Manufacturing of decorative laminates by inkjet

1. A method of manufacturing decorative laminates including a wood based color pattern, the method comprising the steps of:

inkjet printing a first decorative layer using a first multi-pass inkjet printer to form a printed first decorative layer;

applying a first protective layer to the printed first decorative layer;

delivering the printed first decorative layer to a laminate heating press and heat pressing the printed first decorative layer to a first decorative laminate;

inkjet printing a second decorative layer using a second multi-pass inkjet printer to form a printed second decorative layer;

applying a second protective layer to the printed second decorative layer;

delivering the printed second decorative layer to the laminate heating press and heat pressing the printed second decorative layer to a second decorative laminate; wherein

the steps of inkjet printing the first and second decorative layers includes printing on an ink acceptance layer using pigmented aqueous inkjet inks from a CRYK ink set;

the first and second protective layers include a thermosetting resin impregnated paper substrate; and

the first and second decorative laminates each include a core layer selected from the group consisting of Medium Density Fibreboard and High Density Fibreboard.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ink acceptance layer is present on a surface of a thermosetting resin impregnated paper substrate.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ink acceptance layer includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethyl cellulose; hydroxypropyl cellulose; hydroxyethylmethyl cellulose; hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose; hydroxybutylmethyl cellulose; methyl cellulose; sodium carboxymethyl cellulose; sodium carboxymethylhydroxethyl cellulose; water soluble ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose; cellulose sulfate; polyvinyl alcohol; vinylalcohol copolymers; polyvinyl acetate; polyvinyl acetal; polyvinyl pyrrolidone; polyacrylamide; acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymer; polystyrene, styrene copolymers; acrylic or methacrylic polymers; styrene/acrylic copolymers; ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer; vinyl-methyl ether/maleic acid copolymer; poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid); poly(diethylene triamine-co-adipic acid); polyvinyl pyridine; polyvinyl imidazole; polyethylene imine epichlorohydrin modified; polyethylene imine ethoxylated; ether bond-containing polymers such as polyethylene oxide (PEO), polypropylene oxide (PPO), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and polyvinyl ether (PVE); polyurethane; melamine resins; gelatin; carrageenan; dextran; gum arabic; casein; pectin; albumin; chitins; chitosans; starch; collagen derivatives; collodion; and agar-agar.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the ink acceptance layer further includes an inorganic pigment.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the inorganic pigment is selected from the group consisting of alumina hydrates, aluminum oxides, aluminum hydroxides, aluminum silicates, and silicas.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ink acceptance layer includes a polyvinylalcohol polymer and a porous silica pigment.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second decorative layers have different color patterns.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second multi-pass inkjet printers are two to four pass inkjet printers.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second multi-pass inkjet printers include 8 to 64 piezoelectric print heads.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a color of the thermosetting resin impregnated paper substrate or the ink acceptance layer for the first decorative layer is different from a color of the thermosetting resin impregnated paper substrate or the ink acceptance layer for the second decorative layer.