Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that the adhesion properties and/or colorfastness of ink jet formulations when applied to a variety of substrates can be improved by adding a specific class of additives thereto. Invention formulations enable application of water-resistant (e.g., washable), colorfast images to a wide variety of substrates employing ink jet methodology.

Abstract: A method of improving the adhesion of an ink jet ink formulation to a substrate, which method includes adding to the ink jet ink formulation an amount of a chelate of a transition metal or a chelate of a mixture of transition metals effective to improve the adhesion of the ink jet ink formulation to the substrate; printing the substrate with the chelate-containing ink jet ink formulation; and treating the printed substrate with heat for a time and at a temperature to further improve the adhesion of the ink jet ink formulation to the substrate. The ink jet ink formulation typically will include a diluent system and colorant. The chelate typically will be present in the ink jet ink formulation in a range of about 0.001 up to about 20 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the chelate-containing ink jet ink formulation. A particularly desirable chelate is zirconium lactate. The present invention also provides an article and a substrate produced by the foregoing method.