Ink Jet Recording Method Suppressing Color Ink Bleeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ink jet recording methods face issues with image quality due to the mixing of color ink and foundation layer, leading to degradation, bleeding, and insufficient spread, particularly when the drying state of the foundation layer varies.
Innovation Solution
An ink jet recording method that uses white ink without alkyl polyol and color ink with surface tension of 30 mN/m or less, both containing colorants, to achieve a dryness factor of 40% to 80%, minimizing mixing and bleeding, and incorporating surfactants like glycol ethers and polyether siloxane-based surfactants to enhance wetting and spreading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If white ink containing alkyl polyol with high boiling point is used, then the ink provides good wetting and spreading properties, but the drying time increases and image quality deteriorates due to mixing and bleeding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the white ink by excluding alkyl polyols with boiling points of 280°C or higher. This parameter change maintains adequate wetting and spreading properties while significantly reducing drying time, thereby preventing mixing and bleeding issues during subsequent color ink recording.
2Ease of operation
If the foundation layer is dried to a low dryness factor, then the color ink spreads well, but mixing between white image and color ink occurs causing deterioration in coloring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the dryness factor parameter of the white image to a specific range (40%-80%) before recording color ink. This parameter control prevents excessive spreading and mixing while maintaining adequate color ink distribution, thereby preserving coloring quality. The exclusion of high-boiling-point alkyl polyols from white ink enables achieving this optimal dryness state.
3Manufacturing precision
If the foundation layer is dried to a high dryness factor, then mixing and bleeding are suppressed, but the color ink is repelled causing insufficient spread and deterioration in image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the dryness factor within the optimal range of 40%-80% and excludes alkyl polyols with boiling points of 280°C or higher from white ink. This combination of parameters prevents excessive drying that would cause color ink repulsion, while still suppressing mixing and bleeding sufficiently to maintain image quality.
4Stability of the object's composition
If color ink with high surface tension is used, then the ink maintains stability, but it is repelled by the white image causing insufficient spread and image quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces the surface tension parameter of the color ink to 30 mN/m or lower. This parameter change enhances the wetting and spreading properties of color ink on the white image, preventing repulsion and insufficient spread, while formulations are designed to maintain adequate ink stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method improves image quality by suppressing deterioration from mixing and bleeding, allowing for easier control of dryness factor and maintaining visibility, while using environmentally friendly high-water-content inks.
Implementation Method 1
using the color ink where the surface tension is 30 mN/m or less
Implementation Method 2
drying the white image to a dryness factor of 40% to 80%
Data Source
AI summary
With a white image where the dryness factor is 40% to 80%, since drying has appropriately progressed, it becomes difficult for the white image and color ink to mix, and in addition, it is possible to suppress wetting and spreading of the color ink when a color image is recorded using an ink jet method with color ink which contains a colorant. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an ink jet recording method where deterioration in image quality is suppressed.