Abstract: A liquid application apparatus includes: an application member which applies a first liquid to a recording medium; and a liquid holding member which abuts against the application member so as to form a liquid holding space in which the first liquid is held in such a manner that the first liquid held in the liquid holding space is applied to the recording medium via the application member by rotating the application member, wherein a supply port for supplying the first liquid in the liquid holding space and a recovery port for recovering the first liquid from the liquid holding space are provided in the liquid holding member, and the supply port and the recovery port are located in different positions in terms of vertical direction.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a full-line inkjet head that includes ejection nozzles arrayed in the width direction of a recording medium, and that ejects a liquid functional material on the recording medium; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium at a position opposite to the full-line inkjet head; a test image formation sheet-feeding unit that contact-feeds a test image formation sheet on the recording medium in the upstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit; and a test image formation sheet-separating unit that separates the test image formation sheet from the recording medium in the downstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit.

Abstract: The ink set for inkjet recording includes: a water-based ink containing pigment particles and 10 to 25 wt % of water-soluble high-boiling-point organic solvent having an SP value of not higher than 30; and a treatment liquid containing a fluidity reducing agent which reduces fluidity of the pigment particles by making contact with the water-based ink, and 10 to 25 wt % of water-soluble high-boiling-point organic solvent having an SP value of not higher than 30.

Abstract: An inkjet recording liquid includes: water; at least one colorant; and a water-soluble organic solvent having an SP (solubility parameter) value of 27.5 or less at a content of 70 mass % or more with respect to the total amount of water-soluble organic solvent, wherein the water-soluble organic solvent having an SP value of 27.5 or less includes at least one water-soluble organic solvent having a molecular weight of from 240 to 1400 and represented by the following Formula (1) at a content of 70 mass % or more with respect to the amount of the water-soluble organic solvent having an SP value of 27.5 or less. R-An-OH ??Formula (1) In Formula (1), R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a group derived from a sugar alcohol having 3 to 12 carbon atoms; each A independently represents an ethyleneoxy group or a propyleneoxy group; and n represents an integer of from 3 to 24.

Abstract: An ink composition, including: a water-soluble solvent A; a pigment; and water. The water-soluble solvent A contains at least a water-soluble solvent having an SP value of 27.5 or less at an amount of 90 mass % or more and a compound represented by the following Formula (1), wherein the compound represented by Formula (1) is the same as or different from the water-soluble solvent having an SP value of 27.5 or less: wherein, in Formula (1), l, m and n each independently represent an integer of 1 or more, the total of l, m and n is from 3 to 15, and AOs each independently represents an ethyleneoxy group or propyleneoxy group.

Abstract: An inkjet recording liquid includes: water; a colorant; a first water-soluble organic solvent having a structure represented by the following Formula (1), an SP value of 27.5 or less, and a molecular weight of 100 to 210; and a second water-soluble organic solvent having a structure represented by the following Formula (2), an SP value of 27.5 or less, and a molecular weight of 240 to 2000, wherein the mass ratio of the content of the first water-soluble organic solvent to the content of the second water-soluble organic solvent is from 1:3 to 3:1: R1-(A1)n-OH Formula (1) R2-(A2)m-OH??Formula (2) In Formulae (1) and (2), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or a group derived from a sugar alcohol, each A1 independently represents an ethyleneoxy group or a propyleneoxy group, each A2 independently represents an ethyleneoxy group or a propyleneoxy group, n represents an integer from 1 to 3 and m represents an integer from 3 to 40.

Abstract: An ink composition includes: first particles which are insoluble and dispersed in an aqueous dispersion medium, a polarity of the first particles being one of positive and negative; and second particles which are insoluble and dispersed in the aqueous dispersion medium, the second particles including both a cationic group and an anionic group, the second particles having a zeta potential that changes along with a change in pH of the aqueous dispersion medium, percentage of a water-soluble component in the second particles being not higher than 5% by mass.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus in which a liquid functional material is ejected onto a recording medium by at least one ink-jet head including a plurality of ejection nozzles to form an image, and the image is fixed by irradiation from an active-energy ray irradiation source, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one pair of positive and negative electrodes which are provided at an upstream position on a side of the head with respect to the active-energy ray irradiation source, and which have a potential difference of 50 V or more.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording method for forming an image by discharging a liquid functional material onto a recording medium by a full-line type ink-jet head having discharge nozzles arranged in a widthwise direction substantially perpendicular to a transporting direction of the recording medium, includes: determining a range free of image recording between images recorded intermittently on the recording medium; effecting discharge or pressurization purge of the liquid functional material in the range free of image recording on the recording medium; and lowering a fluidity of the liquid functional material discharged.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: an inkjet head that ejects a liquid functional material toward a recording medium based on image signals; a recording medium conveying unit that conveys the recording medium to a position opposing the inkjet head; a supply path that supplies the liquid functional material to the inkjet head; a reservoir that communicates the supply path, and that reserves the liquid functional material; and a degassing mechanism that is provided in one of the inkjet head, the supply path and the reservoir, and that includes a degassing device and a vacuum pump, wherein the liquid functional material comprises compounds having minimum boiling point of approximately 110° C. or more, and the degassing vacuum degree of the degassing mechanism is approximately 0.06 atm or less.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a full-line inkjet head that includes ejection nozzles arrayed in the width direction of a recording medium, and that ejects a liquid functional material on the recording medium; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium at a position opposite to the full-line inkjet head; a test image formation sheet-feeding unit that contact-feeds a test image formation sheet on the recording medium in the upstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit; and a test image formation sheet-separating unit that separates the test image formation sheet from the recording medium in the downstream of the ejection position on the conveying unit.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a plurality of inkjet heads having nozzles ejecting a functional liquid material on a recording medium; a head holder fixing the plurality of inkjet heads at predetermined intervals; and an ink suction unit that has a suction port disposed in the vicinity of the nozzles thereof.

Abstract: An ink composition for ink jet recording, comprising: a dispersion medium; and a charged particle comprising a coloring material, wherein the ink composition comprises at least one basic carbon black as the coloring material.