Inkjet printing of pearlescent and metallic colours

1. A method of inkjet printing a color image including a metallic or pearlescent color, the method comprising the steps of:

applying on a portion of an ink receiver a layer including a pearlescent or metallic pigment having a volume mean particle size of at least 5.0 μm as measured by laser diffraction; and

inkjet printing on the layer including the pearlescent or metallic pigment a color image including an opaque color inkjet ink including a chromatic color pigment and a white pigment.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the opaque color inkjet ink is a UV curable color inkjet ink.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the white pigment has an average particle size larger than 200 nm as measured by differential centrifugal sedimentation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the color image including the pearlescent or metallic pigment is applied by a method selected from the group consisting of coating, flexographic printing, valve-jet printing, tampon printing, gravure printing, screen printing, and offset printing.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of inkjet printing the opaque color inkjet ink includes using at least one print head including nozzles with a nozzle diameter of no more than 35 μm.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of inkjet printing the opaque color inkjet ink includes single pass inkjet printing.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the volume mean particle size of the pearlescent or metallic pigment is between 5.0 μm and 50.0 μm.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ink receiver is transparent.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the white pigment includes a titanium dioxide pigment.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the opaque color inkjet ink includes one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of a polymerizable photoinitiator, a polymeric photoinitiator, and a polymerizable compound including at least a vinylether group and an acrylate group.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ink receiver is packaging.

12. A printed article comprising:

the color image printed by the inkjet printing method according to claim 1 .

13. The printed article according to claim 12 , wherein the printed article is selected from the group consisting of packaging and a foil.

14. The printed article according to claim 13 , wherein the packaging is selected from the group consisting of food packaging, cosmetic packaging, perfume packaging, toothpaste packaging, and pharmaceutical packaging.

15. The printed article according to claim 12 , wherein the printed article is a security document.