Systems and techniques for improving ink jet ink durability and adhesion to a substrate. The techniques may include applying a varnish to the surface of the substrate, curing, in an initial curing step, the varnish with an ultraviolet (UV) lamp, and applying a pigmented ink to at least a portion of the substrate. The initial curing step may comprise pinning the varnish with the UV lamp in a low-power state. The techniques may additionally or alternatively include applying a layer of pigmented ink and varnish at substantially the same time, allowing the pigmented ink and varnish to at least partially mix, then pinning or curing the ink/varnish combination.

A recording method is a method including an adhesion step of adhering an ink composition to a recording medium, in which the recording medium is a low-absorbing recording medium or a non-absorbing recording medium, the adhesion step is performed by scanning that is carried out by jetting the ink composition from an ink jet head to make the ink composition adhere to the recording medium while moving relative positions of the ink jet head and the recording medium, the scanning is performed seven times or less on an identical region of the recording medium, the ink composition is an aqueous ink containing a coloring material and a silicone-based surfactant A, and a maximum peak of the silicone-based surfactant A in a molecular weight range of 300 or greater is present in a range of 3000 to 20000 in a molecular weight distribution obtained by gel permeation chromatography.

The present invention relates to a decorative material having excellent printability, and the decorative material according to the present invention has an ink-receiving layer having a radially fine sloping structure having a dendritic shape, whereby the absorbing and/or fixing property, i.e., printability, of the ink printed on the ink-receiving layer is improved, and clarity is excellent, so that aesthetic effects are excellent. In addition, since the ink-receiving layer is manufactured through UV curing, it can be directly coated on a substrate layer, and can include various kinds of substrate layers; and since it is manufactured using a solvent-free type resin composition without using an organic solvent, and has an excellent absorbing and/or fixing property with respect to a water soluble ink, it has environmental friendly advantages.

Examples relate to methods to print a garment and sublimation devices. A sublimation device comprises a heating system to heat an air flow and a holder to receive a garment. The holder comprises an outer surface to contact an inner side of the garment opposite to an outer side of the garment in which a print agent is to be deposited and an opening on the outer surface in fluid communication with the heated air flow.

A method of printing a decoration on a substrate include inkjet printing a plurality of inks to form a layer having a predetermined pattern on a surface of the substrate, wherein each of the inks includes a solvent and has a different color; heating the substrate to evaporate at least a portion of the solvent in each of the plurality of inks; and thermally curing the layer after evaporating at least the portion of the solvent in each of the plurality of inks to form the decoration. The substrate is heated to a temperature that evaporates at least the portion of the solvent in each of the plurality of inks without fully curing the plurality of inks. A boiling point of the solvent in each of the plurality of inks is within 10° C. of each other.

A double-sided sublimated article and method for producing the same is provided. The article may be a golf flag and is made up of a single piece of a three layer twill weaving fabric. The fabric is woven such that horizontal threads are visible and a vertical thread is not visible. Each side of the article may be simultaneously sublimated with an ultraviolet resistant ink to produce a double-sided sublimated article having images on each side in a correct orientation.

The present invention relates to an ink-jet printing method including the step of ejecting a water-based ink containing pigment-containing water-insoluble polymer particles and water onto a printing medium to print characters or images on the printing medium, in which the pigment is at least one pigment selected from the group consisting of C.I. Pigment Red 177, C.I. Pigment Red 254, C.I. Pigment Green 7, C.I. Pigment Green 36 and C.I. Pigment Blue 15:6; the water-insoluble polymer constituting the particles contains a constitutional unit derived from an ionic monomer, a constitutional unit derived from a hydrophobic monomer and a constitutional unit derived from a monomer capable of forming a graft chain; and the printing medium is a low-water absorbing printing medium.

Various of the disclosed embodiments concern removable ultraviolet (UV) curable dye sublimation ink to be used in various printing systems and printing methods. In some embodiments, the ink includes a dye component, a UV curable component, and a soluble or solvent-sensitive component. In order to print an image on a substrate, the ink is heated to a temperature sufficient to cause sublimation of at least the dye component. During the sublimation process, the dye is able to permeate the substrate and form a printed image. After the transfer process has been completed, a solvent can be jetted onto the substrate that causes the soluble component to dissolve. The washing process ensures that any residual ink remaining on the surface of the substrate is substantially removed.

An inline printing system comprising: a substrate feeder; an adhesive application station in communication with the substrate feeder and configured to coat a UV adhesive onto the substrate; a pressing station in communication with the adhesive application station and configured to apply laminate to the coated substrate; a UV curing station in communication with the pressing station and configured to cure the laminated substrate coated with the UV adhesive; and a digital print station in communication with the pressing station and configured to print on the laminated substrate.

A water soluble pouch containing a substrate treatment agent, the water soluble pouch having printed characters, and a process for making the same.