Imaging processes
The present disclosure provides processes for producing images with toner particles. In embodiments, toner particles of a certain diameter in size are applied to a substrate as an incomplete monolayer, and then fused to form an image that is a complete monolayer and possesses a thickness less than the diameter of the particles utilized to form the image.
1. A process for forming an image with a toner comprising:
applying hyperpigmented, core-shell, low melt emulsion aggregation toner particles to a substrate wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles having a volume average diameter of about 2 μm to about 7 μm, wherein the toner having a pigment load from 7% to about 40% by weight of the toner, wherein the toner particles comprise, a low molecular weight amorphous polyester resin which exhibits a glass transition temperature of from about 30° C. to about 80° C.; and
fusing the toner particles to the substrate to form an image;
wherein a 100% solid area single color patch of said image has a thickness of from 1 μm to about 5 μm, which is less than about 70% of said diameter of said toner particles, wherein ratio of the single color solid area patch thickness after fusing to patch thickness before fusing is less than 0.65.
2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the toner particles comprise a crystalline polyester resin which exhibits a melting temperature of from about 50° C. to about 90° C.
3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of toner mass per unit area on the substrate to the volume average diameter of the toner particles is from about 0.05 mg/cm 2 /μm to about 0.075 mg/cm 2 /μm.
4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein a single color is printed.
5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein from about 2 to about 8 colors are printed.
6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the toner particles on the substrate are an incomplete layer, and fusing the toner particles to the substrate forms a complete monolayer.
7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles comprise at least one amorphous resin in combination with at least one crystalline resin.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of toner mass per unit area on said substrate to said volume average diameter of said toner particles is from about 0.055 mg/cm 2 /μm to about 0.070 mg/cm 2 /μm.
9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said particles having a diameter in greater than 5 μm and said patch having a thickness after fusing of less than 5 μm.
10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the toner particles having a volume average diameter of about 3 μm to about 6 μm.
11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said 100% solid area single color patch has a thickness after fusing of from about 2 μm to about 4μm.
12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said ratio is from about 0.3 to 0.65.
13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said 100% solid area single color patch has a thickness which is from about 40% to about 60% of said diameter of said toner particles.
14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the single color solid area patch thickness after fusing to the patch thickness before fusing is about 0.40 to about 0.55.
15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the toner particles comprise a high molecular weight branched or cross-linked amorphous polyester resin.
16. The process of claim 1 , wherein said toner comprises a wax.
17. The process of claim 1 , wherein said shell comprises an amorphous resin.