Methods for printing articles
Methods of printing articles using a photo-curable adhesion promoter and varnish composition jetted onto a media substrate, and a printed article are described.
1. A method of forming a printed article by inkjet printing, comprising:
a. providing a photo-curable varnish composition having a viscosity ranging from about 10 cp to about 25 cp at a jetting temperature ranging from about 30° C. to about 60° C., wherein the photo-curable varnish composition is substantially colorless;
b. providing a photo-curable ink;
c. providing a media substrate;
d. jetting the photo-curable ink onto the media substrate only at pre-determined locations;
e. jetting the photo-curable varnish composition onto the media substrate;
f. curing the photo-curable ink; and
g. curing the photo-curable varnish composition;
wherein the photo-curable varnish composition includes:
about 5 wt % to about 25 wt % of an acrylic polymer or copolymer;
a divinyl ester of a carboxylic acid;
a multi-functional monomer component; and
a photo-initiator.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photo-curable varnish composition comprises:
about 1 wt % to about 60 wt % of the divinyl ester of the carboxylic acid;
about 1 wt % to about 30 wt % of the multi-functional monomer component; and
about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % of the photo-initiator.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein jetting the photo-curable ink and jetting the photo-curable varnish composition are carried out simultaneously, followed by simultaneous curing of the photo-curable ink and the photo-curable varnish composition.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein jetting the photo-curable ink composition and jetting the photo-curable varnish composition are carried out sequentially, with the curing of the photo-curable ink taking place before the jetting of the photo-curable varnish composition.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photo-curable varnish composition is jetted onto pre-determined locations of the media substrate which are other than the pre-determined locations which receive the photo-curable ink.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photo-curable varnish composition is jetted onto pre-determined locations of the media substrate which include the pre-determined locations which receive the photo-curable ink.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein jetting the photo-curable varnish composition and curing the photo-curable varnish composition are repeated more than once.
8. A method of forming a printed article comprising:
a. providing a photo-curable adhesion promoter composition having a viscosity ranging from about 10 cp to about 25 cp at a jetting temperature ranging from about 30° C. to about 60° C., wherein the photo-curable adhesion promoter composition is substantially colorless;
b. providing a photo-curable ink;
c. providing a media substrate;
d. jetting the photo-curable adhesion promoter composition onto the media substrate;
e. curing the photo-curable adhesion promoter composition;
f. jetting the photo-curable ink onto the media substrate at pre-determined locations to form a printed image; and
g. curing the photo-curable ink;
wherein the photo-curable adhesion promoter composition includes:
an acrylic polymer or copolymer;
a divinyl ester of a dicarboxylic acid;
a multi-functional monomer component; and
a photo-initiator.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
h. jetting a photo-curable varnish composition onto the media substrate; and
i. curing the photo-curable varnish composition.
10. The method of claim 9
wherein the photo-curable varnish composition includes:
about 5 wt % to about 25 wt % of an acrylic polymer or copolymer;
a mono-functional monomer, wherein the mono-functional monomer includes one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of acrylate, methacrylate and vinyl monomers;
a multi-functional monomer component; and
a photo-initiator.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the photo-curable adhesion promoter composition and photo-curable varnish composition are the same composition, the composition comprising:
about 5 wt % to about 25 wt % of the acrylic polymer or copolymer;
about 1 wt % to about 60 wt % of the divinyl ester of the dicarboxylic acid;
about 1 wt % to about 30 wt % of the multi-functional monomer component; and
about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % of the photo-initiator.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the photo-curable adhesion promoter composition is jetted onto the media substrate only at the pre-determined locations where the photo-curable ink is to be jetted.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the media substrate comprises a polypropylene substrate or an acrylic substrate.