Ink-jet Ink Set with Gray Ink for Ozone Resistance and Granularity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet recording technologies face challenges in achieving ozone resistance and reduced granular texture in achromatic images, especially in low-duty regions, using conventional ink sets that combine dye-based inks, which can result in colored fading and poor image quality.
Innovation Solution
An ink-jet ink set comprising a black ink with carbon black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, along with a gray ink containing specific dyes, where the remaining optical density (ROD) of each ink is adjusted within predetermined ranges to ensure excellent ozone resistance and granularity across high and low-duty regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a black ink, yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink are used in combination to form an achromatic region, then the granular texture is prevented, but the achromatic image becomes colored due to fading when using dyes as colorants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite colorant system combining carbon black pigment with multiple dye components (cyan, magenta, yellow, and gray inks) to create an achromatic ink formulation. This composite approach allows the ink to provide both granular texture reduction through the pigment and color stability through the carefully balanced dye mixture that resists ozone-induced fading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the concentration ratios of different dye components (cyan, magenta, yellow, and gray) and carbon black in the achromatic ink formulation. By adjusting these compositional parameters, the ink achieves both excellent granularity and resistance to color fading, particularly in low-duty regions where conventional inks fail.
2Illumination intensity
If dyes are used as colorants to achieve color development, then color developability is improved, but ozone resistance deteriorates in low-duty regions
Solution Approach 1:
The achromatic ink employs a composite colorant system combining carbon black pigment with multiple dye components in optimized proportions. This composite formulation provides both excellent color developability and superior ozone resistance, particularly in low-duty regions where conventional dye-based inks fail to maintain color stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates different ink formulations optimized for different duty regions. The achromatic ink contains a specific balance of dyes and carbon black that provides local optimization for both color developability and ozone resistance in low-duty regions, while maintaining performance in high-duty regions through the synergistic combination of components.
3Shape
If carbon black is used in black ink for achromatic recording, then granularity is reduced, but color developability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The achromatic ink formulation combines carbon black pigment with multiple dye components (cyan, magenta, yellow, and gray inks) in optimized proportions. This composite approach allows the carbon black to provide granular texture reduction while the dye mixture compensates for any potential loss in color developability, achieving both goals simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the advantages of pigment-based inks (granularity reduction) with the advantages of dye-based inks (color developability) by combining carbon black with a multi-component dye system. This merging creates an achromatic ink that exhibits both excellent granularity and superior color development characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
An ink-jet ink set includes a black ink containing carbon black; a cyan ink containing a first cyan dye; a magenta ink containing a first magenta dye; a yellow ink containing a first yellow dye; and a gray ink containing a second cyan dye, a second magenta dye, and a second yellow dye. The cyan ink, the magenta ink, the yellow ink, and the gray ink have a ROD of 65% or more, the ROD being defined by Equation (A). The gray ink has an OD value of 1.40 to less than 2.30, the OD value being defined by Equation (B).