An inkjet printing apparatus 1 includes an ink-jet head 23 that ejects UV curable ink to a medium M, an irradiation lamp 25 that irradiates the UV curable ink ejected to the medium M with ultraviolet rays, and a heater 37 that heats the UV curable ink after the ultraviolet ray irradiation by the irradiation lamp 25 and thereby stabilizes color fixation of the UV curable ink. The UV curable ink after the ultraviolet ray irradiation is heated at least at 35° C.

An ink jet recording method includes a treatment liquid attachment step, in which a treatment liquid is attached to a recording medium, and an ink attachment step, in which a water-based ink composition is attached to the recording medium. An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording medium support and a heating mechanism that heats the recording medium support. The ink attachment step is carried out with the recording medium supported and heated by the recording medium support. In the ink attachment step, the recording medium is heated so that a surface thereof reaches a maximum temperature of 28.0° C. or more and 45.0° C. or less. The ratio between absorbances A and B (A/B) is 0.5 or more and 0.95 or less, where absorbance A is that of a 0.1% by mass mixture of the water-based ink composition in the treatment liquid, and absorbance B is that of a 0.1% by mass mixture of the water-based ink composition in purified water. The recording medium support has a flat support surface for supporting the recording medium.

An inkjet recording method contains the sequential steps of: applying an aqueous pre-coat composition to a substrate, or applying and drying the aqueous pre-coat composition to the substrate; and subsequently applying and drying an aqueous ink composition. The aqueous pre-coat composition contains at least an aggregating agent. The aqueous ink composition contains at least a pigment, a polymer dispersant, and resin fine particles. The aggregating agent is selected from a pyrolytic cation resin, an organic acid, or a multivalent metal salt. A neutralizer for the polymer dispersant is selected from an organic amine. In the step of drying the aqueous ink composition, a temperature at which the aqueous ink composition is dried is set to be equal to or higher than a pyrolytic temperature of the aggregating agent.

Provided is an image forming method including: applying an ink to a print medium and heating the print medium to which the ink is applied at a heating temperature of 60 degrees C. or higher. The ink contains pigment-encapsulating resin particles comprising a pigment and a resin encapsulating the pigment. A proportion of the pigment alone exposed without being encapsulated with the resin is 10% by mass or less relative to solid components contained in the ink. Amass ratio of the pigment to the resin in the pigment-encapsulating resin particles is 0.25 or greater but 1.0 or less. A contact angle θm (°) of the ink when the ink is dropped by 5 microliters onto a print medium at 73 degrees C. is 25° or less.

A fixer includes a fixing roller around which a recording medium is directed such that the print image to be fixed faces toward the shell surface of the fixing roller. A fixing gap is generated with a gaseous fixing medium between the shell surface of the fixing roller and the recording medium. This advantageously produces an efficient and gentle fixing of the print image.

A geographically remote computing device transmits an image to a central computing device. The geographically remote computing device also communicates specifications of a substrate or substrates to be imaged to the central computing device. The central computing device selects a geographically remote fulfillment printer. A local, but geographically diverse distribution system is available according to the invention. The central computing device chooses the geographically remote fulfillment printer as a function of factors such as the selected image and substrate, printer capabilities, and the consumer's location. Image quality and consistency is maintained by the central computer selecting an appropriate geographically remote computing device and providing printer the appropriate instructions, rather than the instructions for printing being determined locally at the printer.

A method of indirect digital printing is disclosed herein. The method employs (i) first (e.g. transparent) and second aqueous ink components (comprising colorant particles) and (ii) a target surface (e.g. hydrophobic) of an intermediate transfer member (ITM). A quantity of first ink component is deposited (e.g. by ink-jetting) onto the target surface and partially dried to produce a partially-dried layer thereon. Droplets of the second ink component are deposited onto the partially-dried layer of first ink component to form a wet, colored ink-image. Upon deposition of the droplets of the second ink component, the colorant particles from the second component penetrate into the partially-dried layer of the first ink component. The wet, colored image is dried into a tacky ink-image-bearing residue film which is transferred to the substrate. Physical and/or chemical properties of the first and second ink components as provided by various embodiments are disclosed herein.

A method for printing on a substrate comprises two steps. The first step consists essentially of: applying onto a substrate one or more layers of an energy curable ink and applying one or more layers of a water-based coating over the top of the one or more layers of energy curable ink. The second step comprises the steps of, in any order: a) drying the one or more layers of water-based coating, and b) actinically or electron beam curing simultaneously all the energy curable ink layers.

An ink composition includes an acrylic resin including a polymerization product of a first monomer having a hydroxyl group, a second monomer having an epoxy group, a third monomer having an acrylate group, and a fourth monomer having a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group, a first curing agent having an isocyanate group, and a second curing agent having an amine group. Durability and abrasion resistance of a window may be improved.

The present invention relates to a method of forming an image on a substrate comprising a transparent or translucent composition applied thereto, wherein the transparent or translucent composition comprises a protein in a non-denatured state, and the method comprises applying radiation to the transparent or translucent composition to denature the protein and thereby form an image on the substrate. The invention also relates to a method of preparing a substrate on which an image can be formed, and related substrates, compositions and uses thereof.