IP Library Granted Patent US 12668066
Granted Patent B2
US 12668066 · App. 18/598,766 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Image formation method and inkjet recording apparatus

Inventor: Miyuki Hara (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
B41J2/2114B41J2/155B41J2/2117B41J11/0022B41J11/007
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12668066
App. No.
18/598,766
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image formation method includes: applying a white ink onto an image formation area of a non-absorbent recording medium; performing image formation with a color ink on the image formation area of the non-absorbent recording medium; and drying the white ink and the color ink. The white ink contains a white pigment, a first aqueous medium, and first binder resin particles containing a first resin. The color ink contains a color pigment, a second aqueous medium, and second binder resin particles containing a second resin. Both the first binder resin particles and the second binder resin particles include identical resin particles. The first resin and the second resin each have a glass transition temperature of at least 40° C. and no greater than 80° C.

Claims (41)

1 . An image formation method comprising:

applying a white ink onto an image formation area of a non-absorbent recording medium;

performing image formation with a color ink on the image formation area of the non-absorbent recording medium; and

drying the white ink and the color ink, wherein

the white ink contains a white pigment, a first aqueous medium, and first binder resin particles containing a first resin,

the color ink contains a color pigment, a second aqueous medium, and second binder resin particles containing a second resin,

both the first binder resin particles and the second binder resin particles include identical resin particles,

the first resin and the second resin each have a glass transition temperature of at least 40° C. and no greater than 80° C.,

the color ink has a surface tension ST C greater than a surface tension ST W of the white ink,

a difference between the surface tension ST C of the color ink and the surface tension ST W of the white ink is at least 0.5 mN/m and no greater than 10.0 mN/m,

a drying temperature in the drying is at least the glass transition temperature of each of the first resin and the second resin and no greater than 135° C.,

the drying time in the drying is at least 3 seconds and no greater than 125 seconds, and

the color ink and the white ink contain the same surfactant.

2 . The image formation method according to claim 1 , wherein

an interval from completion of the applying a white ink to completion of the performing image formation is no greater than 10 seconds.

3 . The image formation method according to claim 1 , wherein

the image formation method is used for front printing.

4 . The image formation method according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the first resin and the second resin is urethane resin.

5 . The image formation method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the applying a white ink, the white ink is applied onto the image formation area of the non-absorbent recording medium by ink jetting, and

in the performing image formation, the image formation is performed with the color ink on the image formation area of the non-absorbent recording medium by ink jetting.

6 . The image formation method according to claim 1 , wherein

the surface tension ST C of the color ink is at least 23.00 mN/m and no greater than 35.00 mN/m, and

the surface tension ST W of the white ink is at least 20.00 mN/m and no greater than 24.00 mN/m.

7 . An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

a conveyance section that conveys a non-absorbent recording medium;

lineheads that perform image formation on the non-absorbent recording medium; and

a drying section that dries the non-absorbent recording medium after the image formation, wherein

the lineheads include:

a white ink head that ejects a white ink onto an image formation area of the non-absorbent recording medium; and

a recording head that is located downstream of the white ink head in terms of a conveyance direction of the non-absorbent recording medium and that performs the image formation with a color ink on the image formation area of the non-absorbent recording medium,

the white ink contains a white pigment, a first aqueous medium, and first binder resin particles containing a first resin,

the color ink contains a color pigment, a second aqueous medium, and second binder resin particles containing a second resin,

both the first binder resin particles and the second binder resin particles include identical resin particles,

the first resin and the second resin each have a glass transition temperature of at least 40° C. and no greater than 80° C.,

the color ink has a surface tension ST C greater than a surface tension ST W of the white ink,

a difference between the surface tension ST C of the color ink and the surface tension ST W of the white ink is at least 0.5 mN/m and no greater than 10.0 mN/m,

a drying temperature in the drying section is at least the glass transition temperature of each of the first resin and the second resin and no greater than 135° C.,

a drying time in the drying section is at least 3 seconds and no greater than 125 seconds, and

the color ink and the white ink contain the same surfactant.