0.9 to 10.0 N/mm2 at a position 300 ?m from the ridgeline on an undersurface of the elastic body including the ridgeline, a Martens hardness M2 at a position 1,000 ?m therefrom and a Martens hardness M3 at a position 2,000 ?m therefrom, and M1, M2 and M3 satisfy the following relationship: M1>M2>M3.

Abstract: A cleaning blade cleaning the surface of an object includes a rigid holder; and a strip-shaped elastic body fixed on the holder, including a tip ridgeline to contact the surface of the object. The cleaning blade includes a part having a Martens hardness of from 0.9 to 5.0 N/mm2 at a depth of 20 ?m from an undersurface of the blade including the ridgeline, 0.3 to 0.8 N/mm2 at a depth of 40 ?m therefrom, and the Martens hardness at a depth of 20 ?m therefrom larger than that at a depth of 40 ?m therefrom by 0.6 N/mm2.

Abstract: A cleaning blade is provided. The cleaning blade includes a strip-shaped elastic blade. At least the tip edge portion of the elastic blade, which is to be contacted with the surface of a moving object to remove a powdery material from the surface of the moving object, includes an ultraviolet crosslinked resin, which includes an acrylate or methacrylate unit including a fluorine-containing group, and another acrylate or methacrylate unit having a tricyclodecane or adamantane skeleton, from the surface of the tip edge portion to a depth of not less than 5 ?m.