Hybrid wet on wet printing methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807022-B2
Application number	US-201917267702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 5, 2018
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A method of forming an image on a substrate that includes applying a radiation curable analog ink composition by an analog printing method onto a surface of the substrate to form a coated substrate, applying a radiation curable inkjet ink composition by a digital printing method onto the coated substrate while the radiation curable analog ink composition is still wet to form a hybrid coated substrate, and exposing to electron beam radiation. A method of forming an image on a substrate that includes applying a radiation curable inkjet ink composition by a digital printing method onto a surface of the substrate to form a coated substrate, applying a radiation curable analog ink composition by an analog printing method onto the coated substrate while the radiation curable inkjet ink composition is still wet to form a hybrid coated substrate, and exposing to electron beam radiation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming an image on a substrate, comprising:
applying a radiation curable analog ink composition by an analog printing method onto a surface of the substrate to form a coated substrate;
applying a radiation curable inkjet ink composition by a digital printing method onto the coated substrate while the radiation curable analog ink composition is still wet to form a hybrid coated substrate; and
exposing the hybrid coated substrate to electron beam radiation to at least partially cure the radiation curable analog ink composition and the radiation curable inkjet ink composition
wherein the radiation curable inkjet ink composition has a surface tension that is lower than a surface tension of the radiation curable analog ink composition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiation curable analog ink composition, the radiation curable inkjet ink composition, or both comprises an ethylenically unsaturated oligomer and an ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the radiation curable analog ink composition, the radiation curable inkjet ink composition, or both further comprises at least one of a surfactant, a colorant, a stabilizer, a gloss and viscosity control additive, an optical brightening agent, and a security taggant.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein an amount of the ethylenically unsaturated oligomer in the radiation curable inkjet ink composition is at least 16 wt. %.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analog printing method is a flexographic printing method or a gravure printing method.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital printing method is a piezoelectric inkjet printing method.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image comprises a cured analog ink composition and a cured inkjet ink composition, and wherein the cured analog ink composition and the cured inkjet ink composition are distinguishable by at least one physical attribute selected from the group consisting of color and gloss.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a packaging material.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiation curable inkjet ink composition has a surface tension that is at least 1.5 mN/m lower than a surface tension of the radiation curable analog ink composition.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coated substrate is not cured or pinned.

11. A method of forming an image on a substrate, comprising:
applying a radiation curable inkjet ink composition by a digital printing method onto a surface of the substrate to form a coated substrate;
applying a radiation curable analog ink composition by an analog printing method onto the coated substrate while the radiation curable inkjet ink composition is still wet to form a hybrid coated substrate; and
exposing the hybrid coated substrate to electron beam radiation to at least partially cure the radiation curable inkjet ink composition and the radiation curable analog ink composition;
wherein the radiation curable inkjet ink composition has a surface tension that is higher than a surface tension of the radiation curable analog ink composition.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the radiation curable analog ink composition, the radiation curable inkjet ink composition, or both comprises an ethylenically unsaturated oligomer and an ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the radiation curable analog ink composition, the radiation curable inkjet ink composition, or both further comprises at least one of a surfactant, a colorant, a stabilizer, a gloss and viscosity control additive, an optical brightening agent, and a security taggant.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the analog printing method is a flexographic printing method or a gravure printing method.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the digital printing method is a piezoelectric inkjet printing method.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the image comprises a cured analog ink composition and a cured inkjet ink composition, and wherein the cured analog ink composition and the cured inkjet ink composition are distinguishable by at least one physical attribute selected from the group consisting of color and gloss.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate is a packaging material.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the radiation curable inkjet ink composition has a surface tension that is at least 1.5 mN/m higher than a surface tension of the radiation curable analog ink composition.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coated substrate is not cured or pinned.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein an amount of the ethylenically unsaturated oligomer in the radiation curable inkjet ink composition is at least 16 wt. %.

Assignees

• Kao Corp

Inventors

• Contractor Muslim
• Buchanan Stephen
• Cummings Stephen

Classifications

• B41M3/008 Primary

  Sequential or multiple printing, e.g. on previously printed background; Mirror printing; Recto-verso printing; using a combination of different printing techniques; Printing of patterns visible in reflection and by transparency; by superposing printed artifacts · CPC title

• B41J11/002

  Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating · CPC title

• B41M1/18

  Printing one ink over another · CPC title

• B41M5/0017

  Application of ink-fixing material, e.g. mordant, precipitating agent, on the substrate prior to printing, e.g. by ink-jet printing, coating or spraying · CPC title

• B41M5/50

  Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording {(printing on organic plastics using a printer's form B41M1/30; printing on pre-treated paper with a printer's form B41M1/36)} · CPC title