A printing method includes forming an image by applying marking material onto the surface of a substrate; optionally applying an intermediate layer onto the substrate; subjecting the image to a fixation treatment; applying a layer of an ionically stabilized varnish on the surface of the image; and performing image-wise gloss control by locally varying at least one of a fixation parameter and a primer application parameter.

A liquid applying apparatus includes a liquid applier, a heating device, and a post-processing apparatus. The liquid applier is configured to discharge liquid to a sheet. The heating device is configured to heat the sheet on which the liquid is applied, by the liquid applier. The post-processing apparatus is configured to perform a post-processing operation to the sheet that has passed the heating device. An upstream sheet that is conveyed after the sheet and located upstream from the post-processing apparatus in a sheet conveyance direction stops in an area other than a heat area of the heating device when the post-processing apparatus performs the post-processing operation on the sheet.

An ink jet textile printing composition set of the invention includes an ink jet textile printing ink composition and a penetrant. The ink jet textile printing ink composition contains a fluorescent dye and water, and the penetrant contains a compound having a lactam structure and water.

A fluid set includes a pre-treatment composition, an ink composition, and an overcoat composition. The pre-treatment composition includes a multivalent metal salt and an aqueous vehicle. The ink composition includes a pigment, a polyurethane-based binder, and an aqueous ink vehicle. An overcoat composition includes a blocked polyisocyanate crosslinker and an aqueous overcoat vehicle.

Provided is a recording method including: a first applying step of applying anionic first processing liquid on a medium; a second applying step of applying cationic second processing liquid on the medium, causing the first processing liquid and the second processing liquid to react with each other, and generating mixed liquid, subsequently to the first applying step; and a first drying step of drying the mixed liquid subsequently to the second applying step, in which the mixed liquid is cationic.

A fixer fluid can include a fixer vehicle with water, an NH-type or N-alkylated lactam co-solvent, and a phosphate ester surfactant. The fixer fluid can further include from 0.5 wt % to 12 wt % an azetidinium-containing polyamine polymer dispersed in the fixer vehicle.

A recording method includes: ejecting colored ink compositions that include a cyan ink composition, a magenta ink composition, a yellow ink composition, and a special color ink composition with a hue angle different from hue angles of the respective ink compositions from an ink jet head and causing the ink compositions to adhere to a recording medium; and causing a processing solution containing a coagulant for coagulating constituents of the colored ink compositions to adhere to the recording medium, the causing of the ink compositions to adhere is performed by performing scanning, in which the colored ink compositions are ejected while a relative position of the ink jet head with respect to the recording medium is changed in a scanning direction, a plurality of times, and a maximum distance of scanning performed once in the causing of the ink compositions to adhere is equal to or greater than 50 cm.

An apparatus (100) for applying a liquid to a printing surface (150). The apparatus comprise: a housing (110) arranged to receive the liquid, the housing comprising an aperture and the aperture comprising at least a first side defined by the housing and a second side defined by the housing which is opposite to the first side, such that the liquid can flow out of the housing by passing through the aperture between the first side and the second side; and a liquid guide member (120) which is inserted into the aperture so that the liquid guide member extends from the first side to the second side. The liquid guide member comprises: a first transfer surface; a second transfer surface which is separated from the first transfer surface by a gap; a first channel which extends from a first inlet which is adjacent to the aperture to a first outlet which is adjacent to the first transfer surface; and a second channel which extends from a first inlet which is adjacent to the aperture to a first outlet which is adjacent to the second transfer surface, the liquid guide member being arranged such that in use the liquid will flow along the first channel from the aperture to the first transfer surface and then transfer from the first transfer surface onto the printing surface, and the liquid will flow along the second channel from the aperture to the second transfer surface and then transfer from the second transfer surface onto the printing surface as the printing surface moves relative to the apparatus.

An ink jet recording method includes an ink attachment step, in which an aqueous ink composition is ejected from a recording head and attached to a recording medium, and a treatment liquid attachment step, in which a treatment liquid containing a flocculant is ejected from a recording head and attached to the recording medium. The recording head for ejecting the treatment liquid has a circulation channel in which the treatment liquid is circulated.

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.