JP6332500B2 - Ink jet recording method and ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording method.

  Conventionally, various methods are used as a recording method for forming an image on a recording medium such as paper based on an image data signal. Of these, the inkjet method is an inexpensive device that ejects the ink composition only to the required image area and forms the image directly on the recording medium, so that the ink composition can be used efficiently and the running cost is low. cheap. Furthermore, the inkjet method is excellent as a recording method because of its low noise.

  In recent years, it has been studied to apply the ink jet recording method to dyeing (printing) fabrics. For example, an inkjet ink composition comprising an aqueous vehicle, a colorant and a crosslinked polyurethane dispersion to provide laundry durability and color fastness to an inkjet printed fabric, wherein the colorant is soluble in the aqueous vehicle Alternatively, an inkjet ink composition is disclosed that is dispersible and has a weight ratio of crosslinked polyurethane to colorant of at least about 1.0 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, it eliminates the problem of fading and bleeding, has a bright emission over a long period of time, and when irradiated with special excitation light such as black light, a different color or image from that visible under visible light In order to provide a fluorescent ink for inkjet printing that expresses the above, an inkjet printing fluorescent ink containing inorganic phosphor particles is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Special table 2007-522285 JP 2003-96340 A

  When printing on a fabric, a solid color image may be recorded in order to form a color image with good concealment. In addition, when printing on a fabric of dark color, a white image is recorded on the fabric in advance as a solid image in order to conceal the fabric and improve the appearance of the color image, or a white with good concealment on the fabric. In order to record an image, a white solid image may be recorded. However, the conventional method has a problem that the ink composition adheres to the nozzle plate and the cleaning frequency increases. In addition, there is a problem that the image concealability is poor and the printing speed and the drying speed are also poor.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve at least a part of the above-described problems. It is difficult to cause the ink composition to adhere to the nozzle plate, and the frequency of cleaning is low, and an image having excellent concealability can be printed. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording method which is excellent in printing speed.

  The present inventors diligently studied to solve the above problems. When the ink composition lands on the recording medium, ink mist (hereinafter also simply referred to as “mist”) is generated. Usually, the ink mist can be diffused throughout the ink jet recording apparatus, and since the mist diffused by the fan is collected, the adhesion to the nozzle is small. However, when the ink composition is ejected from all the nozzles at a predetermined ejection frequency, a phenomenon in which contamination around the nozzles due to mist is particularly large is observed. An air layer formed by an air flow called an air curtain may be formed along the nozzle array along the flow of air accompanying ink droplets ejected from all nozzles of the nozzle array. In this case, the ink mist between the head and the recording medium cannot be moved beyond the air curtain, and it is assumed that the mist stays around the nozzle.

  Such a phenomenon is often observed when an image having a large ink adhesion amount is recorded in order to improve the concealing property. When recording a solid image as described above, the ink composition is ejected from all nozzles at a predetermined ejection frequency so that the printing speed does not slow down. Then, it is assumed that an air layer formed by an air flow called an air curtain is formed along the arrangement of the nozzle rows due to the air flow accompanying the ink droplets ejected from all the nozzles of the nozzle row, and the ink mist is retained.

  When the ink mist stays as described above, the amount of the ink composition attached to the nozzle plate between the nozzle rows increases. In particular, since mist adhesion around the nozzles also increases, the number of nozzles that cause ejection failures (non-ejection and flight bends) increases, and it is necessary to wipe the nozzles with a wiper and increase the frequency of cleaning to remove stains on the ink composition. there were.

  It was also found that the occurrence of ink mist depends on the size of ink droplets. The ink mist is composed of ink droplets that could not land on the recording medium or smaller ink droplets separated from the ink droplet main body called satellites. Therefore, when the ink droplet is large, the air resistance is small, and the ink droplet can land on the recording medium, and mist is hardly generated. However, if the ink droplets are large, the amount of ink that has landed on the recording medium increases or the thickness increases, resulting in a slow ink drying speed. Therefore, by reducing the ink droplets, the amount of landed ink can be reduced or the thickness of the ink can be reduced to shorten the ink drying time, and the time to record a color image on a white image can be reduced. Try to shorten. However, ink mist is likely to occur in this case. Accordingly, the present inventors have found that the above problem can be solved by widening the interval between the nozzle rows and setting the predetermined printing conditions, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
[1]
A first nozzle row and a second nozzle row arranged along the first nozzle row, the distance between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row being 15 mm or more A nozzle density of the first nozzle row and a nozzle density of the second nozzle row are each 600 dpi or more, using an inkjet head,
While changing the relative position of the inkjet head with respect to the recording medium in the direction intersecting the row direction of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, the first nozzle row and the By performing scanning to eject the ink composition at a frequency of 12 kHz or more from the nozzles in the second nozzle row,
Attaching the ink composition to the recording medium;
Inkjet recording method.
[2]
The ink jet recording method according to [1], wherein the amount of the ink attached to the recording medium is 150 mg / inch ² or more.
[3]
The ink jet recording method according to [1] or [2], wherein the ink composition contains a solid content of 12% by mass or more.
[4]
The inkjet recording method according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the ink composition includes a color material, a resin emulsion, and a water-soluble solvent.
[5]
The inkjet recording method according to any one of [1] to [4] above, wherein the ink composition is a white ink composition containing titanium oxide.
[6]
The inkjet recording method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein recording is performed by performing the scanning a plurality of times.
[7]
The inkjet recording method according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the recording medium is a fabric.
[8]
Any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein the recording medium is supported by a recording medium support portion having a resin surface from the opposite side of the recording medium facing the inkjet head. 2. The ink jet recording method according to item 1.
[9]
The inkjet recording method according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein an ink amount of one ejection of the ink composition ejected from one nozzle is 10 ng or less.
[10]
The ink jet head has the ink composition on at least one of the first nozzle row opposite to the second nozzle row and at least one of the second nozzle row opposite to the first nozzle row. 10. The inkjet recording method according to any one of [1] to [9] above, which has another nozzle row that ejects another ink composition different from the above.
[11]
An inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by the inkjet recording method according to any one of [1] to [10].

It is a schematic diagram which shows the arrangement | sequence of a 1st nozzle row and a 2nd nozzle row. It is a figure which shows an example of a drive signal. It is an example of the block diagram of the whole structure of an inkjet recording device (whole).

  Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “the present embodiment”) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as necessary. However, the present invention is not limited to this, Various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. In the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. Further, the positional relationship such as up, down, left and right is based on the positional relationship shown in the drawings unless otherwise specified. Further, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are not limited to the illustrated ratios.

[Inkjet recording method]
The inkjet recording method of this embodiment is
A first nozzle row and a second nozzle row arranged along the first nozzle row, and a distance L1 between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is 15 mm or more. The nozzle density L2 of the first nozzle row and the nozzle density L2 of the second nozzle row are each 600 dpi or more, and an inkjet head is used.
While changing the relative position of the inkjet head with respect to the recording medium in the direction intersecting the row direction of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, the first nozzle row and the second nozzle By performing a scan to eject the ink composition at a frequency of 12 kHz or more from the row,
The ink composition is adhered to a recording medium.

[1. Inkjet head)
The ink jet recording method of the present embodiment includes a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row arranged along the first nozzle row, and includes a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row. The distance L1 between them is 15 mm or more, and the nozzle density of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is 600 dpi or more, and an inkjet head is used. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the arrangement of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, and each black dot indicates the position of the nozzle opening of the nozzle. FIG. 1 is a view of the nozzle plate of the head as viewed from the recording medium side, and the horizontal direction is the scanning direction.

(1-1. Distance L1 between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row)
The distance L1 between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is 15 mm or more, more preferably 18 mm or more, and further preferably 19 mm or more. Ink to the nozzle plate of the head by setting the distance L1 to 15 mm or more by spacing the nozzle rows so as to be in the above range, or by not using the nozzle rows between those nozzle rows. The composition is less prone to adhesion and the frequency of cleaning is reduced. Also, the ejection stability tends to be good. Further, the distance L1 between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is preferably 100 mm or less, more preferably 50 mm or less, further preferably 30 mm or less, and particularly preferably 25 mm or less. When the distance L1 is in the above range, the head can be further downsized.

(1-2. Nozzle density L2)
The nozzle density L2 of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is 600 dpi or more, preferably 720 dpi or more, and more preferably 1000 dpi or more. When the nozzle density L2 is in the above range, the concealing property is improved. Further, the nozzle density of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is preferably 2000 dpi or less, and more preferably 1500 dpi or less. When the nozzle density L2 is in the above range, the head manufacturing cost tends to be lower.

  In FIG. 1, the nozzle rows for each color are arranged in the order of Y (yellow), M (magenta), W (white), W (white), C (cyan), and K (black) from the left. . The first nozzle row (W) and the second nozzle row (W) are not particularly limited as long as the nozzles are arranged side by side, and even if the nozzles are arranged in a straight line, the nozzles have a row width. It may be arranged in a row so as to have. A row in which nozzles are arranged in a staggered arrangement (a box surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 1) may be used, as indicated by W in FIG. By arranging the nozzles so as to have a row width, it is possible to secure a wider space for providing a pressure chamber or the like communicating with the nozzles. The column width in the case where the nozzles are arranged so as to have the column width, that is, the distance between the lane α and the lane β (column width L3) in FIG. 1 is preferably 5 mm or less, and more preferably 3 mm or less. The lower limit of the column width is preferably 1 mm or more, and more preferably 2 mm or more. When the nozzle row has a row width, the distance L1 between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is closest to the second nozzle row in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 among the nozzles of the first nozzle row. This is the distance between the nozzle and the nozzle closest to the first nozzle row in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 among the nozzles of the second nozzle row.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the head includes at least one of the first nozzle row opposite to the second nozzle row and the opposite side of the second nozzle row to the first nozzle row (hereinafter referred to as “the second nozzle row”). In other words, it is preferable to have another nozzle row that discharges another ink composition different from the ink composition on the “outside of the first and second nozzle rows”. In FIG. 1, nozzle rows of Y, M, C, and K color ink compositions are shown as other nozzle rows outside the first and second nozzle rows (W). The interval between the nozzle rows of M and W and C and W is preferably 1/2 or less of the distance L1, and more preferably 1/3 or less. When the interval between the first nozzle row and the other nozzle row, or the interval between the second nozzle row and the other nozzle row is in the above range, the head tends to be further miniaturized.

  Since there is no nozzle row for discharging another ink composition between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, the portion of the nozzle plate located between the nozzle openings of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is Even if the ink composition of a predetermined color is stained, the influence on the nozzles of other colors tends to be small. The other ink composition is an ink having a different composition from the ink ejected from the first and second nozzle arrays, for example, an ink having a different color material.

[2. (Scanning method)
In the ink jet recording method of the present embodiment, the head is crossed with respect to the recording medium in the direction intersecting the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row (hereinafter also referred to as “main scanning direction”). Preferably, scanning is performed to eject the ink composition at a frequency of 12 kHz or more from the nozzles in the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row while changing the relative positions in the orthogonal direction. The head is preferably a serial printer that performs recording by scanning the recording medium a plurality of times (two or more times). In this case, the dot formation density of the image can be increased and the ink amount of the entire image can be increased. In the case of using the white ink composition, the concealing property tends to be more secured, and the color ink composition In the case of using, a higher-definition image tends to be obtained. On the other hand, a configuration such as a line printer that performs recording by scanning the head once with respect to the recording medium may be employed.

[3. (Discharge method)
In the ink jet recording method of the present embodiment, the ink composition is ejected from the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row at a frequency of 12 kHz or more. The discharge frequency is 12 kHz or more, preferably 20 kHz or more, more preferably 30 kHz or more, and further preferably 40 kHz or more. When the ejection frequency is in the above range, the printing speed tends to be more excellent. The upper limit of the discharge frequency is not particularly limited, but is preferably 150 kHz or less, more preferably 100 kHz or less, and further preferably 50 kHz or less. When the discharge frequency is in the above range, the drying rate tends to be more excellent. The said discharge frequency can be controlled by the discharge mechanism mentioned later.

  The amount of ink per drop of the ink composition ejected from one nozzle is preferably 17 ng or less, more preferably 10 ng or less, and even more preferably 9 ng or less. When the ink amount is in the above range, the drying speed tends to be more excellent. Further, the amount of ink of one drop of the ink composition ejected from one nozzle is preferably 1 ng or more, more preferably 3 ng or more, and further preferably 5 ng or more. When the ink amount is within the above range, the drying speed is excellent, and the dots can be formed at a high dot formation density while the printing speed is excellent. The ink amount of one drop of the ink composition ejected from one nozzle can be controlled by a later-described ejection mechanism.

(Discharge mechanism)
The ink jet recording apparatus records an image on a recording medium by moving the head along the main scanning direction and ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle openings of the head in conjunction with the movement. The ink droplets are ejected, for example, by expanding and contracting a pressure generating chamber that communicates with the nozzle opening.

  The expansion and contraction of the pressure generation chamber are performed using, for example, deformation of the piezoelectric vibrator. In such a head, the piezoelectric vibrator is deformed in accordance with the supplied drive pulse, thereby changing the volume of the pressure chamber, and this change in pressure causes a pressure fluctuation in the ink composition in the pressure chamber, and the nozzle opening. Ink droplets are ejected from.

  In such an ink jet recording apparatus, a drive signal formed by connecting a plurality of drive pulses in series is generated. On the other hand, print data including gradation information is transmitted to the head. Then, based on the transmitted print data, only the necessary drive pulse is selected from the drive signal and supplied to the piezoelectric vibrator. Thereby, the amount of ink droplets ejected from the nozzle openings is changed according to the gradation information.

  More specifically, for example, in an ink jet recording apparatus in which four gradations including non-printing print data, small dot print data, medium dot print data, and large dot print data are set, Depending on the tone, ink droplets with different ink amounts are ejected.

  In order to realize the above four gradation recording, for example, a drive signal as shown in FIG. 2 can be used. As shown in FIG. 2, this drive signal includes a first pulse signal PAPS1 arranged in the period PAT1, a second pulse signal PAPS2 arranged in the period PAT2, and a third pulse signal PAPS3 arranged in the period PAT3. The fourth pulse signal PAPS4 arranged in the period PAT4, the fifth pulse signal PAPS5 arranged in the period PAT5, and the sixth pulse signal PAPS6 arranged in the period PAT6 are connected in series, and the recording cycle PATA It is a pulse train waveform signal that is repeatedly generated.

  In this case, the first pulse signal PAPS1 is the first drive pulse PADP1, the second pulse signal PAPS2 is the second drive pulse PADP2, the third pulse signal PAPS3 is the third drive pulse PADP3, and the fourth The pulse signal PAPS4 is the first drive pulse PADP4, the fifth pulse signal PAPS5 is the fifth drive pulse PADP5, and the sixth pulse signal PAPS6 is the sixth drive pulse PADP6.

  These drive pulses PADP1 to PADP6 all have the same waveform shape, and are signals that can eject ink droplets independently. That is, by supplying each of these drive pulses to the piezoelectric vibrator, an ink droplet in an amount capable of forming a small dot is ejected from the nozzle opening.

  In this case, gradation control can be performed by increasing or decreasing the number of drive pulses supplied to the piezoelectric vibrator. For example, small dots are recorded by supplying one drive pulse, medium dots are recorded by supplying two drive pulses, and large dots are recorded by supplying three drive pulses. Can do.

  Here, the intermediate potential VM shown in FIG. 2 is called a bias voltage. This bias voltage is always supplied to the piezoelectric vibrator. That is, the potential of the piezoelectric vibrator is maintained in an intermediate state between the lowest potential VL and the highest potential VH. By setting such an intermediate state as the state at the start of driving, it is possible to cause a volume change on both the expansion side and the contraction side.

  For example, if the drive frequency of one recording cycle is 7.2 kHz, the frequency of one drive pulse is 43.2 KHz. Therefore, six ink droplets can be ejected by applying six drive pulses to the piezoelectric element in one recording period, and the ejection frequency in this case is 43.2 kHz. In addition, when the drive frequency of one recording cycle is 7.2 KHz and the discharge frequency is 21.6 kHz, only three drive pulses of every other six drive pulses PAPS are applied to the piezoelectric element. What is necessary is just to discharge an ink composition by applying. Similarly, when it is desired to set the ejection frequency to 14.4 KHz, the ink composition may be ejected by applying only two pulses out of every six driving pulses to the piezoelectric element.

  Further, the ink amount per ink droplet can be slightly adjusted by adjusting the potential difference between the voltages VL and VH. Note that one recording cycle corresponds to the recording resolution, and recording is performed with one recording cycle for one pixel.

[4. Adhesion)
In the inkjet recording method of this embodiment, the ejected ink composition is attached to a recording medium to form an image. After the deposition, the recording medium to which the ink composition is adhered may be further heated. By this heat treatment, a resin (polymer) that can be contained in the ink composition can be fused to the surface of the recording medium, and moisture can be evaporated. As a result, it tends to be more excellent in abrasion resistance.

  Examples of the heat treatment include, but are not limited to, a heat press method, a normal pressure steam method, a high pressure steam method, and a thermofix method. Moreover, as a heat source of heating, although not limited to the following, infrared (lamp) is mentioned, for example. Moreover, the temperature at the time of heat processing should just melt | fuse the resin (polymer) which can be contained in an ink composition, and can evaporate a water | moisture content, and it is preferable that it is about 150-200 degreeC.

  After the heating step, the recording medium may be washed with water and dried. At this time, if necessary, a soaping process, that is, a process of washing off unfixed pigment with a hot soap solution or the like may be performed.

  In this manner, a recorded matter in which an image derived from the ink composition of the above-described embodiment is formed on a recording medium such as a fabric can be obtained. Since the recorded matter can prevent the occurrence of cracks, irregularities, stains, and the like, it has excellent color developability, and the ink composition has excellent fixability (adhesiveness), and is also excellent in abrasion resistance.

(4-1. Adhesion amount of ink composition)
The adhesion amount of the ink composition to the recording medium is preferably 50 mg / inch ² or more, more preferably 150 mg / inch ² or more, and further preferably 200 mg / inch ² or more. When the adhesion amount is in the above range, the concealment property tends to be more excellent. Further, the adhesion amount is preferably 400 mg / inch ² or less, and more preferably 300 mg / inch ² or less. When the adhesion amount is in the above range, the printing speed and the drying speed tend to be more excellent.

(4-2. Dot formation density)
“Dot formation density” refers to the formation density of each ejected ink droplet on a recording medium. The horizontal direction (main scanning direction, width direction) of the recording medium × the vertical direction of the recording medium ( Sub-scanning direction, conveyance direction) (each dpi). On the other hand, “recording resolution” refers to the density of the minimum recording unit (pixel) that can control gradation based on print data. The dot formation density may be the same as the recording resolution, but not necessarily the same. The dot formation density in the present embodiment is not particularly limited, but can be 1440 dpi or more and 8640 dpi or less, and further 1440 dpi or more and 2880 dpi or less in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

[5. (Recording medium support)
The recording medium is preferably supported by a recording medium support portion having a resin surface from the side opposite to the side facing the ink jet head of the recording medium. If the recording medium support part is a resin surface, it is light and there is no need to make the motor of the support part conveying device powerful. Further, if the support portion is made of a transparent resin, the positioning workability when fixing the recording medium is improved. Further, when the surface of the recording medium support portion is made of resin, static electricity tends to occur due to friction with the recording medium when the recording medium is set on the support portion. When static electricity occurs, mist is likely to occur. Therefore, in the case of a recording medium support portion having a resin surface, it is particularly necessary to apply the present invention to solve the problem.

  It is also preferable that the recording medium is supported by a recording medium support portion having a metal surface. When a recording medium support having a metal surface is used, the occurrence of mist is reduced, so that the ink composition adheres to the nozzle plate, and the cleaning frequency tends to be reduced. The cause of this is that when the recording medium is set on the recording medium support, both may rub and generate static electricity. Is estimated to be that it will not interfere with the recording medium and cause mist, but the cause is not limited to this.

[6. printer〕
FIG. 3 is an example of a block diagram of an overall configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus (entire) that performs recording by the inkjet recording method of the present embodiment. The ink jet printer 1 includes a transport unit 20, a carriage unit 30, a head unit 40, a sensor group 50, and a controller 60. The inkjet printer 1 that has received the print signal PRT from the computer 110 having the display device 120 controls each unit by the controller 60 and performs recording on the recording medium. The controller 60 includes a unit control circuit 64, a CPU 62, a memory 63, and an interface unit 61. The head unit 40 has the above-described head and ejection mechanism, and the ejection frequency, ink amount, and the like during recording are controlled by the controller 60 controlling the head unit 40. The carriage unit moves the head along the main scanning direction. The transport unit transports the recording medium in the transport direction.

[Ink composition]
In the present embodiment, the ink composition is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include water-based inks and non-water-based inks (solvent-based inks and the like). The ink composition is not particularly limited, but preferably contains a coloring material, a resin emulsion, and a water-soluble solvent. Hereinafter, the additives (components) that are or may be included in the ink composition will be described in detail. The ink composition ejected from the first nozzle array and the ink composition ejected from the second nozzle array are different from each other even if they are the same composition (components and their contents are the same). The ink composition may be a composition, but when forming one image (for example, a white image) using two nozzle arrays, use an ink composition having at least the same type of color material. Ink which is preferably the same component is more preferable.

  The ink composition preferably includes 7% or more, more preferably 12% or more, further preferably 15% or more, and more preferably 16% or more as the lower limit of the solid content on a mass basis. preferable. When the solid content is in the above range, the concealability of the recorded matter tends to be excellent. Further, the upper limit of the solid content is preferably 40% or less, more preferably 35% or less, further preferably 30% or less, and particularly preferably 25% or less. When the solid content is in the above-mentioned range, the components that become adherent stains are relatively reduced. Therefore, the ink composition adheres less easily to the nozzle plate, and the cleaning frequency is less likely to occur. It tends to be excellent. Solid content is a component that is contained in the ink and does not volatilize when the ink is dried, and remains in the recording medium for a long time as a solid at room temperature after the ink is dried. And resin.

[1. Color material)
(1-1. White pigment)
The ink composition ejected from the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row preferably contains a white pigment. A white ink composition containing a white pigment is recorded as a solid image in order to conceal a dark fabric with a white image and improve the appearance of a color image recorded on the white image. At this time, the ink composition is ejected from all nozzles at a relatively high ejection frequency so that the printing speed does not slow down. If it does so, an air curtain will be easy to be formed especially, the adhesion stain | pollution | contamination of a nozzle plate will increase, the nozzle which causes discharge defect (non-discharge and flight bending) will increase, and it is necessary to increase the frequency of cleaning of a nozzle. Therefore, in the case of the white pigment constituting the white ink composition, it is particularly necessary to apply the present invention to solve the problem.

  Examples of the white pigment contained in the white ink composition include, but are not limited to, white inorganic pigments such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, antimony oxide, and zirconium oxide. In addition to the white inorganic pigment, white organic pigments such as white hollow resin particles and polymer particles can also be used.

  The color index (CI) of the white pigment is not limited to the following, but for example, C.I. I. Pigment White 1 (basic lead carbonate), 4 (zinc oxide), 5 (mixture of zinc sulfide and barium sulfate), 6 (titanium oxide), 6: 1 (titanium oxide containing other metal oxides), 7 (Zinc sulfide), 18 (calcium carbonate), 19 (clay), 20 (titanium mica), 21 (barium sulfate), 22 (natural barium sulfate), 23 (gloss white), 24 (alumina white), 25 (gypsum) ), 26 (magnesium oxide / silicon oxide), 27 (silica), and 28 (anhydrous calcium silicate).

  Among these, titanium oxide is preferable because it is excellent in color developability, concealability, and dispersed particle diameter, and good visibility (lightness) is obtained.

  Among the titanium oxides, rutile type titanium oxide, which is a general white pigment, is preferable. This rutile type titanium oxide may be produced by itself or may be commercially available. As an industrial production method for producing rutile-type titanium oxide (in powder form) by itself, conventionally known sulfuric acid method and chlorine method can be mentioned.

  Examples of commercially available rutile titanium oxide include Tipaque (registered trademark) CR-60-2, CR-67, R-980, R-780, R-850, R-980, R-630, R- 670, PF-736 (trade name, manufactured by ISHIHARA SANGYO KAISHA, LTD.).

  50-500 nm is preferable and, as for the 50% average particle diameter (henceforth "D50") of titanium oxide, 150-350 nm is more preferable. When D50 is within the above range, the recorded material has excellent abrasion resistance and image visibility, and thus a high-quality image can be formed.

  Here, “50% average particle diameter of titanium oxide” in this specification means not D50 of titanium oxide before preparing the ink composition but D50 of titanium oxide existing in the ink composition. Further, “50% average particle diameter” in the present specification means a 50% average particle diameter in terms of a sphere by a dynamic light scattering method, and is a value obtained as follows.

  The particles in the dispersion medium are irradiated with light, and the generated diffracted scattered light is measured by detectors arranged in front, side, and rear of the dispersion medium. Using the measured values obtained, assuming that particles that are originally indefinite are spherical, a cumulative curve is obtained with the total volume of the particle population converted to a sphere equal to the volume of the particles as 100%. The point at which the cumulative value at that time is 50% is defined as “50% average particle diameter in terms of sphere by dynamic light scattering method”.

  When titanium oxide is used as the white pigment, it is preferably one that has been surface-treated with alumina silica in order to suppress the photocatalytic action. In this case, the surface treatment amount (alumina silica amount) is preferably about 5 to 20% by mass with respect to the total mass (100% by mass) of the surface-treated white pigment.

  Further, the content of the white pigment varies depending on the pigment type to be used, but is preferably 1 to 30% by mass with respect to the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink composition in order to ensure good color developability. 1 to 15% by mass is more preferable. Among these, the content of titanium oxide is difficult to settle, and is particularly excellent in concealability and color reproducibility on a black fabric, so that it is 1 to 20 masses relative to the total mass (100 mass%) of the ink composition. % Is preferable, and 5 to 13% by mass is more preferable. Each of the above white pigments may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

(1-2. Other coloring materials)
For the ink composition used in the present embodiment, other color materials exemplified below can be used without any particular limitation. Although it does not specifically limit as carbon black, For example, furnace black, lamp black, acetylene black, and channel black (CI pigment black 7) are mentioned. Further, as a commercially available product of carbon black, for example, No. 2300, 900, MCF88, no. 20B, no. 33, no. 40, no. 45, no. 52, MA7, MA8, MA100, no. 2200B (all trade names, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), color black FW1, FW2, FW2V, FW18, FW200, S150, S160, S170, Pretex 35, U, V, 140U, Special Black 6, 5, 4A, 4, 250 (all trade names, manufactured by Degussa AG), Conductex SC, Raven 1255, 5750, 5250, 5000, 3500, 1255, 700 (all trade names, Columbia Carbon ( (Columbian Carbon Japan Ltd)), Regal 400R, 330R, 660R, Mogul L, Monarch 700, 800, 880, 900, 1000, 1100, 1300, 1400, Elftex 2 (all trade name, Cabot Corporation (Cabot Corporation), Ltd.), and the like. An inorganic pigment may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

  Examples of organic pigments include, but are not limited to, quinacridone pigments, quinacridone quinone pigments, dioxazine pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, anthrapyrimidine pigments, ansanthrone pigments, indanthrone pigments, flavanthrone pigments, Examples include perylene pigments, diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments, perinone pigments, quinophthalone pigments, anthraquinone pigments, thioindigo pigments, benzimidazolone pigments, isoindolinone pigments, azomethine pigments, and azo pigments. It is done. Specific examples of the organic pigment include the following.

  Examples of pigments used for cyan ink include C.I. I. Pigment Blue 1, 2, 3, 15, 15: 1, 15: 2, 15: 3, 15: 4, 15: 6, 15:34, 16, 18, 22, 60, 65, 66, C.I. I. Bat Blue 4, 60 and the like. Among them, C.I. I. At least one of Pigment Blue 15: 3 and 15: 4 is preferable.

  Examples of pigments used in magenta ink include C.I. I. Pigment Red 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48 (Ca), 48 (Mn), 57 (Ca), 57: 1, 88, 112, 114, 122, 123, 144, 146, 149, 150, 166, 168 170, 171, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 184, 185, 187, 202, 209, 219, 224, 245, 254, 264, C.I. I. Pigment violet 19, 23, 32, 33, 36, 38, 43, 50 and the like. Among them, C.I. I. Pigment red 122, C.I. I. Pigment red 202, and C.I. I. One or more selected from the group consisting of Pigment Violet 19 is preferred.

Examples of pigments used in yellow ink include C.I. I. Pigment Yellow 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24, 34, 35, 37, 53, 55, 65, 73, 74, 75, 81, 83, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 108, 109, 110, 113, 114, 117, 120, 124, 128, 129, 133, 138, 139, 147, 151, 153, 154, 155, 167, 172, 180, 185, 213 and the like. Among them, C.I. I. One or more selected from the group consisting of CI Pigment Yellow 74, 155, and 213 are preferred.
In addition, as a pigment used for inks of colors other than the above, such as green ink and orange ink, conventionally known pigments can be used. It is good also as clear ink which does not contain a color material.

[2. Pigment dispersion)
The pigment may be present in a dispersed state in the ink composition, that is, as a pigment dispersion. Here, the pigment dispersion in the present specification is meant to include a pigment dispersion and a pigment slurry (low viscosity aqueous dispersion).

  The D50 of the white pigment dispersion is more preferably from 100 to 600 nm, further preferably from 200 to 500 nm. When the D50 is 100 nm or more, both concealability and color developability are good. When the D50 is 1 μm or less, both the fixing property and ejection stability of the ink are good.

  Examples of the pigment dispersion include, but are not limited to, self-dispersing pigments and polymer dispersing pigments.

(2-1. Self-dispersing pigment)
The above self-dispersing pigment is a pigment that can be dispersed or dissolved in an aqueous medium without a dispersant. Here, “dispersing or dissolving in an aqueous medium without a dispersing agent” means that the surface is stably present in the aqueous medium due to the hydrophilic group on the surface without using a dispersing agent for dispersing the pigment. Say state. Therefore, there is almost no foaming due to a decrease in defoaming property due to the dispersant, and an ink excellent in ejection stability can be easily prepared. In addition, since a significant increase in viscosity due to the dispersant can be suppressed, it is easy to handle such as containing more pigment and sufficiently increasing the printing density.

The above hydrophilic group, -OM, -COOM, -CO -, - SO 3 M, -SO 2 M, -SO 2 NH 2, -RSO 2 M, -PO 3 HM, -PO 3 M 2, -SO ₂ One or more hydrophilic groups selected from the group consisting of ₂ NHCOR, —NH ₃ , and —NR ₃ are preferred.

  In these chemical formulas, M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, ammonium, an optionally substituted phenyl group, or organic ammonium, and R represents an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms or a substituted group. A naphthyl group which may have a group is represented. The above M and R are selected independently of each other.

  The self-dispersing pigment is produced, for example, by bonding (grafting) the hydrophilic group to the surface of the pigment by subjecting the pigment to physical treatment or chemical treatment. Examples of the physical treatment include vacuum plasma treatment. Examples of the chemical treatment include a wet oxidation method in which oxidation is performed with an oxidizing agent in water, a method in which a carboxyl group is bonded via a phenyl group by bonding p-aminobenzoic acid to the pigment surface, and the like. .

(2-2. Polymer dispersed pigment)
The polymer dispersed pigment is a pigment that can be dispersed by polymer dispersion. The polymer used in the polymer-dispersed pigment is not limited to the following. For example, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the dispersion polymer used for dispersing the pigment is preferably 55 ° C. or less, more preferably 50 ° C. or less. preferable. When the Tg is 55 ° C. or lower, the ink fixability can be improved.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the weight average molecular weights by the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of the said polymer are 10,000-200,000. Thereby, the storage stability of the ink is further improved. Here, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) in this specification is measured as a polystyrene-reduced weight average molecular weight using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of L7100 system manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd. Can do.

  As the above polymer, a polymer obtained by copolymerization of (meth) acrylate and (meth) acrylic acid is preferable in which 70% by mass or more of its constituent components are further excellent in ink fixing property and gloss. It is preferable that at least one of the alkyl (meth) acrylate having 1 to 24 carbon atoms and the cyclic alkyl (meth) acrylate having 3 to 24 carbon atoms is polymerized from a monomer component of 70% by mass or more. Specific examples of the monomer component include, but are not limited to, methyl (meth) acrylate, ethyl (meth) acrylate, propyl (meth) acrylate, n-butyl (meth) acrylate, isobutyl (meth) acrylate, pentyl (meth) ) Acrylate, hexyl (meth) acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth) acrylate, octyl (meth) acrylate, nonyl (meth) acrylate, decyl (meth) acrylate, t-butylcyclohexyl (meth) acrylate, lauryl (meth) acrylate, Isobornyl (meth) acrylate, cetyl (meth) acrylate, stearyl (meth) acrylate, isostearyl (meth) acrylate, tetramethylpiperidyl (meth) acrylate, dicyclopentanyl (meth) Acrylate, dicyclopentenyl (meth) acrylate, dicyclopentenyloxy (meth) acrylate, and behenyl (meth) acrylate. In addition, as other monomer components for polymerization, hydroxy (meth) acrylate having a hydroxyl group such as hydroxyethyl (meth) acrylate, hydroxypropyl (meth) acrylate, and diethylene glycol (meth) acrylate, urethane (meth) acrylate, and epoxy (Meth) acrylate can also be used.

(2-3. Pigment coated with polymer)
In addition, since the ink has excellent fixability, gloss, and color reproducibility, among the polymer-dispersed pigments, a pigment coated with a polymer, that is, a microencapsulated pigment is preferably used.

  The pigment coated with the polymer is obtained by a phase inversion emulsification method. That is, the above polymer is dissolved in an organic solvent such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and dibutyl ether. A pigment is added to the obtained solution, and then a neutralizing agent and water are added to perform kneading and dispersion treatment to prepare an oil-in-water dispersion. And the pigment coat | covered with the polymer as an aqueous dispersion can be obtained by removing an organic solvent from the obtained dispersion. For the kneading / dispersing treatment, for example, a ball mill, a roll mill, a bead mill, a high-pressure homogenizer, a high-speed stirring type disperser, or the like can be used.

  As the neutralizing agent, tertiary amines such as ethylamine and trimethylamine, lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and ammonia are preferable. It is preferable that pH of the obtained water dispersion is 6-10.

  As the polymer for coating the pigment, a polymer having a weight average molecular weight of about 10,000 to 150,000 by GPC is preferable from the viewpoint of stably dispersing the pigment.

  Among pigments coated with a polymer, a color pigment coated with a polymer is preferable. By using this color pigment, the color development of the recorded matter becomes excellent.

[3. Resin emulsion)
The ink composition used in the present embodiment preferably further contains a resin emulsion. As the resin emulsion dries the ink, the resin, the resin, and the pigment are fused to each other to fix the pigment to the recording medium. Can be further improved. Among the resin emulsions, urethane resin emulsions and acrylic resin emulsions are preferable, and urethane resin emulsions are more preferable. Thereby, since the fixing property of the ink is excellent, both the abrasion resistance and the washing fastness of the recorded matter are excellent.

  When the resin emulsion is contained in the ink composition, the resin emulsion forms a resin film on the recording medium, thereby sufficiently fixing the ink composition on the recording medium and having excellent rub resistance of the recorded material. Shall be. Therefore, the resin emulsion is preferably a thermoplastic resin. In particular, urethane resin emulsions have a high degree of freedom in design, so that desired film properties are easily obtained.

  The urethane resin emulsion is a resin emulsion having a urethane bond in the molecule. Furthermore, as urethane resin emulsions, in addition to the above urethane bonds, polyether type urethane resins containing ether bonds in the main chain, polyester type urethane resins containing ester bonds in the main chain, and polycarbonates containing carbonate bonds in the main chain Type urethane resin can also be used. Acrylic resin emulsions are obtained by polymerizing (meth) acrylic monomers such as (meth) acrylic acid and (meth) acrylic acid esters, and (meth) acrylic monomers and other monomers. Copolymerized one is mentioned.

  Hereinafter, preferable physical properties of the resin emulsion will be described. First, in the temperature range (15 to 35 ° C.) in which ink jet recording is generally performed, the resin emulsion preferably has a film-forming property. Therefore, the Tg is preferably 0 ° C. or less, and −10 ° C. It is more preferable that the temperature is -15 ° C. or lower. When the Tg of the resin emulsion is within the above range, the fixability of the ink adhered to the recorded matter is further improved, and as a result, the rub resistance of the recorded matter is further improved. In addition, although the minimum of Tg is not specifically limited, It is good in it being -70 degreeC or more and also -50 degreeC or more.

  Moreover, it is preferable that it is 10-100 mgKOH / g, and, as for the acid value of a resin emulsion, it is more preferable that it is 15-50 mgKOH / g. When the acid value is 100 mgKOH / g or less, the fastness to washing of the recorded matter can be maintained satisfactorily. In addition, when the acid value is 10 mgKOH / g or more, the storage stability of the ink and the color development and fixing properties of the ink on the recording medium are excellent. The acid value in this specification is measured using AT610 manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and a value calculated by applying a numerical value to the following formula is adopted. To do.

Acid value (mg / g) = (EP1-BL1) × FA1 × C1 × K1 / SIZE
In the above formula, EP1 is a titration amount (mL), BL1 is a blank value (0.0 mL), FA1 is a factor of the titrant (1.00), and C1 is a concentration converted value (5.611 mg / mL) (0. 1 mo1 / L KOH 1 mL of potassium hydroxide equivalent), K1 represents a coefficient (1), and SIZE represents a sampled amount (g).

  In addition, the resin emulsion prevents breakage and cracking of the image, that is, the ink layer, and is excellent in the fastness to washing and rubbing of the recorded matter against the fabric that easily stretches in the recording medium. It is preferable that the point elongation is 500 to 1200%, further 600 to 1200%, particularly 700 to 1200%, and the elastic modulus is 20 to 400 MPa.

  Here, the elongation at break in this specification can be measured under the condition that a film having a thickness of about 60 μm is prepared and the tensile test gauge length is 20 mm and the pulling speed is 100 mm / min. The elastic modulus in the present specification is a film having a thickness of about 60 μm, formed into a tensile test dumbbell having a parallel part width of 10 mm and a length of 40 mm, and performing a tensile test in accordance with JIS K7161: 1994. Tensile modulus can be measured.

  The above JIS K7161: 1994 will be described in detail. The corresponding international standard is ISO 527-1: 1993, the title is a test method for plastic-tensile properties, and the outline of the standard is defined conditions. Specifies the general principles for measuring the tensile properties of plastics and plastic composites below.

  The D50 of the resin emulsion is preferably 30 to 300 nm, more preferably 80 to 300 nm. When D50 is within the above range, the resin emulsion particles can be uniformly dispersed in the ink composition. Further, the lower limit value of D50 is more preferably 100 nm, because the recorded material has more excellent abrasion resistance.

  From the viewpoint of the physical properties of the resin emulsion described above, commercial products of the urethane resin emulsion are not limited to the following. For example, Suncure 2710 (trade name manufactured by The Lubrizol Corporation), Permarin UA- 150 (trade name manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.), Superflex 460, 470, 610, 700 (above, products manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd.) Name), NeoRez R-9660, R-9637, R-940 (above, trade name made by Kusumoto Chemicals, Ltd.), Adeka Bon titer HUX-380, 290K (above, made by Adeka) Trade name), Takelac (registered trademark) W-605, W-635, WS-6021 (named Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. trade name), Preferred examples include polyethers (TAISEI FINECHEMICAL CO, LTD. Trade name, Tg = 20 ° C.).

  A urethane resin emulsion may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

  Further, the ink composition used in the present embodiment may include a resin emulsion other than the urethane resin emulsion. Among such resin emulsions, an anionic resin emulsion is preferable because aggregation of the resin can be effectively prevented. Examples of the anionic resin emulsion include, but are not limited to, for example, (meth) acrylic acid, (meth) acrylic acid ester, acrylonitrile, cyanoacrylate, acrylamide, olefin, styrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinyl alcohol, Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl ether, vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl pyridine, vinyl carbazole, vinyl imidazole, and vinylidene chloride, fluororesins, and natural resins. Among them, at least one of (meth) acrylic resin and styrene- (meth) acrylic acid copolymer resin is preferable, and at least one of acrylic resin and styrene-acrylic acid copolymer resin is more preferable, styrene. -Acrylic acid copolymer resin is more preferable. In addition, said copolymer may be any form among a random copolymer, a block copolymer, an alternating copolymer, and a graft copolymer.

  As resin emulsions other than urethane resin emulsions, those obtained by known materials and production methods may be used, or commercially available products may be used. Examples of the commercially available products include, but are not limited to, Mobile 966A (trade name, acrylic resin emulsion manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), Microgel E-1002, Microgel E -5002 (above trade name, manufactured by Nippon Paint Co., Ltd), Boncourt 4001, Boncourt 5454 (above trade name, manufactured by DIC), SAE1014 (trade name, manufactured by Zeon Corporation) Cybinol SK-200 (trade name, manufactured by SAIDEN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD.), Jongkrill 7100, Jongkrill 390, Jongkrill 711, Jongkrill 511, Jongkrill 7001, Jongkrill 632, John Krill 741, John Krill 450, John Krill 840, John Krill 74J Jonkrill HRC-1645J, Jonkrill 734, Jonkrill 852, Jonkrill 7600, Jonkrill 775, Jonkrill 537J, Jonkrill 1535, Jonkrill PDX-7630A, Jonkrill 352J, Jonkrill 352D, Jonkrill PDX-7145, Jonkrill 538J, Jonkrill 7640, Jonkrill 7641, Jonkrill 631, Jonkrill 790, Jonkrill 780, Jonkrill 7610 (above trade name, manufactured by BASF), NK binder R-5HN (trade name, manufactured by Shin Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd.) , Acrylic resin emulsion, solid content 44%). Among these, in order to sufficiently satisfy the preferable physical properties of the resin emulsion described above, mobile 966A which is an acrylic resin emulsion is preferable.

  A resin emulsion may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

  The resin content of the resin emulsion is preferably in the range of 3 to 15% by mass, more preferably in the range of 7 to 14% by mass, and more preferably in the range of 8 to 8% with respect to the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink composition. More preferably, it is 13 mass%. Within the above range, the recorded product tends to have excellent fastness to washing and abrasion resistance, excellent long-term stability of the ink composition, and in particular, a tendency to lower the viscosity of the ink composition. It is in.

[4. Cyclic amide compound]
The ink composition used in this embodiment preferably further contains a cyclic amide compound. The cyclic amide compound has a function of improving the solubility of the lactic acid ester compound in water. Therefore, since the ink composition contains a cyclic amide compound together with the above lactic acid ester compound, the dissolving power of the urethane resin (emulsion) becomes stronger, and the precipitation of foreign matters as described above can be more effectively prevented. The stability, particularly the storage stability at high temperature, is further improved.

  In addition, since cyclic amide compounds also have moisture retention performance, they prevent aggregation and solidification due to the moisture content of urethane resins (emulsions), other resins (polymers), and pigments that can evaporate during ink storage. can do. As a result, clogging in the vicinity of the nozzles of the head during ink jet recording is prevented, and the ejection stability of the ink composition is improved.

  Specific examples of the cyclic amide compound include, but are not limited to, 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone. Among them, 2-pyrrolidone is preferable because the dissolving power to the resin (polymer) is further increased and the storage stability, particularly the storage stability at high temperature, is further improved.

  A cyclic amide compound may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

  The content of the cyclic amide compound is preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass and more preferably 1 to 3% by mass with respect to the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink composition. When the content is within the above range, the long-term storage stability and ejection stability of the ink, and the rub resistance and washing fastness of the recorded matter due to the excellent fixability of the ink are both excellent. It becomes.

[5. (Water-soluble solvent)
The ink composition used in this embodiment can contain a water-soluble solvent, and preferably contains water. Examples of the aqueous solvent include water and water-soluble organic solvents. The water is not particularly limited, and pure water such as ion exchange water, ultrafiltration water, reverse osmosis water, distilled water, or ultrapure water can be used. The water content is not particularly limited and may be appropriately determined as necessary. However, in order to adjust the viscosity of the ink composition to a suitable range, the total amount (100% by mass) of the ink composition is used. 20 to 80% by mass is preferable.
In addition, in order to avoid duplication, the various additives (component) demonstrated below shall not contain the cyclic amide compound mentioned above.

[6. Penetrant)
The ink composition used in the present embodiment may further contain a penetrating agent in order to further accelerate the penetration of the aqueous solvent as a constituent component into the recording medium. When the aqueous solvent quickly penetrates into the recording medium, a recorded matter with less image blur can be obtained.

  Preferred examples of such penetrants include polyhydric alcohol alkyl ethers (glycol ethers) and 1,2-alkyldiols. Examples of the glycol ethers include, but are not limited to, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl. Ether, diethylene glycol monopropyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether, triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 1-methyl-1-methoxybutanol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol monopropyl ether Ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monopropyl ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, and dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether. The 1,2-alkyldiol is not limited to the following, and examples thereof include 1,2-pentanediol and 1,2-hexanediol. Besides these, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,7-heptanediol, 1,8-octanediol and the like Mention may also be made of chain hydrocarbon diols.

  One penetrant may be used alone, or two or more penetrants may be used in combination.

  The content of the penetrant is preferably 0.1 to 20% by mass and more preferably 0.5 to 10% by mass with respect to the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink composition. When the content is 0.1% by mass or more, the degree of penetration of the ink composition into the recording medium can be increased. On the other hand, when the content is 20% by mass or less, bleeding can be prevented from occurring in the image, and the viscosity of the ink composition can be prevented from becoming high.

[7. (Humectant)
The ink composition used in the present embodiment may further include a humectant (wetting agent). Any humectant can be used without particular limitation as long as it is generally used in inkjet inks. A high-boiling humectant having a boiling point of preferably 180 ° C. or higher, more preferably 200 ° C. or higher is preferably used. When the boiling point is within the above range, good water retention and wettability can be imparted to the ink composition.

  Specific examples of the high boiling humectant include, but are not limited to, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, pentamethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, 2-butene-1, 4-diol, 2-ethyl- 1,3-hexanediol, 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, tripropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol having a number average molecular weight of 2000 or less, 1,3-propylene glycol, isopropylene glycol, isobutylene glycol, glycerin, mesoerythritol, And pentaerythritol.

  A moisturizer may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type. By including a high-boiling humectant in the ink composition, it is possible to obtain an ink composition that can maintain fluidity and redispersibility for a long time even when the pigment ink is left in contact with air in an open state. it can. Further, such an ink composition is excellent in ejection stability of the ink composition because nozzle clogging is less likely to occur during restart using the ink jet recording apparatus during or after printing. . The content of the humectant is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately determined as necessary.

  As described above, when the ink composition includes a cyclic amide compound, the cyclic amide compound may be used as a humectant because the cyclic amide compound has moisture retention performance.

[8. Surfactant]
The ink composition used in the present embodiment may contain a surfactant. The surfactant is preferably at least one of an acetylene glycol surfactant, an acetylene alcohol surfactant, and a polysiloxane surfactant. When the ink composition contains these surfactants, the drying property of the ink composition attached to the recording medium is further improved, and high-speed printing is possible.

  Among these, polysiloxane surfactants are more preferable because the solubility in ink is increased and foreign matter is less likely to be generated.

  Examples of the acetylene glycol surfactant and the acetylene alcohol surfactant include, but are not limited to, 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol and 2,4,7. , 9-tetramethyl-5-decyn-4,7-diol, and 2,4-dimethyl-5-decyn-4-ol and 2,4-dimethyl-5-decyn-4-ol One or more selected from alkylene oxide adducts are preferred. These include the E series such as Olfin 104 series and Olfin E1010 (trade names manufactured by Air Products Japan, Inc.), Surfinol 465 and Surfinol 61 (Nissin Chemical Industry CO., Ltd.) and other commercial products.

  Examples of the polysiloxane surfactant include BYK-347 and BYK-348 (trade names manufactured by BYK Japan KK).

  The surfactant is preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass with respect to the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink composition.

[9. Other ingredients
The ink composition used in the present embodiment maintains a good storage stability and ejection stability from the head, improves clogging, or prevents ink deterioration. Penetration control agents, viscosity modifiers, pH adjusters, solubilizers, antioxidants, antiseptics, antifungal agents, corrosion inhibitors, and chelating agents for capturing metal ions that affect dispersion, etc. Various additives can also be added as appropriate. The ink composition used in the present embodiment is preferably a water-based ink composition containing the largest amount of water among the volatile components from the viewpoint of safety.

[Recording medium]
Next, the recording medium of this embodiment will be described. The recording medium used in the recording method of the present embodiment is not particularly limited, and is, for example, cloth or paper. Examples of the fabric include, but are not limited to, natural fibers or synthetic fibers such as silk, cotton, wool, nylon, polyester, and rayon. Of these, cotton is preferred because it can withstand the fixing of the ink composition at high temperatures.

  When the recording medium is a fabric, the ink droplets are once trapped by the fluffing of the fabric surface and cannot reach the fabric surface, and the trapped ink droplets are then separated from the fabric and floated in the air. It may become. Therefore, mist is likely to occur compared to a recording medium such as paper. Therefore, in the case of fabric, there is a great need to solve the problem by applying the present invention.

[Inkjet recording apparatus]
The ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment is not particularly limited as long as recording is performed by the above ink jet recording method, and may have the same configuration as the conventional one except that it has the above configuration.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. The present invention is not limited in any way by the following examples.

[1. Ink composition material]
The main materials for the ink compositions used in the following examples and comparative examples are as follows.
[Color material]
・ Titanium dioxide (Product name: Nano tek slurry, manufactured by C-I Kasei Co., Ltd., titanium oxide solid content concentration 15%, average particle size 250 nm)
[Resin emulsion]
・ Takelac WS-6021 (product name, Mitsui Chemicals Polyurethanes, solid content 30%, urethane resin)
[Dispersant]
・ Demol NL (product name, Kao Chemical Co., Ltd., solid content 41%)
〔Organic solvent〕
・ Glycerin ・ Triethylene glycol ・ Triethylene glycol monobutyl ether (silicone surfactant)
・ BYK-348 (trade name manufactured by BYK)

[2. Preparation of white ink]
The compositions (mass%) shown in Table 1 below were mixed and stirred sufficiently to obtain ink compositions 1 and 2. In Table 1, Takelac WS-6021 and dispersant Demol NL are used amounts including solvent components other than solid content, titanium dioxide is the amount of solid content, and solid content (%) is the solid content in the ink. Amount.

[3. Recording medium]
As the recording medium, 100% cotton T-shirt fabric (heavy weight black fabric manufactured by HANES) and plain paper (Xerox P) were used.

[4. Inkjet recording apparatus]
A printer GS6000 (manufactured by Seiko Epson Corporation) modified (hereinafter referred to as “GS6000 modified machine”) was used. The modified part is that the following head, ejection mechanism, and recording medium support member quality are provided.

  As the head, the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row having a row in which nozzles are arranged in a staggered arrangement as shown in FIG. 1 were prepared. Specifically, (1) the distance L1 between the nozzle rows is 19.5 mm and the nozzle density L2 is 720 dpi, (2) the distance L1 between the nozzle rows is 12 mm, and the nozzle density L2 is 720 dpi. 3) The distance L1 between the nozzle rows was 19.5 mm and the nozzle density L2 was 360 dpi, and (4) the distance L1 between the nozzle rows was 12 mm and the nozzle density L2 was 360 dpi, respectively. The nozzle density L2 of 360 dpi is configured by using every other nozzle in the nozzle row when the nozzle density L2 is 720 dpi, so the number of nozzles (number of used nozzles) is halved. The number of nozzles was (720) for (1) and (2), 360 for (3) and (4), and the length of the nozzle row in the direction of the nozzle row was the same for (1) to (4).

  As the ejection mechanism, the ejection frequency can be controlled at a driving frequency of 7.2 kHz and a driving pulse frequency of 43.2 kHz in one recording cycle, and the ink amount per ink droplet is adjusted to 7 to 7 by adjusting the potential difference between the voltages VL and VH. The thing which can be adjusted in the range of 14 ng was prepared. However, in the case of 14 ng, since the amount of ink per ink droplet is large, adjustment was made by preparing another head having a large nozzle diameter and volume of the pressure chamber. Specifically, when the ejection frequency is 21.6 kHz, the ejection frequency is controlled by applying only three drive pulses from every other six of the six drive pulses PAPS to the piezoelectric element. In the case of 4 kHz, ejection is performed by applying only two pulses out of every six driving pulses to the piezoelectric element, and in the case of 7.2 kHz, discharging is performed every five of the six driving pulses. Discharge was performed by applying only one pulse to the piezoelectric element.

  As the recording medium support member material, an acrylic plate and an aluminum plate were prepared for the surface material.

[6. Inkjet recording method (Examples 1 to 7, Comparative Examples 1 to 10)]
The ink composition 1 or 2 prepared as described above was adhered to the recording medium by the inkjet method using the modified machine. More specifically, an ink composition was ejected from a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row at a predetermined ejection frequency and a predetermined ink amount, and the ink composition was adhered to a recording medium. The dot formation density was a predetermined value, the recording medium was A4 size, and a solid pattern image was recorded. Tables 2 and 3 show the ejection frequency, the ink amount, and the dot formation density.

  The “solid pattern image” in the present specification means an image on a recording medium in which dots are recorded for all the pixels that are the minimum recording unit area defined by the recording resolution.

  The fabric to which the ink composition 1 or 2 was adhered was heat-treated at 160 ° C. for 1 minute using a heat press to fix the ink composition 1 or 2 to the fabric. In this way, a recorded matter in which an image was formed on the fabric (ink was printed) was produced. At this time, the following evaluation was performed on the obtained recorded matter.

[7. Evaluation item]
[Ink adhesion amount (mg / inch ² )]
The ink adhesion amount was determined from the dot formation density according to the following formula. Note that “× 2” is set because the ink is adhered to the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row in the same manner. That is, the dot formation position by the first nozzle row on the recording medium, the dot formation position by the second nozzle row, and the ink adhesion amount are completely the same, and the dot formation by the first nozzle row and the first nozzle row are the same. When comparing the overall dot formation combining the row and the second nozzle row, the dot formation density is the same, and the amount of ink adhesion is double the latter with respect to the former.
Ink adhesion amount (mg / inch ² ) = ink amount of ink droplets (ng) × dot formation density in the horizontal direction (dpi) × dot formation density in the vertical direction (dpi) × 2 × 10 ⁻⁶

[Ink adhesion to the nozzle plate]
Using the remodeling machine, using the ink composition 1 or 2 shown in Table 1, a 20 × 20 cm solid on a 100% cotton T-shirt fabric (heavy weight black fabric manufactured by HANES) having a size of about A4 size. The image was printed. The ink stain between the two nozzle rows of the nozzle plate after printing 50 sheets was visually observed. The evaluation criteria for ink adhesion stains on the nozzle plate are shown below. In any of the examples, ink stains were hardly seen outside the first and second nozzle rows.
(Evaluation criteria)
A: No dirt on the nozzle is visible.
○: Some ink adhesion is seen between the nozzle rows, but there is little ink adhesion around the nozzles.
(Triangle | delta): Adhesion of ink is visible also around a nozzle.
X: The nozzle plate is almost filled with ink.

[Cleaning frequency]
Using the remodeling machine, using the ink composition 1 or 2 shown in Table 1, a solid image is printed on the same fabric as the ink adhesion stain evaluation on the nozzle plate under the same conditions, and no discharge occurs every time one sheet is printed. A nozzle inspection for the presence or absence of nozzles was performed. When the number of nozzles of 0.3% or more with respect to the total number of nozzles used did not discharge, it was determined that cleaning was necessary. Based on the number of printed sheets when it was determined that cleaning was necessary, the cleaning frequency was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
◎: 81 or more ○: 51 to 80 △: 21 to 50 ×: 20 or less

[Image concealment]
The first printed material in the evaluation of ink adhesion stains on the nozzle plate was evaluated. Specifically, the L * value is measured with a colorimeter (trade name “Gretag Macbeth Spectrolino”, manufactured by X-RITE Co., Ltd.), and the image concealability is determined based on the obtained L * value using the following evaluation criteria. evaluated.
(Evaluation criteria)
◎: 90 or more ○: 80 to less than 90 Δ: 70 to less than 80 ×: less than 70

[Print speed]
Using the remodeling machine, using the ink composition 1 or 2 shown in Table 1, a 20 × 20 cm solid on a 100% cotton T-shirt fabric (heavy weight black fabric manufactured by HANES) having a size of about A4 size. The image was printed. The printing speed was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
○: Same as Example 1 ×: The number of passes (number of main scans) is more than double that of Example 1.

[Drying speed]
Using the modified machine, using the ink composition shown in Table 1, after printing a single white solid image in the same manner as the evaluation of ink adhesion stains on the nozzle plate, immediately after the C nozzle lane of FIG. Using a cyan ink, a solid image of 10 × 10 cm (ink droplet 7 ng, dot density 4320 × 720 dpi) was printed on the inner side of the white solid image. The blur at the boundary between the white image and the color image was visually observed. The cyan ink used was a white ink composition 2 containing 4% by mass of cyan pigment Pigment Blue 15: 3 (manufactured by Clariant) instead of containing titanium dioxide. The boundary between the white solid image and the cyan image was visually observed.
(Evaluation criteria)
○: No bleeding ×: Bleeding

From the above results, when the ink jet recording method satisfying the constitutional requirements of the present invention is used, it is difficult to cause the ink composition to adhere to the nozzle plate, the frequency of cleaning is low, and an image with excellent concealment can be printed. It was shown to be excellent in speed. On the other hand, it was found that in Comparative Examples 1, 2, and 8 to 10 in which the distance between the nozzles in the first row and the second row is short, the ink composition adheres to the nozzle plate and the cleaning frequency is high.
In Comparative Examples 3 and 4, since the nozzle density is low, the number of nozzles (the number of used nozzles) is small, and it is necessary to increase the number of passes in order to obtain a predetermined ink adhesion amount. Increasing the printing speed will have a large impact on printing speed. In Comparative Examples 3 and 4, the nozzle density is 360 dpi, the length of the nozzle row in the sub-scanning direction is doubled, and the number of nozzles is doubled. In this case, the length of the head in the sub-scanning direction is increased, which is not preferable in terms of downsizing the recording apparatus.
In Comparative Examples 5 and 7, although the ejection frequency was low but the number of passes was the same as in Example 1, the printing speed did not decrease, but the dot formation density was low and the ink adhesion amount was small, and the image concealing property was low. Declined. In Comparative Example 6, as compared with Comparative Example 7, the number of passes was doubled to increase the dot formation density and the ink adhesion amount, but the printing speed was reduced.
In Example 3 and Comparative Example 8, the recording medium was plain paper, but the recording medium was deformed due to the large amount of ink attached.

  Further, when the amount of ink in the ink droplet is large, the ink stain and cleaning frequency are relatively improved, but the drying speed tends to decrease. On the other hand, when the amount of ink in the ink droplets is small, in addition to excellent drying speed, it is possible to form dots with high dot formation density without lowering the printing speed, which is advantageous from the viewpoint of high image definition. On the other hand, it was found that the present invention is particularly useful since ink stains and the tendency to deteriorate the cleaning frequency were observed.

  The inkjet recording method of the present invention has industrial applicability as a method for recording an ink composition on a recording medium, particularly a fabric.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet printer, 20 ... Conveyance unit, 30 ... Carriage unit, 40 ... Head unit, 50 ... Sensor group, 60 ... Controller, 61 ... Interface part, 62 ... CPU, 63 ... Memory, 64 ... Unit control circuit, 110 ... Computer, 120 ... display device.

Claims (15)

A first nozzle row and a second nozzle row arranged along the first nozzle row, the distance between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row being 15 mm or more A nozzle density of the first nozzle row and a nozzle density of the second nozzle row are each 600 dpi or more, using an inkjet head,
While changing the relative position of the inkjet head with respect to the recording medium in the direction intersecting the row direction of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, the first nozzle row and the By performing scanning to eject the ink composition at a frequency of 12 kHz or more from the nozzles in the second nozzle row,
Adhering the ink composition to the recording medium;
Each of the ink compositions ejected from the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row contains a urethane resin emulsion,
The resin content of the urethane resin emulsion is 7 to 14% by mass with respect to the total mass of the ink composition,
Nozzle array to discharge another ink composition during the second nozzle row and the first nozzle row rather than,
The ink jet head has the ink composition on at least one of the first nozzle row opposite to the second nozzle row and at least one of the second nozzle row opposite to the first nozzle row. Having other nozzle rows for discharging other ink compositions different from the ones,
The distance between the first nozzle row adjacent to the other nozzle row or the second nozzle row is smaller than the distance between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row,
Inkjet recording method.   The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ink compositions ejected from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array are ink compositions having the same component. The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ink adhesion amount to the recording medium is 150 mg / inch ² or more.   The inkjet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ink composition contains a solid content of 12% by mass or more.   The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ink composition contains a color material, a resin emulsion, and a water-soluble solvent.   The inkjet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ink composition is a white ink composition containing titanium oxide.   The inkjet recording method according to claim 1, wherein recording is performed by performing the scanning a plurality of times.   The inkjet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a fabric.   9. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is supported by a recording medium support portion having a resin surface from a side opposite to the side facing the inkjet head of the recording medium. The inkjet recording method as described.   The inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an ink amount of one ejection of the ink composition ejected from one nozzle is 10 ng or less. The inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein a distance between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row is 18 mm or more. The inkjet recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein a color image is recorded on an image formed by the ink composition ejected from the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row. . The ink composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the ink composition contains a pigment as a coloring material, and the content of the pigment is 1 to 30% by mass with respect to the total mass of the ink composition. The inkjet recording method as described. Wherein the ink composition comprises a pigment as a coloring material, the content of the pigment is, relative to the total mass of the ink composition is 5% by mass or more, according to any one of claims 1 to 13 Inkjet recording method. Performing recording by an ink jet recording method according to any one of claims 1-14, an ink jet recording apparatus.

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