Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus, black characters or the like can be printed with high density and little feathering as well as with high fixing capability, and images can be printed which are subject to little bleeding between a boundary between a black image, particularly a black character, and a color image. More specifically, a processing liquid is ejected onto a black ink on a dot-on-dot basis, and in an area onto which color inks are ejected, the processing liquid is not applied to pixels in eight neighborhoods of pixels onto which the black ink is ejected. Thus, no processing liquid is present at the boundaries between a black area and a color area, then a reactant between the black ink and the processing liquid or the like is prevented from flowing out to the peripheries of the boundaries, thereby reducing bleeding at the boundaries between the color image and the black image, when the color inks are applied to the peripheries.

Abstract: A processing liquid containing an insolubilizer of polymer as the insolubilizer is thinned out at a relatively low printing ratio, i.e., at a given ratio relative to dots of a black ink and applied after the Bk ink is applied. Thereby, a reacting product is fixed in a part relatively shallow and close to the surface of a printing medium without diffusing deep into the medium and thus can increase optical density of a printed &phgr; image. In this case, the fixation can be accelerated when the processing liquid is highly penetrative.

Abstract: An image forming method and apparatus for forming an image on an image receiving medium with plural coating liquids. A plurality of types of coating liquid are combined to form a recording liquid and extruded as a continuous flow from an array of plural extruding ports which are aligned in a direction substantially orthogonal to a relative movement direction of the image receiving medium. While a mixing ratio of the plural coating liquids is varied based on an image signal, the recording liquid is continuously applied on the image receiving medium to form the image thereon. The high-speed image formation is enabled with a reduced amount of ink to be wasted. Preferably, the plurality of types of the coating liquid are not equally mixed but can be superimposed in the form of a layer in the coating thickness direction to be continuously applied.

Abstract: Production of a permanent ink-jet image with a fusible, wettable, toner and ink-jetted ink.

Abstract: Production of a permanent ink-jet image with a fusible, wettable, colorant-containing toner and ink-jetted clear fluid.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image forming method and apparatus for ejecting a recording liquid including an image forming and non-forming liquids from a recording liquid ejection port while changing a mixture proportion based on an image signal. The ejected recording liquid is transferred to an image receiving medium to form an image thereon. The image forming liquid is extruded into a flow of the image non-forming liquid in a recording liquid channel, and led to the ejection port so that the image-forming liquid fails to contact an inner wall surface of the recording liquid channel. The image non-forming liquid flows as a laminar flow in the recording liquid channel, and the image forming liquid is extruded into the laminar flow, surrounded and enveloped by the image non-forming liquid and led to the ejection port. The recording liquid fails to be disordered before reaching the image receiving medium, and image quality can be prevented from being deteriorated.

Abstract: Underprinting and/or overprinting clear fixer liquid onto an inkjet printed image, giving time for underprinted fixer to partially dry before depositing the inkjet printed image and/or giving time for the inkjet printed image to dry before overprinting the clear fixer liquid.

Abstract: Disclosed are an ink jet recording method, which can produce, on recording media, good images possessing good lightfastness, waterfastness, rubbing resistance/scratch resistance, and gloss, and a reaction solution and an ink composition for use in the ink jet recording method. After printing of an ink composition, the application of a first liquid to form a coating can improve the waterfastness, rubbing resistance/scratch resistance and gloss of records. The incorporation of a cationic emulsion containing sites possessing ultraviolet absorbing activity and/or photostabilizing activity into the reaction solution can improve the lightfastness of records.

Abstract: To provide an ink jet image forming method and an ink jet image forming device capable of forming an image of superior quality by using quickly drying ink and slowly drying ink in combination, wherein deviation which may occur in a discharge position of ink causes no reduction in the resolution of the image, black ink is adopted as the slowly drying ink, and so is white ink as one of the quickly drying ink. A white dot is formed with the white ink in a position to form a black dot on white recording paper, thereafter applying the black ink thereto. Deviation which may occur in the discharge position of the quickly drying white ink on the recording paper thus becomes almost visually unnoticeable.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus comprises an inkjet recording device for discharging recording ink according to a recording signal and for recording on a recording medium, and a coating device for coating a coating material on the recording medium prior to recording by the inkjet recording device. The inkjet recording device comprises at least one first orifice for discharging the recording ink on the recording medium, a first passage in communication with the first orifice for receiving a supply of the recording ink, and a first heating device for heating the recording ink supplied to the first passage. The coating device has at least one second orifice for discharging the coating material on the recording medium, a second passage in communication with the second orifice for receiving a supply of the coating material, and a second heating device for heating the coating material supplied to the second passage.

Abstract: Method of providing an image on a receiver, so that the image has reduced graininess. The method comprises providing a print head having a plurality of segments. A first one of the segments is capable of applying a spreading agent onto the receiver at specified locations. The spreading agent disperses (i.e., migrates) only over a predetermined area of the receiver. The remaining segments are capable of applying ink to the receiver after the spreading agent is applied to the receiver. The ink overlays the spreading agent. As the ink overlays the spreading agent, the ink is dispersed therein by action of the spreading agent. In this manner, graininess, which otherwise appears in a conventionally generated ink jet image, is reduced while sharpness of the image is maintained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a test pattern used in the alignment of an ink-jet pen which deposits fixer fluid, or other clear ink precursor fluid, or even colored ink fluid, on print media incorporates a colorless chemical marker in the fixer that is either infrared- or ultraviolet-sensitive and can either be observed using IR-sensitive detectors or visually, respectively, upon application of IR (or near-IR) radiation or UV radiation, respectively. Thus, data may be obtained with respect to deviations in a carriage-scan x-axis and a paper scan y-axis. Thus, the teachings of the present invention permit a determination of the extent of misdirected or missing nozzles.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing method for obtaining higher quality printed images by utilizing an ink-jet recording technology using a pigment ink and a treatment liquid. A treatment liquid for unstabilizing the dispersed condition of the pigment in the aqueous medium is applied onto the printing medium, and subsequently either an ink containing a self-dispersion type pigment and a pigment dispersed by a polymeric dispersant or an ink containing a self-dispersion type pigment and an ink containing a pigment dispersed by a polymeric dispersant are applied together to the printing medium in such a way that the treatment liquid and the inks are mixed in a liquid state on the printing medium to make the pigments indissoluble.

Abstract: A recording method includes the steps of ejecting ink onto a recording material on the basis of image data; and ejecting record quality improving liquid to improve a record quality of the ink ejected onto the recording material; wherein one of the ink ejecting step and the liquid ejecting step is carried out after the other; the liquid ejecting step ejects the liquid to a part of an ink-ejection-area on the recording material to provide liquid-ejection-area and non-liquid-ejection-area.

Abstract: A printing method includes printing a colored ink on at least one pixel of a print substrate, and printing a wetting material at least one of under, over and around colored ink in said pixel, wherein said wetting material causes said colored ink to blend into the substrate and blurs edges of the colored ink.

Abstract: A special ink consists of water and a humectant. A reusable paper includes a surface darkened by a water-insoluble material and a coating covering the darkened surface. The coating is made of a material that scatters light when dry and that becomes at least translucent when wetted by water. If the special ink is used to print on the reusable paper, the print will be visible for a limited period of time (e.g., half an hour). By the end of that time period, however, the special ink will have evaporated and the print will have disappeared completely from the reusable paper. The special ink may be applied to the reusable paper by an inkjet printer. An inkjet cartridge for such a printer includes a casing filled with the special ink.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a test pattern used in the alignment of an ink-jet pen which deposits fixer fluid, or other clear ink precursor fluid, on print media uses the change in reflectivity caused by overprinting a series of positional-calibration indicia with colorant to obtain data with respect to deviations in a carriage-scan x-axis and a paper scan y-axis. Thus the invention measures distances between pens or nozzles.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a printing method comprising a step of applying a liquid composition containing a cationic substance and an ink containing an anionic substance respectively on a recording medium so that the liquid composition and the ink are in contact with each other on the recording medium, wherein the ink contains a coloring material at a concentration of not higher than 1% and has a pH of 10.5 or higher. The printing method permits the provision of an image having excellent water fastness, image quality and resistance to bleeding on plain paper and can prevent the occurrence of whitish haze at a highlight part.

Abstract: Non-black ink jet printheads are arranged in a printer carriage such that the printhead nozzle arrays are non-overlapping in the carriage swath direction. A fixer printhead is positioned such that the print medium is first advanced past the fixer printhead prior to reaching any of the other printheads. The printheads are selectively driven during each direction of a bi-directional carriage movement, and the print medium is incrementally advanced before each change in carriage movement direction. The order of laying down droplets of different colors is the same during the movement in each direction, thereby eliminating bi-directional hue shifting print artifacts.

Abstract: A printing device according to the present invention assures stable mixing and ejecting operations without provision of complicated mechanisms such as valves. The printing device includes an ejecting nozzle with a first discharge opening and a metering nozzle with a, second discharge opening, which are provided separately from each other to feed two kinds of fluids through the first and second discharge openings, respectively. The two kinds of fluids are mixed together to form a fluid mixture to be ejected toward a recording medium. A minimum distance d between the first and second discharge openings of the metering and ejecting nozzles is in the range of 0≦d≦5(S1) where S1 stands for an opening area of the first discharge opening of the ejecting nozzle.

Abstract: An ink jet printing process for improving the light stability and wet abrasion resistance of an ink jet image comprising: a) providing an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a cross-linkable polymer of gelatin or acetoacetylated poly(vinyl alcohol) and a mordant; b) applying liquid ink droplets of a dye on the image-recording layer in an image-wise manner, the dye being a water-soluble deprotonated cationic dye which is capable of being reprotonated to a cationic dye having a N—H group which is part of a conjugated system; and c) applying an aqueous solution of an organic hardener to the image to cross-link the polymer.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method, including the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink-receptive substrates; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition comprising from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of a pigment, a carrier and a hydrophobically capped oligomeric acrylamide dispersant in a ratio of dispersant:pigment from about 0.1:1 to about 5:1; and D) printing on an ink-receptive element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus which performs recording using a plurality of types of inks which are different in nature such as level of thickness, improved to attain excellent gradation of recorded image with a reduced number of ink types which are prepared beforehand. In one form, a clear ink which does not contain any dye is mixed with an ink which contains dye so as to form an ink blend of a density which can be set by varying the mixing ratio. The ink blend thus formed is supplied to a recording head. The invention also provides an ink jet recording apparatus which permits inks of different compositions to be blended within the recording apparatus so a to enable selection of ink composition which is optimum for the image to be recorded or purpose of use.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus of the present invention is for eliminating the difference in printed results generated from an offset between the positions to which a main drop and satellite drop of ink are discharged respectively, and generated also from the difference in the ejecting order of processing liquid with respect to ink. The apparatus is constructed such that in a scanning operation in which a satellite ink drop Da2 is dropped onto a main ink drop Da1 ejected from the ink head section in a superimposed manner, the processing liquid Sa falls after the ink dot formed on the recording paper 16 is expanded to some extent, whereas in a scanning operation in which the satellite drop Db2 is dropped at a position offset from the position of the main drop Db1, the processing liquid Sb is first ejected, and those ink drops Db1 and Db2 are discharged thereafter, so as to suppress expansion of the ink dot, making thus a dot having substantially the same size with that formed in the above scanning case.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus ejects droplets of a recording-improvement liquid on a boundary line between two different color portions of an image by using an ink-jet recording head. The ink-jet recording head comprises a group of nozzles for ejecting the recording-improvement liquid which is responsible for precipitating or condensing a coloring substance in the ink. Accordingly, a high-quality image that comprises black-color portion with a high image density without causing any feathering and multiple-color portions without a spread of ink can be obtained.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method prints an image on a printing medium by ejecting ink and printabilty improvement liquid containing a substance for improving printablity of the ink to the printing medium. At this time, ejection of the ink and ejection of the printability improvement liquid onto the printing medium are achieved such that the position where the printability improvement liquid is applied and the position where the ink is applied are different from each other, but partially overlap when the ejected printability improvement liquid comes into contact with the ejected ink on the printing medium.

Abstract: A composition and a method and an apparatus for using the composition for secure thermal ink jet printing on a substrate. The thermal ink jet ink composition is clear and is invisible to an unaided human eye in visible light when printed on the substrate.

Abstract: A printing device according to the present invention assures stable mixing and ejecting operations without provision of complicated mechanisms such as valves. The printing device includes an ejecting nozzle with a first discharge opening and a metering nozzle with a, second discharge opening, which are provided separately from each other to feed two kinds of fluids through the first and second discharge openings, respectively. The two kinds of fluids are mixed together to form a fluid mixture to be ejected toward a recording medium. A minimum distance d between the first and second discharge openings of the metering and ejecting nozzles is in the range of 0.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.5.sqroot. (S1) where S1 stands for an opening area of the first discharge opening of the ejecting nozzle.

Abstract: A latent image is formed by applying a colorless liquid that makes colorants of ink insoluble to a predetermined area of a print material. The latent image is made visible by applying ink to only the predetermined area of the print material to cause reaction between the ink and the colorless liquid to make the colorants of the ink insoluble and thereby fix the colorants in the print material. Another method of making a latent image visible involves applying ink to the entire surface of the print material and washing the print material with water to remove unfixed ink.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which fixes ink in a short time without deteriorating clearness or transparency of the ink. An ink image is formed on a recording medium by the ink containing a resin and a solvent miscible with the resin. An ink curing liquid is applied to contact the ink image on the recording medium. The ink curing liquid is miscible with the solvent, and has a molecular weight greater than a molecular weight of the solvent. Alternatively, an ink curing solid is applied to contact the ink image on the recording medium. The ink curing solid has a swelling property with respect to the solvent contained in the ink.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for ink jet printing use a print head including a first nozzle group for discharging a first ink, a second nozzle group for discharging a second ink and a third nozzle group for discharging a printability improving solution. The third nozzle group is displaced between the first nozzle group and the second nozzle group. The first nozzle group discharges the first ink on the printing medium based on image data to form an image, the third nozzle group discharges the printability improving solution on the image formed on the printing medium by means of another step, and the second nozzle group discharges the second ink on the image formed on the printing medium. The printability improving solution has higher penetrability into the printing medium compared to the ink.The method and apparatus can attain a clear colored, high density image without color mixing, which has high water resistance on plain paper, with a low running cost.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus enables a printing operation to be performed for both surfaces of a printing medium with the use of an ink jet head for ejecting ink. The apparatus comprises components for designating either a both surface printing mode or a one surface printing mode, for applying processing liquid to the printing medium, for reducing a quantity of ejection of ink to the printing medium, and for designating either the component for applying processing liquid or that for reducing ejection quantity in the case that the both surface printing mode is designated.

Abstract: A self-contained device for recording data encoded either in visible or invisible form or both on a medium, and for playback of data encoded either in visible or invisible form or both on the medium, the device comprises a case for forming a self-contained housing for the device; a recording portion for recording either or both visible and invisible ink on the medium, or recording either or both visible and invisible dye; and a detecting portion for detecting either or both visible and invisible ink, or detecting either or both visible and invisible dye.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method in which a water-based ink containing a recording agent is attached to a recording surface of a recording medium by an ink jet system, and liquid water is applied to the recording medium at a suitable time proximate to the time of applying the ink. A period of time is set during which a state in which the water-based ink is in a liquid form in the recording surface coexists with a state in which liquid water other than water contained in the water-based ink exists in a portion of the recording medium other than the recording surface.

Abstract: A method of printing with phase change ink on an ink jet printer that contains multiple levels of black gray scale ink and a clear or slightly tinted wax ink base and which is applied to the roughened surface of an adhesion promoting coating applied to a transparent substrate is disclosed. The adhesion promoting coating has a surface roughness of greater than about 0.5 micrometers and contains a binder and an inorganic particulate material.

Abstract: In an ink-jet recording apparatus having two recording modes having different resolutions in recording, high density is realized in each of the recording modes in an excellent state. In a high-resolution recording mode, a colorless processing liquid to cause ink and its color material to be insoluble or to agglomerate is discharged, and the processing liquid and the ink are mixed on a recording medium. Thus, the ink becomes insoluble and therefore does not penetrate deeply into the recording medium, so that dots formed by the ink have a smaller diameter. As a result, high-resolution recording with the small-diameter dots can be realized. In a low-resolution recording mode, the diameter of dots formed by the ink without using the processing liquid is larger than in the foregoing case. Accordingly, dots can be densely arranged in the two modes, so that high density can be realized in an excellent state.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printing apparatus, an arrangement of logic gates disposed between a source of rasterized image signals and printing hardware allows real-time conversion of CMYK image signals for application to an ink-jet printhead which is capable of CMY, RGB, and process and pure black outputs.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink-jet recording method in which at least four inks composed of three color inks of cyan, magenta and yellow colors and a colorless ink containing a penetrant are used to record a color image, wherein the recording is conducted so as to overlap the penetrant-containing colorless ink and the color inks each other in a region along boundary lines to be defined by differences in hue of an image to be formed with the color inks, and to form an image with the color inks alone in other regions than the above region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing process which comprises (a) incorporating into a printing apparatus capable of generating ink jet images a carbonless paper set comprising a first sheet, a second sheet, and optional intermediate sheets situated between the first sheet and second sheet, wherein the first sheet comprises paper coated on one surface with a color former and the second sheet comprises paper coated on one surface with a color developer, and wherein, when the carbonless paper set is assembled, the surface of the first sheet coated with the color former is in contact with the surface of a sheet coated with the color developer and the surface of the second sheet coated with the color developer is in contact with the surface of a sheet coated with the color former; (b) incorporating into the printing apparatus an ink jet ink comprising water, an organic component, and a desensitizing agent capable of interacting either (i) with the color former so that the color former's subsequent ability to interact with the

Abstract: A variable optical density print system and method for continuous variation of the optical density among successive droplets expelled from the same nozzle, the print system comprising a fluid channel connected to a basis fluid supply and a fluid channel connected to a colorant concentrate fluid supply. Each fluid channel is in fluid communication with a single ink firing chamber. Appropriate amounts of basis fluid and colorant concentrate fluid are delivered to the firing chamber by briefly opening a microvalve positioned within each fluid channel. The fluids mix in the firing chamber and are then ejected as a single ink droplet which possesses a desired optical density.

Abstract: An image forming method that forms an image using an ink and a liquid composition by a process comprising the steps of;(A) imparting a black ink to an image forming area of a recording medium by ink-jet recording; the black ink comprising a water-soluble black dye and a black pigment as coloring matters, and a liquid medium in which the coloring matters are dissolved or dispersed; and(B) imparting a liquid composition different from the ink to the image forming area.

Abstract: A method of printing with phase change ink on an ink jet printer that contains ink dots in an imaged area by placing clear or the lightest level of color ink drops in non-imaged areas adjacent the ink drops in the imaged area is disclosed. The method reduces dot gain in phase change ink drops when the image is fused. The method is especially useful for grey scale printing applications in direct or offset printing.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a latent image formed with an invisible ink. A mechanism, such as a heater for heating the ink, provides a temperature differential between the ink and the substrate. An ink delivery system such as an ink jet printer applies the ink to the substrate to form a latent image thereon. A heat-sensitive scanning device scans the substrate and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the temperature differential between the ink and the substrate before the ink reaches thermal equilibrium with the substrate. The electrical signal includes information representative of the image on the substrate, and may be displayed, recorded and/or processed as desired to verify the image.

Abstract: A paper curl reduction process is conducted by applying an aqueous dye or pigment ink in an image-wise fashion to a side of a substrate and by applying a clear aqueous liquid to the opposite side of the substrate. An ink printing device includes at least one printhead for applying an aqueous ink to one side of a substrate to form visible images and at least one applicator for applying a clear aqueous liquid to the opposite side of the substrate. A paper curl reduction process is also conducted by applying an aqueous dye or pigment ink and an optional clear aqueous liquid in a selected image-wise fashion by a thermal ink jet printing method to both sides of a substrate to achieve duplex ink jet printing with visible images on two sides of the said substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink-jet recording process which comprises applying a first liquid at least containing a water-soluble resin having at least one carboxyl group or anhydride thereof, or sulfonic group per molecule to a recording medium and then applying an ink at least comprising water, an organic solvent, a dye, an alkali-soluble resin and an alkali to the portions where the first liquid has adhered, thereby forming an image. An ink set and an instrument for use in such a process are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process which comprises (1) incorporating into a printing apparatus capable of generating ink jet images a carbonless paper set comprising a first sheet, a second sheet, and optional intermediate sheets situated between the first sheet and second sheet, wherein the first sheet comprises paper coated on one surface with a color former and the second sheet comprises paper coated on one surface with a color developer, and wherein, when the carbonless paper set is assembled, the surface of the first sheet coated with the color former is in contact with the surface of a sheet coated with the color developer and the surface of the second sheet coated with the color developer is in contact with the surface of a sheet coated with the color former; (2) incorporating into the printing apparatus an ink jet ink comprising (a) water; (b) a member selected from the group consisting of glycols, sulfolane, and mixtures thereof; (c) optionally, a member selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropanol

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for removing accumulated waste ink from a service or maintenance station of an ink jet printer includes a housing that defines a fluid storage chamber, and at least one output aperture that is formed in a wall of the housing, and communicates with the storage chamber. The cleaning apparatus further includes a cleaning liquid that is stored in the fluid storage chamber for ejecting through the at least one output aperture. The cleaning liquid advantageously includes ink dissolving compositions for dissolving thickened or dried ink waste and other contaminants that have undesirably accumulated in portions of the service or maintenance station.

Abstract: A latent image printing process comprising applying to a substrate a latent image ink composition, with an ink jet printer. Subsequently, the latent image is activated to render it visible, by application of an activator. The present invention also provides a latent ink composition for use in ink jet applications, which is capable of being applied to a white or light colored substrate to form latent printed images that are substantially invisible until activated.