A photocurable composition can comprise a polymerizable material, at least one non-reactive polymer, and a photoinitiator, wherein the non-reactive polymer can have a carbon content of at least 80% based on the total weight of the non-reactive polymer; a molecular weight of the at least one non-reactive polymer can be at least 750 g/mol and not greater than 20,000 g/mol; an amount of the non-reactive polymer may be at least 10 wt % and not greater than 30 wt %; and a viscosity of the photocurable composition may be not greater than 110 mPa.Math.s. The photocurable composition may have a low linear shrinkage after curing, a high carbon content and high etch resistance and being suitable for AIP or NIL processing.

A photocurable composition can comprise a polymerizable material, and a photoinitiator, wherein the polymerizable material can comprise at least one polymerizable monomer and at least one reactive polymer. The reactive polymer can have a carbon content of at least 75% based on the total weight of the reactive polymer; a molecular weight of the at least one reactive polymer can be at least 400 g/mol and not greater than 50,000 g/mol; an amount of the reactive polymer may be at least 5 wt %; and a viscosity of the photocurable composition may be not greater than 100 mPa.Math.s. The photocurable composition may have a low linear shrinkage after curing, a high carbon content and high etch resistance and being suitable for AIP or NIL processing.

Disclosed herein are ink compositions that can be ink jetted onto a substrate with improved performance, low odor, and low migration properties. An example ink composition includes a mono-functional monomer, the mono-functional monomer including a hydrophilic mono-functional monomer; a di-functional monomer; an optional colorant; and an optional photoinitiator. Also disclosed are substrates decorated with a cured ink composition and methods of decorating a substrate with the ink compositions.

A method of forming a metallic pattern on a substrate is provided. The method includes applying onto a metallic surface, a chemically surface-activating solution having an activating agent that chemically activates the metallic surface; non-impact printing an etch-resist ink on the activated surface to produce an etch resist mask according to a predetermined pattern, wherein at least one ink component within the etch-resist ink undergoes a chemical reaction with the activated metallic surface to immobilize droplets of the etch-resist ink when hitting the activated surface; performing an etching process to remove unmasked metallic portions that are not covered with the etch resist mask; and removing the etch-resist mask.

A method of forming a metallic pattern on a substrate is provided. The method includes applying onto a metallic surface, a chemically surface-activating solution having an activating agent that chemically activates the metallic surface; non-impact printing an etch-resist ink on the activated surface to produce an etch resist mask according to a predetermined pattern, wherein at least one ink component within the etch-resist ink undergoes a chemical reaction with the activated metallic surface to immobilize droplets of the etch-resist ink when hitting the activated surface; performing an etching process to remove unmasked metallic portions that are not covered with the etch resist mask; and removing the etch-resist mask.

A radiation-curable ink is provided and includes: a first liquid phase, including a radiation-curable hydrophobic polymerizable compound; and a second liquid phase, including at least one compound selected from a group consisting of water, an aqueous polymerizable compound, an aqueous polymer, and an aqueous non-polymerizable compound. The second liquid phase is emulsified and dispersed in the first liquid phase. And, a three-dimensional object is formed by curing the radiation-curable ink, in which a third liquid phase derived from the second liquid phase and including at least one compound selected from the group consisting of water, the aqueous polymerizable compound, the aqueous polymer, and the aqueous non-polymerizable compound is dispersed as a sea-island structure in a continuous phase of a hydrophobic cured product formed by curing the first liquid phase. A water content of the third liquid phase is 1% by weight or more.

A radiation-curable ink is provided and includes: a first liquid phase, including a radiation-curable hydrophobic polymerizable compound; and a second liquid phase, including at least one compound selected from a group consisting of water, an aqueous polymerizable compound, an aqueous polymer, and an aqueous non-polymerizable compound. The second liquid phase is emulsified and dispersed in the first liquid phase. And, a three-dimensional object is formed by curing the radiation-curable ink, in which a third liquid phase derived from the second liquid phase and including at least one compound selected from the group consisting of water, the aqueous polymerizable compound, the aqueous polymer, and the aqueous non-polymerizable compound is dispersed as a sea-island structure in a continuous phase of a hydrophobic cured product formed by curing the first liquid phase. A water content of the third liquid phase is 1% by weight or more.

An adhesive-free laminate and a process for producing such a laminate are described herein. The process includes printing an ink on the surface of a first film, exposure of the printed film to UV radiation such that the ink is at least partially cured, attaching the first film to a second film such that the ink is between the first and second film, and exposing the combination of the first film, the ink and the second film to a second UV radiation. It has been found that this process can produce a unique laminate, without the presence of an adhesive.

An adhesive-free laminate and a process for producing such a laminate are described herein. The process includes printing an ink on the surface of a first film, exposure of the printed film to UV radiation such that the ink is at least partially cured, attaching the first film to a second film such that the ink is between the first and second film, and exposing the combination of the first film, the ink and the second film to a second UV radiation. It has been found that this process can produce a unique laminate, without the presence of an adhesive.

Provided are: an infrared ray-absorbing ultraviolet-ray curable ink which has infrared ray-absorbing ability and from which it is possible to provide printed matter having excellent resistance to bases, particularly resistance to washing; and an infrared ray-absorbing printed matter. According to the present invention, an ink composition is obtained by using an ultraviolet-ray curable urethane acrylate resin together with a tungsten-based infrared ray-absorbing pigment. More specifically, this infrared ray-absorbing ultraviolet-ray curable ink contains a tungsten-based infrared ray-absorbing pigment, an ultraviolet-ray curable urethane acrylate resin, and an ultraviolet-ray curable acrylic resin not including a urethane bond.