Printing method, printing device, and printing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828912-B2
Application number	US-201816045643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A wider variety of printing is performed more appropriately using ink that generates heat by energy radiation. A printing method of performing a printing on a medium using a color ink includes a water-soluble ink layer forming step of forming a water-soluble ink layer that is a layer of ink that becomes water-soluble after fixing, a color ink layer forming step of ejecting the color ink to the medium to form a color ink layer that is a layer of the color ink, and a water-soluble ink layer removing step of removing the water-soluble ink layer. The color ink includes a colorant and a solvent and generates heat by radiation of an energy ray. In the color ink layer forming step, the energy ray is emitted to the color ink after ink droplets landing to remove by evaporation at least a part of the solvent included in the color ink.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing method of performing a printing process on a medium using a color ink, the color ink being an ink having a color, the printing method comprising:
a water-soluble ink layer forming step of forming a water-soluble ink layer, the water-soluble ink layer being a layer of ink that becomes water-soluble after fixing;
a color ink layer forming step of ejecting the color ink to the medium to form a layer of the color ink; and
a water-soluble ink layer removing step of removing the water-soluble ink layer, wherein
the color ink includes a colorant and a solvent, and the color ink generates heat by radiation of an energy ray, and
the heat generated due to the radiation of the energy ray is performed by absorbing the energy ray irradiated to an energy absorber contained in the color ink,
in the color ink layer forming step, the energy ray is emitted to the color ink after ink droplets landing to generate the heat, and at least a part of the solvent included in the color ink is evaporated and removed to a degree that the color ink after landing is without bleeding,
wherein the energy ray is an ultraviolet ray,
the energy absorber is an ultraviolet ray absorber, the ultraviolet ray absorber is a substance that exhibits a large absorption of emission wavelengths of the ultraviolet ray,
in the color ink layer forming step, an integrated value of a radiation energy of the ultraviolet ray is 300 to 3000 mJ/cm 2 ,
when the layer of the color ink is formed by 20 μm-thick of the color ink, an absorption ratio of ultraviolet ray is 10% or more.

2. The printing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the color ink is the ink including a dye as the colorant, the dye being developed through a color development process, and
the printing method further comprising:
a color development step of developing the dye through the color development process, before the water-soluble ink layer is removed in the water-soluble ink layer removing step.

3. The printing method according to claim 2 , wherein
in the color ink layer forming step, the color ink is ejected onto the water-soluble ink layer, and
in the color development step, the dye passing through the water-soluble ink layer adheres to the medium.

4. The printing method according to claim 3 , wherein
the color ink includes one of a sublimation dye and a disperse dye as the dye.

5. The printing method according to claim 3 , wherein
in the water-soluble ink layer removing step, the water-soluble ink layer is removed together with the dye not adhering to the medium.

6. The printing method according to claim 2 , wherein
a layer of the color ink is formed in the color ink layer forming step, before the water-soluble ink layer is formed in the water-soluble ink layer forming step,
in the water-soluble ink layer forming step, the water-soluble ink layer is formed on the layer of the color ink,
an ink to be used for forming the water-soluble ink layer includes a substance for color development that is a substance for use in the color development process,
in the color development step, the substance for color development is used to develop the dye, and
the water-soluble ink layer is removed in the water-soluble ink layer removing step, after the dye is developed in the color development step.

7. The printing method according to claim 1 , wherein
a fabric medium is used as the medium.

8. The printing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the color ink is an ink that generates heat by radiation of the ultraviolet ray, and
in the color ink layer forming step, the ultraviolet ray is emitted as the energy ray.

9. A printing device configured to perform a printing process on a medium using a color ink, the color ink being an ink having a color, the printing device comprising:
a water-soluble ink layer-former, configured to form a water-soluble ink layer, the water-soluble ink layer being a layer of ink that becomes water-soluble after fixing; and
a color ink layer-former, configured to eject the color ink to the medium to form a layer of the color ink, wherein
the water-soluble ink layer is a layer of ink to be removed before the printing process is finished, wherein the printing process includes: forming the water-soluble ink layer, forming the layer of the color ink, and removing the water-soluble ink layer,
the color ink includes a colorant and a solvent, and the color ink generates heat by radiation of an energy ray, and
the heat generated due to the radiation of the energy ray is performed by absorbing the energy ray irradiated to an energy absorber contained in the color ink,
the color ink layer-former emits the energy ray to the color ink after ink droplets landing to generate the heat, and at least a part of the solvent included in the color ink is evaporated and removed to a degree that the color ink after landing is without bleeding,
wherein the energy ray is an ultraviolet ray,
the energy absorber is an ultraviolet ray absorber, the ultraviolet ray absorber is a substance that exhibits a large absorption of emission wavelengths of the ultraviolet ray,
an integrated value of a radiation energy of the ultraviolet ray is 300 to 3000 mJ/cm 2 ,
when the layer of the color ink is formed by 20 μm-thick of the color ink, an absorption ratio of ultraviolet ray is 10% or more.

10. A printing system configured to perform a printing process on a medium using a color ink, the color ink being an ink having a color, the printing system comprising:
a water-soluble ink layer-former, configured to form a water-soluble ink layer, the water-soluble ink layer being a layer of ink that becomes water-soluble after fixing; and
a color ink layer-former, configured to eject the color ink to the medium to form a layer of the color ink, wherein
the water-soluble ink layer is a layer of ink to be removed before the printing process is finished, wherein the printing process includes: forming the water-soluble ink layer, forming the layer of the color ink, and removing the water-soluble ink layer,
the color ink includes a colorant and a solvent, and the color ink generates heat by radiation of an energy ray, and
the heat generated due to the radiation of the energy ray is performed by absorbing the energy ray irradiated to an energy absorber contained in the color ink,
the color ink layer-former emits the energy ray to the color ink after ink droplets landing to generate the heat, and at least a part of the solvent included in the color ink is evaporated and removed to a degree that the color ink after landing is without bleeding,
wherein the energy ray is an ultraviolet ray,
the energy absorber is an ultraviolet ray absorber, the ultraviolet ray absorber is a substance that exhibits a large absorption of emission wavelengths of the ultraviolet ray,
an integrated value of a radiation energy of the ultraviolet ray is 300 to 3000 mJ/cm 2 ,
when the layer of the color ink is formed by 20 μm-thick of the color ink, an absorption ratio of ultraviolet ray is 10% or more.

11. A printing method of performing a printing process on a medium using a color ink, the color ink being an ink having a color and including a colorant, the printing method comprising:
a water-soluble ink layer forming step of forming a water-soluble ink layer, the water-soluble ink layer being a layer of ink that becomes water-soluble after fixing;
a color ink layer forming step of ejecting the color ink to the medium to form a layer of the color ink on the water-soluble ink layer;
a color development step of developing the colorant included in the color ink; and
a water-soluble ink layer removing step of removing the water-soluble ink layer, wh

Assignees

• Mimaki Eng Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohnishi Masaru

Classifications

• B41J3/4078 Primary

  Printing on textile · CPC title

• B41J11/00214

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B41M7/0036

  using protective coatings or layers dried without curing · CPC title

• B41M7/0009

  Obliterating the printed matter; Non-destructive removal of the ink pattern, e.g. for repetitive use of the support · CPC title

• D06P5/30

  Ink jet printing · CPC title