A pattern is formed on a substrate with forming a layer of a curable composition (A1) containing a polymerizable compound (a1) on a surface of the substrate, then dispensing droplets of a curable composition (A2) containing a polymerizable compound (a2) dropwise discretely onto the curable composition (A1) layer, subsequently sandwiching a mixture layer of the curable composition (A1) and the curable composition (A2) between a mold and the substrate, then irradiating the mixture layer with light to cure the mixture layer, and releasing the mold from the mixture layer after the curing. The curable composition (A1) except a solvent has a viscosity at 25° C. of 40 mPa.Math.s or more and less than 500 mPa.Math.s. The curable composition (A2) except a solvent has a viscosity at 25° C. of 1 mPa.Math.s or more and less than 40 mPa.Math.s.

The present invention provides a photocurable ink composition for ink jet recording with excellent curability. The photocurable ink composition for ink jet recording includes polymerizable compounds, a photopolymerization initiator, and a colorant, wherein the polymerizable compounds include a vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylate represented by general formula (I):
CH.sub.2═CR.sup.1—COOR.sup.2—O—CH═CH—R.sup.3  (I)
(wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R.sup.2 is a divalent organic residue having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, and R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic residue having 1 to 11 carbon atoms) and phenoxyethyl (meth)acrylate.

The present invention provides a photocurable ink composition for ink jet recording with excellent curability. The photocurable ink composition for ink jet recording includes polymerizable compounds, a photopolymerization initiator, and a colorant, wherein the polymerizable compounds include a vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylate represented by general formula (I):
CH.sub.2═CR.sup.1—COOR.sup.2—O—CH═CH—R.sup.3  (I)
(wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R.sup.2 is a divalent organic residue having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, and R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic residue having 1 to 11 carbon atoms) and phenoxyethyl (meth)acrylate.

A photopolymerizable composition, which includes a photoradical polymerization initiator and photopolymerizable monomers containing glycerol dimethacrylate, where an amount of the glycerol dimethacrylate in the photopolymerizable monomers is 25% by mass or greater, and pencil hardness of a cured product is F or harder, where the cured product is formed by curing a coating film through irradiation with light of a wavelength region corresponding to a UVA region, with a light to dose of 800 mJ/cm.sup.2, where the coating film is formed by coating the photopolymerizable composition on a base so as to have an average thickness of 30 μm.

A photopolymerizable composition, which includes a photoradical polymerization initiator and photopolymerizable monomers containing glycerol dimethacrylate, where an amount of the glycerol dimethacrylate in the photopolymerizable monomers is 25% by mass or greater, and pencil hardness of a cured product is F or harder, where the cured product is formed by curing a coating film through irradiation with light of a wavelength region corresponding to a UVA region, with a light to dose of 800 mJ/cm.sup.2, where the coating film is formed by coating the photopolymerizable composition on a base so as to have an average thickness of 30 μm.

An ink set includes a pre-treatment fixing fluid including at least two metal salts and a fixable, ultraviolet (UV) curable ink. The UV curable ink includes an aqueous ink vehicle, a pigment dispersed in the aqueous ink vehicle, and a dispersant. A polyurethane polymer dispersion is suspended as droplets within the aqueous ink vehicle. The polyurethane polymer dispersion includes a polyurethane polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyether-based polyurethane, a polyester-based polyurethane, a polycarbonate-based polyurethane, and mixtures thereof. The polyurethane polymer has i) an acid number ranging from 0 mg/g to less than 20 mg/g and ii) a glass transition temperature of less than 0 C. A water soluble or water dispersible photoinitiator is present in the pre-treatment fixing fluid or in the fixable, UV curable ink.

An ink set includes a pre-treatment fixing fluid including at least two metal salts and a fixable, ultraviolet (UV) curable ink. The UV curable ink includes an aqueous ink vehicle, a pigment dispersed in the aqueous ink vehicle, and a dispersant. A polyurethane polymer dispersion is suspended as droplets within the aqueous ink vehicle. The polyurethane polymer dispersion includes a polyurethane polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyether-based polyurethane, a polyester-based polyurethane, a polycarbonate-based polyurethane, and mixtures thereof. The polyurethane polymer has i) an acid number ranging from 0 mg/g to less than 20 mg/g and ii) a glass transition temperature of less than 0 C. A water soluble or water dispersible photoinitiator is present in the pre-treatment fixing fluid or in the fixable, UV curable ink.

A curable phase change gellant ink composition including a phase change ink vehicle comprising at least one acrylate monomer, oligomer, or prepolymer; acryloylmorpholine; at least one gellant, wherein the gellant is miscible with the phase change ink vehicle; a photoinitiator; and an optional colorant.

A curable phase change gellant ink composition including a phase change ink vehicle comprising at least one acrylate monomer, oligomer, or prepolymer; acryloylmorpholine; at least one gellant, wherein the gellant is miscible with the phase change ink vehicle; a photoinitiator; and an optional colorant.

A non-Newtonian photo-curable ink composition that comprises a combination of metal oxide particles in an amount ranging from about 0.1 wt % to about 20 wt % based on the total weight of the ink; an organic solvent; a photo-initiator; and a polymerizable material wherein the ink composition has a first dynamic viscosity ranging from 25 cps to 10,000 cps at a first state and a second dynamic viscosity ranging from 1 cps to 50 cps at a second state. Also described herein is a method for making such non-Newtonian photo-curable ink composition and a method for producing printed images using such non-Newtonian photo-curable ink composition.