There is provided an ink jet ink set for sublimation transfer, including: a first ink composition containing a first disperse dye and a first dispersant; and a second ink composition containing a second disperse dye and a second dispersant, in which the first disperse dye is the same as the second disperse dye, the content of the first disperse dye in the first ink composition is equal to or greater than the content of the second disperse dye in the second ink composition, the ratio A of the content of the first disperse dye in the first ink composition to the content of the first dispersant in the first ink composition is equal to or greater than the ratio B of the content of the second disperse dye in the second ink composition to the content of the second dispersant in the second ink composition.

Disclosed herein are sacrificial coating compositions comprising at least one hydrophilic polymer; at least one hygroscopic agent; at least one surfactant; at least one non-reactive silicone release agent; and water. In certain embodiments, the at least one non-reactive silicone release agent is chosen from polyether modified polysiloxane and nonreactive silicone glycol copolymers. In certain embodiments, the at least one non-reactive silicone release agent may be present in an amount ranging from about 0.001% to about 2%, based on the total weight of the composition, such as from about 0.03% to about 0.06%. Also disclosed herein is a blanket material suitable for transfix printing comprising a sacrificial coating composition, as well as an indirect printing process comprising a step of applying a sacrificial coating composition to a blanket material.

A porous layer included in a transfer body for image recording by a heat transfer method has a multiple layer configuration, and porous layers are provided such that when a thickness (mm) of each porous layer from a porous layer P(1) of the plurality of porous layers on a side closest to the surface layer to a porous layer P(n) on a side closest to the substrate is set to t(n) (n≥2), and a total thickness of the transfer body is set to T (mm), Expression (1): C×T≤t(1)+ . . . +t(n) (here, C=0.4, and T≥1) is satisfied.

A transfer type ink jet recording method including an image forming step of forming an image including an aqueous liquid component and a coloring material on an image forming surface of a transfer body, the image forming surface being formed of a water-repellent porous body; a transfer step of transferring the image from the transfer body onto a recording medium; a wetting treatment step of performing a wetting treatment by applying a wetting liquid whose contact angle with respect to the image forming surface is less than 90° onto the image forming surface before the image forming step; and a liquid absorbing step of absorbing at least part of the aqueous liquid component from the image formed in the image forming step by using the porous body in at least one of a period between the image forming step and the transfer step and a period in the transfer step.

An ink jet recording method includes an absorption/removal treatment of an aqueous liquid component by using a porous body from an image formed by using an ink and a reaction liquid that increases the viscosity of the ink. The ink contains at least two or more types of particles having different particle diameters, and the particles having different particle diameters satisfy the expressions (1) and (2):

D1/D2≦0.5  (1)

0.2≦M1/M2  (2).

A method for ink-based digital printing includes applying a uniform layer of dampening fluid to a surface of an imaging member; laser patterning the dampening fluid layer by selectively removing portions of the dampening fluid according to digital image data; and inking the laser-patterned dampening fluid layer on the imaging member surface with a aqueous heterogeneous ink to form an ink image, wherein the aqueous heterogeneous ink self-coalesces before the ink is transferred from the imaging member surface.

A laminate that possesses dye sublimation properties, particularly for use as tagless labels and embellishments for garments, apparel, fabric items and so forth such as sportswear fabrics, clothing and accessories is provided. The laminate includes a dye sublimation ink layer that overlies a substrate in which the dye sublimation ink interacts with the substrate's chemical make-up.

The invention relates to an absorbent medium for improving the overprintability, in particular by inkjet printing, of a security element, in particular an optically variable security element, comprising a binder, at least one pigment and an in particular aqueous solvent. The invention furthermore relates to a transfer film with an absorbent layer made of such an absorbent medium as well as a method for personalizing a security element using such a transfer film.

A calculable 3D color printing method is used for generating, on a 3D object surface, a user-specified color texture pattern, including: performing modeling and simulated calculation with respect to a motion and a deformation of a PVA film in a traditional water transfer printing process to obtain a mapping function between each of pixels on the PVA film and points on an object surface; and calculating, by using the mapping function, a texture pattern to print on the PVA film. This disclosure further includes a set of mechanical devices and a 3D vision system for realizing precise and controllable water transfer printing which precisely prints a user-specified texture pattern onto an object surface. This disclosure further includes a multiple water transfer printing method, including: partitioning a complex object surface into a plurality of regions, and separately coloring each region, until eventually completing coloring of the entire object surface.

Art meets technology in this invention of a Metal Greeting Card. Combining the technology of sublimation on metal, and artful images and greetings of all kinds, this invention creates a luminescent metal greeting card that can stand the test of time, as it will withstand exposure to the elements. Metal Greeting Card gives the sender and receiver, both, the reassuring feeling that their thoughts and sentiment expressed by the card, will last exponentially beyond the life span of a paper card. Because the Greeting Card is made of a single sheet of metal, and has been determined by the U.S. Postal Service as approved to send through the mail, with or without an envelope, and that it will last longer than paper, makes it superior to its predecessors, paper and mixed element/paper greeting cards. It is simplicity in form; one piece of metal, two-sided with an image on one side and a greeting or note on the other side, yet it is technologically complex using the sublimation process on metal. This metal greeting card delivers an iridescent and beautiful greeting and can be displayed as one would any piece of art.