Abstract: The present invention includes apparatus and methods for printing and verifying postage indicia. The indicia includes data that indicates characteristics of ink used to print the indicia. To verify the indicia, the data is read and compared with data provided by detecting optical or related characteristics of the ink.

Abstract: Color imparting compositions for ink jet printer inks, as well as inks with such color imparting compositions therein, which can be used in a commercially available ink jet printer or the ink jet printer of a postage metering system to print machine readable information based indicia, such as postage, on a substrate, such as an envelope, are disclosed. The color imparting composition includes a water soluble black colorant material adapted to absorb light in a wavelength range between about 400 to 650 nm, such as Reactive Black 31 dye or Direct Black 195 dye, and a water soluble cyan colorant material having a molar extinction coefficient of at least 10,000 at a wavelength maximum in the range of about 580 to 750 nm, such as Direct Blue 307, Direct Blue 199 or Acid Blue 9. The weight ratio of the black colorant material to the cyan colorant material in the color imparting composition is in the range of about 50 to 1 to about 5 to 6.

Abstract: An ink composition suitable for printing machine readable indicia on a substrate with an ink jet printing device is disclosed. The disclosed ink composition comprises water, a water soluble resin, a red fluorescent colorant material mixture comprising C.I. Basic yellow 40 dye, C.I. Basic Red 1 dye, and C.I. Basic Violet 11:1 dye, and a blue colorant material comprising C.I. Acid Blue 9. In the preferred embodiments of the ink composition, the dyes in the red fluorescent colorant material mixture are present in a weight ratio of approximately 1.12 to 1.36 to 1, respectively, and the weight ratio of the red fluorescent colorant material mixture to the blue colorant material is in the range of about 3.8 to 1 to about 46 to 1.

Abstract: A fluorescent ink that makes tagger marks and is able to be used in valve jet printers at a rate of four #10 envelopes per second. The ink also penetrates paper at a rapid rate and dries at the same time it is penetrating the paper, without degrading the print quality. The penetrating agent solvent system may be isopropyl alcohol in combination with a surfactant. The surfactant may be polyethylene glycol ethers. Polyethylene glycol ethers have a high boiling point and low vapor pressure. The penetrating agent solvent system has a low boiling point and high vapor pressure and a low static and dynamic surface tension. This improves the inks rate of penetration into the paper and diminishes the amount of offset.

Abstract: A homogeneous ink for use in postage meter inking systems. The homogeneous ink is formulated by dissolving a coloring material composed of fluorescent toner in a non-volatile solution blend consisting of low molecular weight, low viscosity, non ionic surfactants with alcohol or ester terminal groups having an HLB number varying from 8 to 15 and glycols. Viscosity modifiers can be used as thinners and thickeners. A surface tension modifier compatible to the system of the polyether-alkl/polymethylsiloxane copolymers type can be added in trace concentrations. The ink components of this invention are all hazard free, non-hygroscopic and do not adversely affect the materials of the inking system in which they are used.

Abstract: Solution inks have been discovered that have an acceptable red fluorescent signal for machine detection while emitting a different visual color in white light. The formulation is based on a combination of a fluorescent dyes and a non red dye belonging to the spectral sensitizer class of dyes. The red fluorescent dye and non-red dye are combined in a resin to form a toner. Because of a bathochronic shift, fluorescence at higher wave lengths is achieved. Upon dissolving the toner in a polar solvent, increased viscosity is achieved which results in an enhanced fluorescent signal as compared to prior fluorescent inks.