Actinic ray curable composition, actinic ray curable ink-jet ink, image forming method and ink-jet recording apparatus utilizing said actinic ray curable ink-jet ink

1. An image forming method comprising the steps of:

1) ejecting an actinic ray curable ink-jet ink from a metal nozzle installed in an ink-jet recording head onto a recording medium, the actinic ray curable ink-jet ink comprising an actinic ray curable composition comprising a photo-polymerizable compound, a photo-polymerization initiator, and a silicone surfactant, wherein the terminal positions of the silicone surfactant are modified with a polyether and the photo-polymerizable compound is a cationic polymerizable compound, and

2) irradiating actinic rays to the ejected actinic ray curable ink-jet ink on the recording medium,

wherein the actinic ray curable ink-jet ink comprises at least one kind of pigment, and

wherein a maximum particle size of the at least one kind of pigment ranges from 0.3 μm to 10 μm.

2. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein an HLB value of the silicone surfactant is 9-30, and an amount of the terminal polyether-modified silicone surfactant is 0.001-10 weight % based on a total weight of the actinic ray curable composition.

3. The image forming method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the recording medium on or above a platen portion, the platen portion having a function to absorb ultraviolet rays.

4. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein an HLB value of silicone surfactant is 9-30.

5. The image forming method of claim 4 , wherein the HLB value of the silicone surfactant is 12-25.

6. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein the cationic polymerizable compound comprises a compound having an oxetane ring or an epoxy compound.

7. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the silicone surfactant is 0.001-10 weight % based on a total weight of the actinic ray curable composition.

8. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein a maximum particle size of the pigment is 0.3-3 μm.

9. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein the actinic ray curable ink-jet ink further comprises a pigment dispersant having a basic anchor portion.

10. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein the actinic ray curable ink-jet ink further comprises a basic compound of 10-1,000 weight ppm of the total photo-polymerizable compound.

11. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein irradiating actinic rays to the ejected actinic ray curable ink-jet ink is carried out during 0.001-1.0 second after landing of the actinic ray curable ink-jet ink on the recording medium.

12. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein a minimum amount of ink droplets, which is ejected from a nozzle of the ink-jet recording head, is 2-15 pl.

13. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein actinic ray curable ink-jet ink is ejected from the recording head after the actinic ray curable ink and the recording head are heated to 35-100° C.

14. The image forming method of claim 1 , wherein the actinic ray curable ink is ejected onto a recording medium which is heated to 35-60° C.