A radiation-curable ink jet composition contains a polymerizable compound, a white pigment, and inorganic particles different from the white pigment. The polymerizable compound includes a monofunctional polymerizable compound. The content of the monofunctional polymerizable compound is 80 mass % or more with respect to the total mass of the polymerizable compound contained in the radiation-curable ink jet composition.

An ink jet recording method includes a treatment liquid attachment step, in which a treatment liquid is attached to a recording medium, and an ink attachment step, in which a water-based ink composition is attached to the recording medium. An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording medium support and a heating mechanism that heats the recording medium support. The ink attachment step is carried out with the recording medium supported and heated by the recording medium support. In the ink attachment step, the recording medium is heated so that a surface thereof reaches a maximum temperature of 28.0° C. or more and 45.0° C. or less. The ratio between absorbances A and B (A/B) is 0.5 or more and 0.95 or less, where absorbance A is that of a 0.1% by mass mixture of the water-based ink composition in the treatment liquid, and absorbance B is that of a 0.1% by mass mixture of the water-based ink composition in purified water. The recording medium support has a flat support surface for supporting the recording medium.

Disclosed are an aqueous UV curable ink and the method of preparing the same. In particular, the disclosure relates to a UV curable aqueous dispersant and a method of preparing the same; a UV curable aqueous ink composition and a method of preparing the same; and a method of forming an image on a recording medium. The UV curable aqueous dispersant according to the disclosure, and the UV curable aqueous ink composition including the same have no limitations in selecting a material, and improve the texture and fastness of an object, which is subjected to printing, in the fields of textile.

A fixer includes a fixing roller around which a recording medium is directed such that the print image to be fixed faces toward the shell surface of the fixing roller. A fixing gap is generated with a gaseous fixing medium between the shell surface of the fixing roller and the recording medium. This advantageously produces an efficient and gentle fixing of the print image.

An image forming apparatus includes a sheet separation device, a first sheet feeder, a second sheet feeder, an image forming device, and circuitry. The sheet separation device is configured to separate a non-bonding portion of a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and bonded together at a bonding portion of the two-ply sheet. The first sheet feeder is configured to feed the two-ply sheet. The second sheet feeder is configured to feed an inner sheet to be inserted between the two sheets. The image forming device is configured to form an image on a surface of the inner sheet. The circuitry is configured to cause the first sheet feeder to feed the two-ply sheet, perform a sheet separating operation on the two-ply sheet and cause the second sheet feeder to start feeding the inner sheet before completion of the sheet separating operation on the two-ply sheet.

A recording medium, including: an ink-receiving layer configured to receive an ink for inkjet recording; and a transparent sheet having a total luminous transmittance of 50% or more, wherein the recoding medium has a layered structure in which the transparent sheet and the ink-receiving layer are sequentially stacked, and the ink-receiving layer includes a gap-absorption-type ink-receiving layer including a composition including at least inorganic fine particles and polyvinyl alcohol having a weight-average polymerization degree of 2,000 or more and 5,000 or less and a saponification degree of 70 mol % or more and 90 mol % or less.

The present invention relates to method for producing a printed decorative paper comprising the steps of: i) providing a substrate paper; ii) applying to said substrate paper a decorative layer; iii) applying to said decorative layer a liquid coating consisting essentially of a polymerizable mixture; iv) applying polymerization conditions to form a polymerized layer on said decorative layer. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a printed decorative paper, which decorative paper is processed to form a decorative panel, which decorative panel thus obtained will exhibit a good resistance against weather influences.

The present invention provides a method of multi-pass inkjet printing comprising: (i) providing an inkjet ink comprising a radiation-curable monomer and a photoinitiator; (ii) jetting the ink via a printhead on to a substrate, wherein the ink is applied in multiple passes of the printhead with respect to the substrate, with each pass jetting a portion of ink in a layer on the substrate, with a first layer being jetted directly on to the substrate and subsequent layers being jetted onto the preceding layer, to build an image formed of the multiple layers; and (iii) exposing all of the layers of ink to actinic radiation to cure the ink, wherein the order of jetting the layers and curing is that pairs of layers are applied to the substrate without exposing the first layer of the pair to actinic radiation prior to the second layer of the pair of layers being applied, curing the pair of layers simultaneously by exposing the pair of layers to actinic radiation, and repeating until the image is formed.

A line-head-type inkjet image-forming method includes ejecting a gel ink to a recording medium at a first coverage rate that is less than 100% and set to allow dots of newly ejected gel ink to unite with dots of the gel ink already landed on the recording medium. The gel ink contains a specific amount of a polymer dispersant based on the amount of the colorant and has a specific contact angle on the recording medium. The gel ink is ejected from nozzles so as to form dots with a diameter slightly larger according to the resolution of the image to be formed.

A geographically remote computing device transmits an image to a central computing device. The geographically remote computing device also communicates specifications of a substrate or substrates to be imaged to the central computing device. The central computing device selects a geographically remote fulfillment printer. A local, but geographically diverse distribution system is available according to the invention. The central computing device chooses the geographically remote fulfillment printer as a function of factors such as the selected image and substrate, printer capabilities, and the consumer's location. Image quality and consistency is maintained by the central computer selecting an appropriate geographically remote computing device and providing printer the appropriate instructions, rather than the instructions for printing being determined locally at the printer.