There is provided an ultraviolet ray irradiating apparatus configured to cure an ultraviolet-curable ink discharged to an object, by a discharging head which is configured to move in a main scanning direction, in a state that the ultraviolet ray irradiating apparatus is moved in the main scanning direction. The ultraviolet ray irradiating apparatus includes a plurality of light emitting chips configured to emit an ultraviolet ray, the plurality of light emitting chips being arranged side by side with a first pitch in the main scanning direction and being arranged side by side with a second pitch smaller than the first pitch in a sub scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction.

A radiation curable inkjet ink set comprising a cyan inkjet ink containing a beta-copper phthalocyanine pigment and a polymerizable composition; a magenta inkjet ink containing a magenta or red pigment and a polymerizable composition; a yellow inkjet ink containing a yellow pigment and a polymerizable composition; and a black inkjet ink containing a carbon black pigment and a polymerizable composition; wherein the polymerizable compositions of the cyan, magenta, yellow and black inkjet inks include on average: a) 20.0 to 40.0 wt % of phenoxyethyl acrylate; b) 23.0 to 32.0 wt % of isobornyl acrylate; c) 1.0 to 14.4 wt % of monomer selected from the group consisting of 4-acryloylmorpholine and a monomer according to Formula (I), wherein X represents C or O, n represents 1, 2 or 3 and m represents 0 or 1; and d) up to 14.0 wt % of a multifunctional monomer or oligomer; wherein all weight percentages (wt %) are based upon the total weight of the inkjet ink; and wherein 0, 1 or 2 of the cyan, magenta, yellow and black inkjet inks deviate in a range a) to d) and this deviation is no more than 1.0 wt %.

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An active-energy-ray-curable composition includes at least two or more kinds of polymerizable monomers (A), where a homopolymer of each of the polymerizable monomers (A) has a glass transition temperature of 80 degrees Celsius or more. The polymerizable monomers (A) have a polymerizable monomer (A1) where a homopolymer of the polymerizable monomer (A1) has an SP value of 10.8 or more but 12.2 or less determined by Fedors method. An amount of the polymerizable monomer (A1) is 3% by mass or more but 20% by mass or less relative to a total amount of the active-energy-ray-curable composition.

Provided are an ink jet recording ink containing a squarylium dye represented by Formula 1, polymerizable compounds, a dispersant, and a synergist having at least one group selected from the group consisting of a carboxy group and a sulfo group and at least one ring selected from the group consisting of an aromatic ring and a heteroaromatic ring, and an image recording method:

##STR00001## in Formula 1, a ring A and a ring B each independently represent an aromatic ring or a heteroaromatic ring, X.sup.A and X.sup.B each independently represent a monovalent substituent, G.sup.A and G.sup.B each independently represent a monovalent substituent, kA represents an integer of 0 to nA, and kB represents an integer of 0 to nB. nA represents the maximum number of G.sup.As capable of being bonded to the ring A, and nB represents the maximum number of G.sup.Bs capable of being bonded to the ring B.

Provided is an active energy ray-curable aqueous ink which contains water and a curable substance and curable by an active energy ray. The curable substance contains a bifunctional polymerizable monomer represented by the following General Formula (1):

##STR00001## wherein, R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R.sub.2 is a divalent saturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms and L is a divalent saturated hydrocarbon group which may contain an ether bond, an amide bond, a carbonyl bond, a sulfone bond or a sulfonamide bond.

The present invention provides a precoating agent which is used in an image forming method using an active ray curable ink and which is applied to a surface of a recording medium before the active ray curable ink is applied, the precoating agent comprising a crystalline resin and an active ray polymerizable compound.

The active energy ray-curable liquid composition according to the present disclosure is an active energy ray-curable liquid composition that contains water and a curable substance and is curable with an active energy ray, in which the curable substance contains a monofunctional polymerizable monomer having a structure represented by the Formula (1);

##STR00001##

in Formula (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a saturated hydrocarbon group, R2 represents a saturated hydrocarbon group that has at least one of a hydroxyl group or an amide bond and may contain a heteroatom, R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R1 and R2 may be bonded together to form an aliphatic heterocycle together with a nitrogen atom substituted with R1 and R2 in a case where R1 represents a saturated hydrocarbon group, and a total number of carbon atoms of the saturated hydrocarbon groups represented by R1 and R2 is 5 or more.

An object of the present invention is to provide a precoat liquid which can prevent the penetration of an actinic radiation-curable ink into a recording medium and which is less likely to damage the texture of the recording medium. A precoat liquid, capable of achieving the object, for an actinic radiation-curable ink includes a hydrophilic polymer, a hydrophilic solvent, water, and resin fine particles. The amount of the hydrophilic polymer is 1 part by mass or more and 100 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the hydrophilic solvent.

A radiation curable inkjet ink which has good surface curability even in air, and is capable of providing a cured product having low odor, good flexibility, and low-temperature impact resistance is described. In particular, radiation curable inkjet ink including from 20 to 40 parts by mass of a bifunctional urethane (meth)acrylate oligomer and from 50 to 80 parts by mass of a monofunctional monomer, based on 100 parts by mass of polymerizable components and an α-hydroxyketone oligomer and a benzophenone compound as photoinitiators are described.

A PTSM-coated expandable microsphere comprises a polymer shell enclosing an interior volume containing at least one blowing agent. The polymer shell has an outer surface with photothermal susceptor material disposed on at least a portion thereof. If heated to at least one temperature greater than 25° C., each of the expandable microspheres expands, but does not rupture, the polymer shell by a sufficient amount to at least double the interior volume. A markable comprises a substrate and a viewable layer secured thereto. The viewable layer comprises a binder material retaining the PTSM-coated expandable microspheres. A method of marking a markable article comprises imagewise exposing the PTSM-coated expandable microspheres of the markable article to at least sufficient electromagnetic radiation to cause the PTSM-coated expandable microspheres to expand thereby creating a predetermined image. A marked article preparable according to the method is also disclosed.