A plasma-curable ink composition for offset printing having high reactivity with plasma and capable of being hardened into a sufficiently dried state even in the use of plasma generated by a remote-type plasma generator, and a method for producing printed matter and a method for printing information using the same. The plasma-curable ink composition for offset printing comprises a pigment, a binder resin, and at least one specific ingredient selected from the group consisting of castor oil, polymerized oil, and alkyd resins having an acid value of 10 mg KOH/g or more.

Provided are compositions and processes formulated and practiced to reduce the friction-coefficient of the printed area and also of the non-printed areas around the image, wherein the compositions are formulated for use by wet-on-wet techniques in-line of the pre-curing printing process, without pretreating the fabric for softness and smoothness prior to the printing process. The compositions comprise at least 15% by weight of a friction-coefficient reduction agent and having a pH lower than 6.5 so as to effect upon contact immobilization of an ink composition that is being digitally applied on the substrate.

Provided are compositions and processes formulated and practiced to reduce the friction-coefficient of the printed area and also of the non-printed areas around the image, wherein the compositions are formulated for use by wet-on-wet techniques in-line of the pre-curing printing process, without pretreating the fabric for softness and smoothness prior to the printing process. The compositions comprise at least 15% by weight of a friction-coefficient reduction agent and having a pH lower than 6.5 so as to effect upon contact immobilization of an ink composition that is being digitally applied on the substrate.

Described herein is a liquid electrophotographic ink composition comprising chargeable particles comprising a thermoplastic resin; and a carrier liquid produced from vegetable oil or animal fat, the carrier liquid comprising an aliphatic hydrocarbon, an ester of a fatty acid and a monoalcohol, or a mixture thereof. Also described herein is a process for producing the liquid electrophoto-graphic ink composition and a liquid electrophoto-graphic printing process.

Described herein is a liquid electrophotographic ink composition comprising chargeable particles comprising a thermoplastic resin; and a carrier liquid produced from vegetable oil or animal fat, the carrier liquid comprising an aliphatic hydrocarbon, an ester of a fatty acid and a monoalcohol, or a mixture thereof. Also described herein is a process for producing the liquid electrophoto-graphic ink composition and a liquid electrophoto-graphic printing process.

Provided is an ink composition less likely to cause offset and sticking. Provided is a printed matter and a printing method using such ink composition. The ink composition includes a (meth) acrylic resin and a drying oil, the (meth)acrylic resin: containing at least 40% by weight or more of a structural unit derived from (meth)acryl monomer having a straight-chain alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms, branched alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms, or cyclic alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms (1); having a glass transition temperature of 63° C. to 180° C. (2); and having a weight-average molecular weight of 1000 to 80,000 (3).

Provided is an ink composition less likely to cause offset and sticking. Provided is a printed matter and a printing method using such ink composition. The ink composition includes a (meth) acrylic resin and a drying oil, the (meth)acrylic resin: containing at least 40% by weight or more of a structural unit derived from (meth)acryl monomer having a straight-chain alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms, branched alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms, or cyclic alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms (1); having a glass transition temperature of 63° C. to 180° C. (2); and having a weight-average molecular weight of 1000 to 80,000 (3).

An ink jet recording method is provided for recording an image by ejecting an ink from a recording head including a member defining an ejection orifice through which the ink is ejected, an ejection element configured to generate an energy used for ejecting the ink, and a first flow path communicating with a portion between the ejection orifice and the ejection element. The method includes ejecting an ink through the ejection orifice, and moving the ink from the first flow path to the portion between the ejection orifice and the ejection element separately from the ejecting of the ink. In this method, the ink is an aqueous ink containing a coloring material and a compound containing a chain hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 8 or more to 18 or less substituted by a hydroxy group or an anionic group.

Provided are processes for producing fluorescent naphthalimide diesters of Formula (I), useful as fluorescent tracer dyes for fluid system leak detection, wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is, independently of the other, a saturated, linear hydrocarbon chain having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms; and each of Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 is, independently of the other, a fatty acid moiety having a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, hydrocarbon chain having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, and from 0 to 4 double bonds. Also provided are compositions of the aforesaid diesters of Formula (I). ##STR00001##

According to one embodiment, an ink which can be decolored upon heating is provided. Colored images can be formed with the ink by various methods, such as ink jetting or the like, then later the images can be decolored with heat. An ink according to an embodiment contains a color developable compound, a color developing agent that causes the color developable compound to develop a color, a nonaqueous solvent, and a decoloring agent that is insoluble in the nonaqueous solvent and decolors the color developable compound upon heating.