The present invention provides a method for applying multiple ink and/or coating layers on a substrate. At least one of the ink and/or coating layers contains one or more photoinitiators, and at least one of the ink and/or coating layers does not contain any photoinitiators. In certain embodiments, all of the ink and/or coating layers are wet trapped and the entire print construct is cured by exposure to UV radiation after all of the ink and/or coating layers have been applied. In certain embodiments, the wet trapping method of the present invention can be used to prepare laminates.

According to certain embodiments, a method of producing a pattern on a substrate comprises securing a flexible polymeric substrate, printing a layer of ink as a negative pattern on the substrate, and placing the flexible polymeric substrate in a vacuum chamber. The method further includes uniformly applying, while the flexible polymeric is under a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, a layer of material over both the layer of ink and the substrate via physical vapor deposition and then removing the flexible polymeric substrate from the vacuum chamber. The method further includes removing the ink and material applied over the ink by immersing the flexible polymeric substrate in a solvent such that it results in a desired pattern of the material on the flexible polymeric substrate.

A ceramic ink may include about 20% to 80% by weight oxide frit, wherein the oxide frit is particles of at least one compound selected from silica, titania, alumina, zirconia, a compound having fluoride ion, bismuth oxide, zinc oxide, boron oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide, calcium oxide, barium oxide, lead oxide, lithium oxide, phosphorous oxide, molybdenum oxide, strontium oxide, and magnesium oxide; about 10% to 40% by weight infrared or near-infrared transmissive or reflective inorganic pigment; and about 10% to 40% vehicle.

A can curing oven including a housing assembly, a transfer assembly, and a number of heating units. The housing assembly defines a generally enclosed space. The transfer assembly is structured to support and move a number of can bodies. The transfer assembly includes an elongated transfer belt. The transfer belt is movably coupled to the housing assembly and is structured to move through the housing assembly enclosed space. The number of heating units are structured to generate an effective amount of received heat.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a conveying part configured to convey a medium in a conveying direction. A discharge head is configured to discharge a droplet onto a medium carried by the conveying part. A heating part is arranged at the downstream of the discharge head and configured to heat a medium while contacting with the medium attached with a droplet discharged by the discharge head. The heating part is arranged at a position contacting with at least part of the droplet present on the surface of the medium.

A thermal sensitive media for use with labeling or identification methods is disclosed. The thermal sensitive media comprises a media layer and a thermally sensitive record layer formed upon at least one surface of the media layer. The thermally sensitive record layer forms a visually discernable colored image in response to heat. However, the colored image is subject to degradation as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation within a known photodegradative wavelength range. An ultraviolet protective coating layer may then disposed over the thermally sensitive record layer. A lamination layer is positioned internal to the media layer and comprises a matrix of micro heating elements driven by radio frequency (RF) power. The matrix of micro heating elements are arranged in a pin array to energize the micro heating elements within the laminated media structure to create a simple numeric image.

In a method for printing to a recording medium using a fluid-based colorant transport or pigment transport (e.g. via ink or liquid toner), fluid-based printing to the recording medium is performed and a surface protection is applied to increase the robustness (e.g. abrasion resistance) in at least a printed region of the recording medium. The applied quantity per area is configured to provide an increased color space. Further, in a surface protection given fluid-based printing to a recording medium, the presentable color space is increased.

A method for producing a printed product includes coating a preferably paper or cardboard substrate with a precoat or supplying a substrate that has been coated with a precoat, in which the precoat contains at least one acid, applying a water-based ink to image areas on the coated substrate by using at least one ink print head, and drying the printed substrate and/or the ink, preferably using IR radiation and/or heated air. The precoat includes a photobase generator or a photobase generator is applied at least locally to non-image areas on the substrate, the substrate is irradiated at least locally in non-image areas, preferably using UV radiation, to locally generate a base, and the printed substrate is varnished with a water-based varnish.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a reflective transfer material from a transfer component onto the surface of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. In some cases, the reflective transfer material may include a dispersion of reflective metallic particles, which may be in the form of nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the method may utilize printers such as inkjet printers to deposit one or more of: an adhesive; the dispersion of reflective metallic particles; and one or more optional deposits of ink. The optional deposits of ink may lie on either side, or on both sides, of the deposit of metallic particles.

A method of printing a print media comprises printing an image onto a surface of a print media, and applying a protective coating over the surface of the print media using an analog printing process, wherein the protective coating comprises a plurality of micro openings.