Abstract: A pretreatment liquid for ink-jet recording by applying the pretreatment liquid to a recording medium, the pretreatment liquid including fine particles and a solvent. Specifically, a contact angle between the pretreatment liquid and a surface of the recording medium is greater than or equal to about 75 degrees.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording head that records an image on a recording medium, and a conveyor having an adhesive area and a charged area, that is charged by a charging unit. The adhesive area and the charged area are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the conveyor and convey the recording medium supported on the outer circumferential surface of the conveyor in a conveying direction. A medium feeder supplies the recording medium to the conveyor.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording head that records an image on a record medium, a first and a second rollers respectively having rotation shafts parallel to each other, and an endless conveyor belt which is looped around the first and second rollers, and which has an external surface for conveying thereon a record medium in a conveyance direction from the first roller toward the second roller while supporting the record medium. On the circumferential surface of the second roller, provided are a abutting region abutting the internal surface of the conveyor belt, and a larger diameter region not abutting the internal surface of the conveyor belt and having a radius surpassing a sum of a thickness of the conveyor belt and a radius of the abutting region.

Abstract: When a DNA ink printing mode is selected, a serial number and a pattern data of DNA is read from an IC tag of a DNA ink cartridge and a fingerprint of a printing person is read by a fingerprint authenticating unit. The pattern of the fingerprint and DNA which have been read are verified with the pattern data of fingerprints and DNA in a memory and personal authentication is carried out. Thereafter, a DNA ink is jetted on to a recording paper, and printing of an image by an image forming ink is carried out. By carrying out printing by such a method, it is possible to specify the printing person who has created the printed matter.

Abstract: An ink-jet head according to the present invention includes a passage component, a filter, and a sealing member. The passage component defines an ink passage which includes a middle hole having an opening. The filter partitions the middle hole of the passage component into a first space and a second space. The sealing member seals the opening. The sealing member has a first region which is opposed to the filter with respect to the vertical direction. The filter is mounted to the passage component in such a manner that ink passing through the filter flows from the first space upward into the second space. A surface of the first region of the sealing member facing the ink passage has a portion which is inclined relative to a horizon.

Abstract: An ink-jet ink-receptive composition, which resolves problems such as blurring of images and show-through occurring when water soluble dye inks are employed on uncoated paper such as plain paper or ordinary postcards and which provide a high density and high quality image, contains a specific silica particle aggregate and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus that includes: a recording head that discharges an ink from a plurality of nozzles constituting a nozzle train to a recording medium; a cap that covers a nozzle surface of the recording head with a hollow cap member; and a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface of the recording head with a wiper member by a relative movement of the wiper member with respect to the recording head, wherein at least one of the wiper member and the nozzle surface comprises a removing portion that removes a foreign matter from the nozzle surface.

Abstract: A water-based ink set for ink-jet recording has a plurality of color inks. Each of at least one of the plurality of color inks contains a first ink and a second ink. The first ink has a first hue angle and the second ink has a second hue angle, wherein the first hue angle is not equal to the second hue angle and a differential range therebetween is a hue angle color range of a normal color of the at least one of the plurality of color inks; and a coloring agent of one of the first ink and the second ink is a pigment and a coloring agent of the other thereof is a dye.

Abstract: An active energy beam-curable composition includes a photo-cationic polymerizable substance; a photo-cationic polymerization initiator; and an oxetane compound such as 3-ethyl-3-hydroxymethyloxetane, di[1-ethyl(3-oxetanyl)]methyl ether, and 3-ethyl-3-(2-ethylhexyloxymethyl)oxetane. Owing to the oxetane compound contained in the composition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of odor and cloudiness even when the composition is heated after being cured.

Abstract: An active energy beam-curable composition includes a photo-cationic polymerizable substance; a photo-cationic polymerization initiator; and a polymerizable compound having an ethylenic unsaturated double bond such as monomethacrylate, dimethacrylate, monoacrylate, and diacrylate. Owing to the compound having the ethylenic unsaturated double bond contained in the composition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of odor and cloudiness even when the composition is heated after being cured.

Abstract: An image-receiving layer composition is coated on a surface of a substrate of an ink-jet recording medium, used to form an image with the ink-jet system, to form an image-receiving layer. The composition includes an epoxy compound, an oxetane compound and a photo-cationic polymerization initiator. The composition is cured with an active energy beam. An image of an ink is formed on the image-receiving layer. Further, an overcoat layer is formed on the image. Also the ink and the overcoat layer may include an epoxy compound, an oxetane compound and a photo-cationic polymerization initiator.

Abstract: An active energy beam-curable composition comprises an epoxy compound, an oxetane compound, a photo-cationic polymerization initiator, a pigment as a coloring agent, and a pigment dispersing agent. The pigment dispersing agent contains an active ingredient of a comb-shaped polymer in which an anchor is a base and which is liquid at room temperature. Therefore, the adhesion performance is satisfactory even on a base material such as polycarbonate on which it has been impossible to obtain any satisfactory adhesion performance with any conventional active energy beam-curable composition.

Abstract: An active energy beam-curable composition comprises a photo-cationic polymerizable substance; a photo-cationic polymerization initiator; and a polymerizable compound having an ethylenic unsaturated double bond such as monomethacrylate, dimethacrylate, monoacrylate, and diacrylate. Owing to the compound having the ethylenic unsaturated double bond contained in the composition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of odor and cloudiness even when the composition is heated after being cured.

Abstract: An active energy beam-curable composition comprises a photo-cationic polymerizable substance; a photo-cationic polymerization initiator; and an oxetane compound such as 3-ethyl-3-hydroxymethyloxetane, di[1-ethyl(3-oxetanyl)]methyl ether, and 3-ethyl-3-(2-ethylhexyloxymethyl)oxetane. Owing to the oxetane compound contained in the composition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of odor and cloudiness even when the composition is heated after being cured.

Abstract: A hot-melt solid ink composition comprises at least one polyamide and at least one terpene resin. The terpene resin is present in an amount of from 0.5% by weight to 15% by weight based on the total weight of the ink composition. This hot-melt solid ink composition can be stable to heat upon recording using ink-jet recording apparatus where ink is heated to melt at a temperature higher than ordinary temperature to make a record, and has a superior transparency and a superior adhesion to printing mediums.

Abstract: A hot-melt ink includes an amide resin component and a wax component. The wax component includes at least montan ester wax and a ketone wax, and these waxes are contained in a total amount of at least 50 wt % based on the total amount of the hot-melt ink.