JP6651731B2 - Ink jet printing method and ink jet printing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an inkjet printing method and an inkjet printing apparatus.

  Conventionally, a printing method for recording an image on a fabric such as a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, and a non-woven fabric has been known. In recent years, use of an ink jet printing method has been studied from the viewpoint of efficiently using ink used for printing. ing. In the ink jet printing method using the ink jet recording method, an image of an ink coating film is formed on a cloth by ejecting droplet-shaped ink from a nozzle of a head and attaching the ink to the cloth.

The ink used in such an inkjet printing method includes, for example, a coloring material such as a pigment or a dye, a dispersant (surfactant), and a solvent (water, an organic solvent, or the like). Here, if a dye is used as a coloring material, the recorded image tends to have poor properties such as light fastness. Therefore, a pigment may be used as the coloring material in some cases. When a pigment is used as a coloring material, it is necessary to add a fixing resin to the ink in order to fix the pigment to the cloth.

  However, when a pigment is used as a coloring material, a higher resolution, a higher quality image is obtained, or when the ink amount of the ink droplet is reduced to increase the drying speed, the ink droplet tends to remain on the fluff of the fabric. However, there are problems such as uneven coagulation and bleeding, and poor concealment of images. Thus, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pigment printing ink composition containing a pigment as at least a coloring material, as a pigment printing ink jet recording method in which the stain of the cloth is suppressed and the resulting image has excellent concealing properties and excellent drying speed. An ink droplet having an ink amount of 9 ng or less is ejected from the nozzle opening at an average ejection speed V of 5 m / s or more at a distance of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm in the direction of the fabric from the nozzle opening to the pigment printing ink. Techniques for applying the composition to a fabric are disclosed.

JP 2014-163021 A

  However, if the ink contains a large amount of a fixing resin in order to improve the adhesion (washing fastness) of the ink to the fabric, the ink may be dried from the nozzle surface in some cases, and intermittentness becomes a problem. In particular, the ink jet head used in the conventional pigment printing ink jet recording method has a structure in which a nozzle hole and a pressure chamber are directly connected without passing through a communication hole. Therefore, when the amount of the fixing resin in the ink is increased to increase the washing fastness, drying of the ink from the nozzle surface is likely to proceed, and intermittentness is a major problem.

  When a white ink is used as the ink, it is often used for recording a base image on a dark-colored cloth, and the content of the pigment in the ink is increased in order to secure the concealment of the image. From the viewpoint of the washing fastness of the obtained ink coating film, it is necessary to increase the content of the resin in the white ink in response to the increase in the content of the pigment. The amount of ink adhered to the ink increases. For this reason, when white ink is used, mist may be increased during ejection, and the nozzle surface may be stained or ink strike-through may occur, resulting in poor color developability.

Therefore, some aspects according to the present invention solve at least a part of the above-described problems, so that when a pigment ink is applied to a fabric by an inkjet method, intermittentness is not impaired, and the obtained ink coating is performed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink-jet printing method capable of providing an ink-jet printed material having excellent washing fastness of a film, and an ink-jet printing apparatus for carrying out the method.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following aspects or application examples.

[Application Example 1]
One embodiment of the inkjet printing method according to the present invention,
A nozzle that discharges the ink composition, a pressure chamber that applies pressure to the ink composition and discharges the ink composition from the nozzle, and a connection unit that connects the pressure chamber and the nozzle; and a pressure of the pressure chamber. Using a print head having a distance of 500 μm or more from a portion where the ink flows out from the chamber to the nozzle side to the nozzle, and an ink attaching step of attaching the ink composition to a fabric,
The ink composition contains 10% by mass or more and 26% by mass or less with respect to the ink composition as a solid content of a resin, and a ratio of a total content of the organic solvent to a total content of the solid content of the resin is 0.3 or more. Wherein the sum of the total content of the solid content of the resin and the total content of the organic solvent is 37% by mass or less based on the ink composition.

  According to the ink-jet printing method of Application Example 1, when the pigment ink is applied to the fabric by the ink-jet method, the drying of the ink from the nozzle surface is prevented from progressing, so that the intermittent property is not impaired, and the obtained ink coating is performed. An inkjet print having excellent washing fastness of the film can be provided. In addition, even when the content of the resin in the white ink is increased as ink, the ink jet printing is excellent in color development because the nozzle surface is prevented from being stained due to the generation of a large amount of mist at the time of ejection and the strike-through of the ink is prevented. Can provide things.

[Application Example 2]
In the inkjet printing method of Application Example 1,
The maximum mass per ink droplet of the ejection of the ink composition in the ink attaching step may be 30 ng or less.

[Application Example 3]
In the inkjet printing method of Application Example 1 or Application Example 2,
In the print head, the total volume of the pressure chamber and the connection portion per one pressure chamber may be 4200 pl or more and 6200 pl or less.

[Application Example 4]
In the inkjet printing method according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3,
The volume of the pressure chamber per one pressure chamber may be 3700 pl or less.

[Application Example 5]
In the inkjet printing method according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4,
The print head may include a communication plate provided with a communication hole forming a part of the connection portion.

[Application Example 6]
In the inkjet printing method according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5,
Further, the method may further include a reaction liquid adhering step of adhering a reaction liquid containing a coagulant for coagulating or thickening the components of the ink composition to the cloth.

[Application Example 7]
In the inkjet printing method according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 6,
The ink composition may be a white ink composition containing a white pigment.

[Application Example 8]
In the inkjet printing method according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 7,
The print head may include a plurality of nozzles for discharging the ink composition in a row, and a nozzle density in a row direction may be 200 dpi or more.

[Application Example 9]
In the inkjet printing method according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 8,
The maximum amount of ink adhered to the cloth may be 100 mg / inch ² or more.

[Application Example 10]
One aspect of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the present invention,
The printing is performed by the inkjet printing method according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 9.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an inkjet printing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating the head according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a main part of the head according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a main part of a head used in a comparative example.

  Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below describes an example of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments at all, and includes various modifications that are made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Note that not all of the configurations described below are essential configurations of the present invention.

1. Ink-jet printing method An ink-jet printing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a nozzle for discharging an ink composition, a pressure chamber for applying pressure to the ink composition and discharging from the nozzle, and the pressure chamber and the nozzle. And a connecting portion for connecting, and using a print head in which the distance of the connecting portion from the portion where the ink flows out of the pressure chamber of the pressure chamber to the nozzle side to the nozzle is 500 μm or more, the ink composition is applied to the fabric. The ink composition includes an ink adhering step of adhering, wherein the ink composition contains the resin as a solid content in an amount of 10% by mass to 26% by mass with respect to the ink composition, and the ratio of the total content of the organic solvent to the total content of the solid content of the resin. Is 0.3 or more, and the sum of the total content of the solid content of the resin and the total content of the organic solvent is 37% by mass or less based on the ink composition.

  Hereinafter, the inkjet printing method according to the present embodiment will be described in detail in the order of the configuration of an apparatus capable of performing the method and the ink composition, and then the process will be described in detail.

1.1. Apparatus configurationAs described above, the inkjet textile printing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a nozzle that discharges an ink composition, a pressure chamber that applies pressure to the ink composition and discharges the ink composition from the nozzle, the pressure chamber, and the pressure chamber. A connection portion for connecting the nozzle to the nozzle, and a print head having a distance of 500 μm or more from the portion where the ink flows out of the pressure chamber to the nozzle side from the pressure chamber to the nozzle.

  Hereinafter, the ink jet textile printing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described using an example of an on-carriage type printer in which an ink cartridge is mounted on a carriage, but the ink jet textile printing apparatus according to the present invention is an on-carriage type printer. The present invention is not limited to this, and may be an off-carriage type printer in which the ink cartridge is not mounted on the carriage but is fixed outside.

  The printer used in the following description has a print head mounted on a carriage that moves in a predetermined direction, and is a serial printer that ejects liquid droplets onto a recording medium by moving the head with the movement of the carriage. However, the ink jet textile printing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to a serial printer, but a line in which a head is formed wider than a width of a recording medium and a print head does not move and discharges droplets onto the recording medium. It may be a printer.

  In the drawings used in the following description, the scale of each member is appropriately changed in order to make each member a recognizable size.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a printer 200 which is an example of an ink jet textile printing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The printer 200 performs ink jet textile printing on a cloth P as a recording medium.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 200 includes a print head 100, a carriage 232 on which the print head 100 is mounted and an ink cartridge 231 is detachably mounted, and a main scanning mechanism 235 for reciprocating the carriage 232 in the medium width direction. And a platen roller 236 for transporting the recording medium in the medium feeding direction. The printer 200 further has a control unit (not shown) for controlling the operation of the entire printer 200. Here, the medium width direction is a main scanning direction (head scanning direction), and the medium feeding direction is a sub-scanning direction (a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction).

  The main scanning mechanism 235 includes a timing belt 238 connected to the carriage 232, a motor 239 that drives the timing belt 238, and a guide shaft 240 that is a support member that extends in the main scanning direction. The carriage 232 is driven by a motor 239 via a timing belt 238, and reciprocates in the main scanning direction along a guide shaft 240. During this reciprocation, ink is ejected from the print head 100 at a predetermined timing, and printing on the fabric P is performed.

  The head unit 230 has an ink jet recording head (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “head” or “print head”) including the print head 100 described later. The head unit 230 further includes an ink cartridge 231 for supplying ink to the print head 100, and a transport unit (carriage) 232 on which the print head 100 and the ink cartridge 231 are mounted.

  In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which printing is performed while the print head 100 and the fabric P are both moving. However, the printer 200 changes the position of the print head 100 and the fabric P relative to each other to form the fabric P. What is necessary is just a mechanism to be printed.

Although the illustrated printer 200 has one print head 100 and can perform printing on the fabric P by using the print head 100, the printer 200 may have a plurality of print heads. When the printer 200 has a plurality of print heads, the plurality of print heads may be independently operated as described above, or the plurality of print heads may be connected to each other to form one collective head. It may be. An example of such a group of heads is a line-type head in which the nozzle holes of a plurality of heads have uniform intervals as a whole.

1.1.1. 2. Print Head FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the print head 100 in the printer 200, which is shown upside down from the state mounted on the printer 200 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a main part of the print head 100, in which the flow of ink from the ink supply chamber 40 to the nozzles 12 during the ink discharging operation is schematically shown by broken arrows.

  2 and 3, the piezoelectric element 32 is illustrated in a simplified manner. Further, in the present embodiment, the print head 100 is configured to include the communication plate 110 and the cover 150, but is omitted in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the print head 100 includes a nozzle plate 10 having a plurality of nozzle holes 12 on a surface facing a fabric P as a recording medium, and a plurality of nozzle holes 12 formed in the nozzle plate 10. A plurality of pressure chambers 20 communicating with each other, a vibration plate 30 for changing the volume of each of the plurality of pressure chambers 20, an ink supply chamber 40 for supplying ink to the plurality of pressure chambers 20, and a housing 130 are provided.

  The nozzle plate 10 has a plurality of nozzle holes 12 for discharging ink. The plurality of nozzle holes 12 are arranged in a row, and a nozzle surface 13 is formed on the surface of the nozzle plate 10. The number of nozzle holes 12 provided in the nozzle plate 10 is not particularly limited. In the print head 100 used in the present embodiment, the nozzle density in the row direction of the nozzle holes 12 is preferably 200 dpi or more. That is, the interval between adjacent nozzle holes 12 of the arranged nozzle holes 12 is preferably 127 μm or less. By setting the nozzle density to 200 dpi or more, even when the droplets are miniaturized, the total ink ejection amount can be maintained, and the concealment of the image can be maintained. More preferably, the nozzle density is at least 240 dpi, more preferably at least 250 dpi, more preferably at least 300 dpi, still more preferably at least 400 dpi, most preferably at least 500 dpi. The upper limit of the nozzle density is preferably 2000 dpi or less, more preferably 1000 dpi or less.

  Examples of the material of the nozzle plate 10 include silicon and stainless steel (SUS). When the material of the nozzle plate 10 is an alloy containing iron (Fe) as a main component (50% or more) and chromium (Cr) at 10.5% or more, both rigidity and rust resistance can be achieved. preferable. The thickness of the nozzle plate 10 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, preferably 50 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or less, and still more preferably 1 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

  The print head 100 includes a pressure chamber substrate 120 for forming the pressure chamber 20, and a material of the pressure chamber substrate 120 is, for example, silicon. As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure chamber substrate 120 includes a communication plate 110 as a flow path forming substrate between the pressure chamber substrate 120 and the nozzle plate 10. The communication plate 110 divides the space between the nozzle plate 10 and the pressure chamber substrate 120 so that the ink supply chamber 40 (liquid storage section), the supply port 126 communicating with the ink supply chamber 40, A communicating pressure chamber 20 is formed. That is, the ink supply chamber 40, the supply port 126, and the pressure chamber 20 are defined by the nozzle plate 10, the communication plate 110, the pressure chamber substrate 120, and the vibration plate 30.

  The communication plate 110 has a communication hole 127 communicating from the pressure chamber 20 to the nozzle hole 12. An ink discharge port 128 is formed at an end of a communication hole 127 formed on a surface where the communication plate 110 contacts the nozzle plate 10. The discharge ports 128 communicate with the nozzle holes 12 formed in the nozzle plate 10.

  The vibration plate 30 is provided in contact with the pressure chamber substrate 120, and the piezoelectric element 32 is formed in contact with the vibration plate 30. The piezoelectric element 32 is electrically connected to a piezoelectric element driving circuit (not shown), and can operate (vibrate, deform) based on a signal from the piezoelectric element driving circuit. The vibration plate 30 is deformed by the operation of the piezoelectric element 32, and can change the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 20 by changing the volume of the pressure chamber 20. Examples of the piezoelectric element 32 include, but are not particularly limited to, a kind of element (electromechanical conversion element) that deforms when a voltage is applied. As described above, in the present embodiment, the piezoelectric actuator 34 is configured by the piezoelectric element 32 and the vibration plate 30.

  In this example, the pressure chamber 20 is defined by the communication plate 110, the pressure chamber substrate 120, and the vibration plate 30, but the pressure chamber 20 may be appropriately formed as long as the volume can be changed by the vibration of the vibration plate 30. It can be formed by members, and the number, shape, material, and the like of the members are arbitrary. Further, the vibration plate 30 may be integrated with an electrode (for example, formed of Pt or the like) constituting the piezoelectric element 32.

  In the print head 100 of the present embodiment, since the interval between the nozzle holes 12 is 127 μm or less, the piezoelectric element 32 preferably has a configuration in which a piezoelectric material is disposed between two electrodes. In other words, for example, the piezoelectric actuator 34 is formed as a thin film on the diaphragm 30 in which one electrode, a layer of a piezoelectric material (for example, PZT (lead zirconate titanate)), and the other electrode are sequentially laminated. An embodiment is preferred.

The material of the diaphragm 30 is not particularly limited, either. For example, silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ), silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), zirconium oxide (ZrO ₂ ), titanium oxide (TiO ₂ ), silicon carbide ( SiC) and a laminate of layers made of these materials. As the material of the diaphragm 30, a material having a Young's modulus of 250 GPa or less is more preferable in that the displacement can be increased and breakage hardly occurs. For example, ZrO ₂ (150 GPa), SiO ₂ (75 GPa), Si (130 GPa) ), SUS (199 GPa) and Cr (248 GPa) are more preferable (the parentheses indicate the Young's modulus). When the electrodes of the piezoelectric element 32 are formed of Pt and are integrally laminated with the diaphragm 30, the Young's modulus is 168 GPa for Pt and 150 GPa for ZrO ₂ , so that the Young's modulus is 250 GPa or less even when combined. Therefore, such a configuration may be adopted.

  In this specification, the Young's modulus refers to a Young's modulus measured by a static test (such as JIS G0567J) (mechanical test), and is measured using, for example, a II-6 test piece.

  Further, the print head 100 includes a compliance sheet 140 and a cover 150 that accommodates the piezoelectric element 32 as members that form a part of the ink flow path. The supply sheet 126 is formed between the compliance sheet 140 and the communication plate 110 so as to communicate with the ink supply chamber 40. Further, the compliance sheet 140 is a flexible elastic film, and functions as a damper for discharging and circulating ink, and suppresses damage to the print head 100 by deforming when the volume of the ink expands. Has a function.

The compliance sheet 140 is not particularly limited as long as it is an elastic film. For example, a polymer film, a thin metal, glass fiber, carbon fiber, or the like is used. The material of the polymer film is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include polyimide, nylon, polyolefin, and polyphenylene sulfite. It is more preferable that the polymer film is formed of polyphenylene sulfite. Examples of the metal include a material containing iron and aluminum.

  The thickness of the compliance sheet 140 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, preferably 50 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or less, and still more preferably 1 μm or more and 10 μm or less. If the compliance sheet 140 is made too thin, the vibration becomes large at the time of ink ejection, and a large amount of residual vibration may occur.

  In the present embodiment, the ink supply chamber 40, the supply port 126, the pressure chamber 20, and the communication hole 127 are separately described. However, these are all liquid flow paths, and as long as the pressure chamber 20 is formed. The flow path may be designed in any manner. For example, in the illustrated example, the supply port 126 has a shape in which a part of the flow path is narrowed, but such a flow path can be arbitrarily formed according to the design. It is not necessarily required.

  The pressure chamber 20 formed by the above configuration is a space defined by the communication plate 110, the pressure chamber substrate 120, and the vibration plate 30, and includes a supply port 126, a communication hole 127, a discharge port 128, and the nozzle hole 12. A space that is not included. That is, a space facing a portion that applies pressure to the ink (a portion of the pressure chamber 20 that deforms or generates heat), such as the vibration plate 30, the pressure chamber substrate 120, and the communication plate 110, and a space adjacent to the space, A space having a cross-sectional area equal to the space in the moving direction of the pressure chamber is defined as the pressure chamber 20, and the volume of the pressure chamber 20 is this volume. As described above, the pressure chamber 20 is a space in which the volume changes due to the displacement of the diaphragm 30, and is defined as a space that does not include a narrow flow path or the like communicating with the space.

  As described above, the communication hole 127 communicates from the pressure chamber 20 to the nozzle hole 12. In the present invention, a portion from the portion where the ink flows out of the pressure chamber to the nozzle side to the nozzle, that is, in the example of FIG. 3, the communication hole 127, the nozzle hole 12, and all the portions connecting them are connected. 132. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3, the distance of the connection part 132 is such that the connection part 132 is provided so as to penetrate in parallel with the thickness direction of the communication plate 110, and the length d1 of the communication plate 110 in the thickness direction is It is equal to the sum of the length d2 of the nozzle plate 10 in the thickness direction.

  In the present embodiment, the sum of the length d1 in the thickness direction of the communication plate 110 and the length d2 in the thickness direction of the nozzle plate 10, that is, d1 + d2 is 500 μm or more. As described above, by making the connection portion 132 long, the drying of the ink from the nozzle surface 13 can be prevented from progressing. Thereby, even if the content of the resin in the ink is increased in order to increase the washing fastness of the ink coating film, the intermittent property is not impaired. Further, even when the content of the resin in the white ink is increased as ink, the nozzle surface 13 is prevented from being stained due to an increase in mist at the time of ejection and the strike-through of the ink is prevented. Can provide things.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle plate 10 and the communication plate 110 are stacked and the nozzle hole 12 and the communication hole 127 are formed by different members. However, the nozzle plate and the communication plate are formed by a single member. May be. Even when the nozzle plate and the communication plate are formed of a single member, the connection portion 132 is a portion from the portion where the ink flows out of the pressure chamber to the nozzle side to the nozzle. In this case as well, the drying of the ink from the nozzle surface can be prevented by setting the distance of the connection portion to be 500 μm or more.

The distance between the connection portions 132 is preferably 500 μm or more and 3000 μm or less, more preferably 700 μm or more and 2500 μm or less, and further more preferably 900 μm or more and 1500 μm or less.
It is preferably not more than μm. Even when the communication hole extends obliquely with respect to the nozzle plate 10, the length of the communication hole is the length along the communication hole. In this case, the length d1 in the thickness direction of the communication plate 110 is used. Longer than That is, the shortest distance from the boundary between the pressure chamber 20 and the communication hole to the nozzle hole 12 through the inside of the communication hole is the length of the communication hole, and the distance of the connection portion is equal to the length of the communication hole. The length is the sum of the lengths of the nozzle holes 12 and all parts connecting them.

  The sum of the volumes of the pressure chambers and the connection portions per one of the pressure chambers, that is, in this embodiment, the sum of the volumes of the pressure chambers 20, the communication holes 127, and the nozzle holes 12 is preferably 4200 pl or more and 6200 pl or less. More preferably, it is 4500 pl or more and 5500 pl or less. In this case, the drying of the ink from the nozzle surface 13 can be further prevented from progressing.

  In this case, the volume per one pressure chamber 20 is preferably 3700 pl or less, and more preferably 3500 pl or less. More preferably, it is 3300 pl or less, more preferably, 3000 pl or less. The lower limit of the volume per one pressure chamber 20 is preferably 1500 pl or more, and more preferably 2000 pl or more. When the volume of the pressure chamber 20 is 3700 pl or less, the volume of the communication hole 127 can be sufficiently ensured, so that the drying of the ink from the nozzle surface 13 can be effectively prevented.

  The ink supply chamber 40 can temporarily store ink supplied from the outside (for example, an ink cartridge) through a through hole 129 provided in the vibration plate 30. The ink in the ink supply chamber 40 can be supplied to the pressure chamber 20 via the supply port 126. The volume of the pressure chamber 20 changes due to the deformation of the diaphragm 30. The pressure chamber 20 communicates with the nozzle hole 12 via the communication hole 127. When the volume of the pressure chamber 20 changes, ink is ejected from the nozzle hole 12 or ink is supplied from the ink supply chamber 40 to the pressure chamber 20. Or can be introduced. Here, the nozzle diameter of the nozzle hole 12 is preferably 5 μm or more and 100 μm or less, more preferably 10 μm or more and 60 μm or less, in terms of improving image quality and reducing intermittentness and mist. Preferably it is 10 μm or more and 40 μm or less.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 130 can house the nozzle plate 10, the pressure chamber substrate 120, and the piezoelectric element 32. Examples of the material of the housing 130 include a resin and a metal. The housing 130 may have a function of separating the piezoelectric element 32 from an external environment. In addition, the housing 130 may be filled with an inert gas or the like, or the inside of the housing 130 may be decompressed, whereby deterioration of the piezoelectric material or the like can be suppressed.

  The cover 150 is configured as a separate member from the housing 130. The cover 150 is provided in contact with the vibration plate 30, forms a space for accommodating the piezoelectric element 32, and accommodates the piezoelectric element 32 in the space. The material of the cover 150 is the same as the material of the housing 130 described above. The housing 130 serves as a cover that covers the piezoelectric element 32. The cover 150 has a function of separating the piezoelectric element 32 from the external environment, and an inert gas or the like is sealed in a space formed by the cover 150. The space may be decompressed. Thereby, the deterioration of the piezoelectric material of the piezoelectric element 32 can be suppressed. In this case, the housing 130 may function as a support for the print head 100.

When the print head 100 of the present embodiment exemplified above is mounted on the printer 200, the nozzle plate 10 is arranged toward the fabric P, and the nozzle plate 10 comes into direct contact with the atmosphere (outside air). Further, since the print head 100 of the present embodiment includes the housing 130 and the cover 150, the print head 100 has a structure in which the piezoelectric element 32 and the vibration plate 30 do not substantially come into contact with outside air.

  Here, the inkjet textile printing apparatus of the present embodiment performs an inkjet textile printing method using the ink composition described below.

1.2. Ink composition The ink composition used in the inkjet printing method according to one embodiment of the present invention contains the resin as a solid content in an amount of 10% by mass to 26% by mass based on the ink composition, and the total content of the resin solids. Wherein the ratio of the total content of the organic solvent to the total content of the resin is 0.3 or more, and the sum of the total content of the solid content of the resin and the total content of the organic solvent is 37% by mass or less based on the ink composition. And

  Hereinafter, components contained in the ink composition (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “ink”) used in the ink jet printing method according to the embodiment will be described in detail.

1.2.1. Pigment The ink used in the inkjet printing method according to the present embodiment contains a pigment. As the pigment, any of an organic pigment and an inorganic pigment can be used, and a pigment of any color can be used.

  For example, examples of the white pigment 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 may be, 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), 28 (anhydrous calcium silicate) and the like. Among these, titanium oxide is preferable because it is excellent in coloring property, hiding property, and visibility (brightness), and a good dispersed particle size is obtained.

  Among the above titanium oxides, general rutile type titanium oxide is preferable as a white pigment. This rutile type titanium oxide may be manufactured by itself or may be commercially available. As an industrial production method for producing the rutile-type titanium oxide (powder) by itself, a conventionally known sulfuric acid method and chlorine method can be mentioned. Commercially available rutile-type titanium oxide includes, for example, Tipaque (registered trademark) CR-60-2, CR-67, R-980, R-780, R-850, R-980, R-630, R-630. 670, PF-736, and the like, and rutile type (all, manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd., trade name).

Further, the ink used in the present embodiment may contain a pigment other than the white pigment. The pigment other than the white pigment means a pigment excluding the above-mentioned white pigment. Examples of pigments other than white pigments include, but are not limited to, azo-, phthalocyanine-, dye-based, condensed polycyclic, nitro-, and nitroso-based organic pigments (Brilliant Carmine 6B, Lake Red C, etc.). , Watching red, disazo yellow, hansa yellow, phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, alkali blue, aniline black, etc.), metals such as cobalt, iron, chromium, copper, zinc, lead, titanium, vanadium, manganese and nickel, and metals Use of oxides and sulfides, carbon blacks (CI pigment black 7) such as furnace carbon black, lamp black, acetylene black, and channel black, and inorganic pigments such as loess, ultramarine blue, and navy blue. Can be.

  More specifically, examples of carbon black that can be used as a black pigment include MCF88, No. 2300, 2200B, 900, 33, 40, 45, 52, MA7, 8, 100, etc. (above, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, trade name), Raven 5750, 5250, 5000, 3,500, 1255, 700, etc. (above, Columbia Carbon Rega1 400R, 330R, 660R, Mogul L, Monarch 700, 800, 880, 900, 1000, 1100, 1300, 1400, etc. (all, Cabot Corporation, trade names), Color Black FW1, FW2 , FW2V, FW18, FW200, S150, S160, S170, Printex 35, U, V, 140U, Special Black 6, 5, 4A, 4, etc. (above, manufactured by Degussa, trade name).

  As the yellow pigment, for example, 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, 167, 172, 180 and the like.

  Examples of magenta pigments 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, C.I. I. Pigment Violet 19, 23, 32, 33, 36, 38, 43, 50 and the like.

  Examples of cyan pigments include C.I. I. Pigment Blue 1, 2, 3, 15, 15: 1, 15: 2, 15: 3, 15:34, 15: 4, 16, 18, 22, 25, 60, 65, 66 and the like.

Examples of pigments other than magenta, cyan and yellow include C.I. I. Pigment Green 7, 10, C.I. I. Pigment Brown 3, 5, 25, 26, C.I. I. Pigment Orange 1, 2, 5, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 34, 36, 38
, 40, 43, 63 and the like.

  The pigments described above may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Although the content of the pigment contained in the ink used in the present embodiment varies depending on the kind of the pigment used, it is preferably 1% by mass or more and 30% by mass or more with respect to the total mass of the ink, for example, in order to secure good color developability. The content is preferably 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and 13% by mass or less. Above all, when titanium oxide is used as a pigment contained in the ink, the content of the titanium oxide is difficult to settle out, and particularly excellent in concealability and color reproducibility on a fabric with low brightness, so that the total mass of the ink is The content is preferably 3% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less. Further, it is preferably from 7% by mass to 15% by mass, and more preferably 12% by mass or less.

  The pigment may be a surface-treated pigment or a pigment using a dispersant or the like, from the viewpoint of enhancing dispersibility in the ink.

  Pigments that have been subjected to a surface treatment are capable of being dispersed in an aqueous solvent by directly or indirectly bonding a hydrophilic group such as a carboxyl group or a sulfonic acid group to the pigment surface by physical treatment or chemical treatment. (Hereinafter, also referred to as “self-dispersion type pigment”).

  Further, the pigment using a dispersant is a pigment obtained by dispersing a pigment with a surfactant or a resin (hereinafter, also referred to as a “polymer-dispersed pigment”), and any known surfactant or resin is used. It is possible to use substances. Further, the “polymer-dispersed pigment” includes a pigment coated with a resin. The pigment coated with the resin can be obtained by an acid precipitation method, a phase inversion emulsification method, a miniemulsion polymerization method, or the like.

1.2.2. Resin The ink used in the present embodiment contains a resin. By containing the resin, the adhesion between the ink and the fabric can be improved, so that the abrasion resistance of the recorded image can be improved.

  The ink used in the present embodiment can be suitably used for recording on a fabric. Here, since the fabric has the property of easily expanding and contracting, it is preferable that the image to be recorded, that is, the ink film formed by the ink is also easy to expand and contract (easily expand). That is, since the ink film has an elongation that can expand and contract following the expansion and contraction of the fabric, breakage and cracking of the ink film can be prevented, and fastness to washing and friction can be secured. From such a viewpoint, the film elongation of the resin contained in the ink according to the present embodiment is preferably 400% or more and 1200% or less, more preferably 500% or more and 1200% or less, and 600% or more and 1200% or less. The content is more preferably at most 700%, and particularly preferably at least 700%. When the film elongation of the resin is within the above range, particularly not lower than the lower limit, it is possible to form an image having good followability to the expansion and contraction of the fabric. Further, since the film elongation of the resin is within the above-mentioned range, especially not exceeding the upper limit, the viscosity of the ink film can be kept in an appropriate range, and a decrease in the anchor effect on the fabric can be suppressed. In addition, an image having good washing / rubbing fastness (rub resistance) can be formed.

  The film elongation of the resin is measured as follows. First, a resin is applied on a polytetrafluoroethylene sheet so that the film thickness after drying becomes 500 μm, dried at normal temperature (20 ° C.) and normal pressure (65% RH) for 15 hours, and further dried at 80 ° C. for 6 hours. After drying for 20 minutes at 120 ° C. for a time, it is peeled off from the sheet to form a resin film. Then, the film elongation of the obtained resin film is measured at a measurement temperature of 20 ° C. and a measurement speed of 200 mm / min using a tensile tester. The elongation of the film is measured by elongating the resin film and elongating the resin film until it breaks, and the ratio is expressed as a percentage of the film elongation. As the tensile tester, for example, a Tensilon universal tester RTC-1225A (trade name, manufactured by Orientec Co., Ltd.) or a similar device can be used.

  Further, the resin has a glass transition point (Tg) of preferably 0 ° C. or lower, more preferably −10 ° or lower, from the viewpoint of preventing the ink film from breaking or cracking and securing the washing / friction fastness. . The lower limit of the glass transition point (Tg) is preferably -80 ° C or higher. Further, the resin contained in the first ink has a minimum image film temperature (MFT) of preferably 0 ° C. or lower from the viewpoint of preventing breakage and cracking of the ink film and securing the washing / friction fastness. 10 ° or less is more preferable. The lower limit of the minimum image film temperature is preferably -80 ° C or higher.

  The resin is preferably an emulsion from the viewpoint of improving the abrasion resistance and adhesion of the film and the storage stability of the ink. The resin contained in the ink according to the present embodiment may be a self-emulsifying type in which a hydrophilic component necessary for stably dispersing in water is introduced, or a resin that becomes water dispersible by using an external emulsifier. However, from the viewpoint of not inhibiting the reaction with the polyvalent metal compound contained in the pretreatment agent described later, a self-emulsifying dispersion containing no emulsifier (self-emulsifying emulsion) is preferable.

  As the resin, for example, acrylic resin, styrene acrylic resin, fluorene resin, urethane resin, polyolefin resin, rosin modified resin, terpene resin, polyester resin, polyamide resin, epoxy resin, vinyl chloride resin Resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene vinyl acetate resins and the like can be used. These resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, it is preferable to use at least one selected from urethane-based resins and acrylic resins, since the degree of freedom of design is high and the desired film properties (the above-described film elongation) are easily obtained. It is more preferable to use a urethane resin.

  The urethane resin is not particularly limited as long as it has a urethane skeleton and has water dispersibility. For example, Superflex 460, 460s, 840 (trade name, manufactured by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd.), Resazamine D -1060, D-2020, D-4080, D-4200, D-6300, D-6455 (trade name, manufactured by Dainichi Seika Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Takerak WS-6021, W-512-A-6 (trade name) And commercial products such as Suncure 2710 (trade name, manufactured by LUBRIZOL) may be used.

  Further, the urethane-based resin is a carboxy group, a sulfo group, a hydroxy group, from the viewpoint of storage stability of the ink, and from the viewpoint of improving the reactivity with a polyvalent metal compound when the pretreatment agent described below contains a polyvalent metal compound. It is preferable to use an anionic urethane resin having an anionic functional group. Among the above-mentioned commercially available products, examples of anionic urethane resins include Superflex 460, 460s, and 840 manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd .; -A-6 and the like.

  As the urethane resin, in addition to the urethane bond, a polyether type urethane resin including an ether bond in the main chain, a polyester type urethane resin including an ester bond in the main chain, a polycarbonate type urethane resin including a carbonate bond in the main chain, Etc. can be used. These urethane resins can be used in combination of a plurality of types.

  As the acrylic resin, a polymer of an acrylic monomer such as acrylic acid or an acrylate ester, a copolymer of an acrylic monomer and another monomer, or the like can be used. Examples of the monomer include vinyl monomers such as styrene. Commercial products may be used as the acrylic resin, and examples thereof include Movinyl 702, 7502, 7525, and 7320 (manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Co., Ltd.).

  The content of the resin is 10% by mass or more and 26% by mass or less, preferably 13% by mass or more and 23% by mass or less, and preferably 17% by mass or more and 21% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink. % Is more preferable. When the content of the resin in the ink is within the above range, particularly not lower than the lower limit, the resin can sufficiently exert the effect of improving the fixability of the ink, so that the abrasion resistance of the recorded image is improved. The washing fastness of the obtained ink coating film is improved. In addition, by not exceeding the upper limit, the generation of aggregates due to the resin can be suppressed, so that the storage stability and ejection stability of the ink are excellent.

  Further, from the viewpoint of securing the washing fastness of the obtained ink coating film, the ratio of the total content of the organic solvent to the total content of the solid content of the resin is 0.3 or more, and 0.4 or more and 3 or less. It is preferable that it is 0.5 or more, and it is more preferable that it is 2.7 or less, It is more preferable that the upper limit is 2.5 or less, More preferably, it is 2 or less. Further, it is preferably at most 1.5, more preferably at most 1.2, even more preferably at most 0.8. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of securing the washing fastness of the obtained ink coating film, the total of the total content of the solid content of the resin and the total content of the organic solvent is 37% by mass or less based on the ink composition, and 15% by mass. % To 35% by mass, more preferably 18% to 33% by mass. Further, the lower limit is more preferably 22% by mass or more, further preferably 27% by mass or more, and most preferably 30% by mass or more.

1.2.3. Coagulant When recording an image on a non-white cloth, recording is performed using a white ink containing a white pigment such as titanium oxide in order to improve the visibility of the image on the non-white cloth. . However, the non-white cloth has a large decrease in the color developing property of the ink and the concealing property of the cloth when the ink penetrates into the cloth, and the color developing property of the recorded image and the concealing property of the cloth tend to be insufficient. . For this reason, from the viewpoint of enhancing the color developing property of the image obtained by the ink used for forming the image on the non-white cloth and the concealing property of the cloth, use of a reaction liquid containing a coagulant that coagulates or thickens the ink component is used. Is preferred.

  As the coagulant, for example, a polyvalent metal compound such as calcium chloride can be used. The coagulant reacts with a resin or pigment component contained in the ink to form an agglomerate of the ink component, so that the color development of a recorded image and the concealment of a fabric can be improved.

1.2.4. Other Components The ink used in the present embodiment may contain water, an organic solvent, a surfactant, a pH adjuster, a preservative, a fungicide, and the like.

<Water>
Water is a main medium of the ink, and is a component that evaporates and scatters upon drying. Examples of the water include pure water such as ion-exchanged water, ultrafiltration water, reverse osmosis water, and distilled water, and water from which ionic impurities such as ultrapure water have been removed as much as possible. Further, when water sterilized by ultraviolet irradiation or addition of hydrogen peroxide is used, the generation of mold and bacteria can be prevented when the ink is stored for a long period of time. The content of water contained in the ink is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 50% by mass or more, and more preferably 50% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink. There can be.

<Organic solvent>
Examples of the organic solvent include 1,2-alkanediols, polyhydric alcohols, glycol ethers, and the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the organic solvent is, for example, preferably from 7% by mass to 27% by mass, more preferably from 9% by mass to 25% by mass, and still more preferably from 10% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the ink. It is 20% by mass or less, and most preferably 11% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less.

Examples of the 1,2-alkanediols include 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,2-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 1,2-octanediol, and the like. . 1,2-Alkanediols are excellent in the action of enhancing the wettability of the ink to a recording medium such as a fabric and uniformly wetting the ink, so that an image with less bleeding can be recorded. When 1,2-alkanediols are contained, the content can be 1% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink.

  Examples of polyhydric alcohols include ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,3-pentanediol, 1,4- Butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 2,3-butanediol, 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol, 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol, 2-methyl- Examples thereof include 1,3-propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, trimethylolpropane, and glycerin. Polyhydric alcohols can be preferably used from the viewpoint of suppressing drying and solidification of the ink on the nozzle surface of the head and reducing clogging and defective ejection. When a polyhydric alcohol is contained, the content can be 2% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink.

  Examples of the glycol ethers include an alkylene glycol monoether and an alkylene glycol diether.

  Examples of the alkylene glycol monoether include ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monohexyl ether, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, and diethylene glycol monoethyl. Ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monohexyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monomethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monoethyl ether, B propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether and the like.

  Examples of the alkylene glycol diether include, for example, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, ethylene glycol dibutyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl methyl ether, diethylene glycol dibutyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol diethyl ether, Triethylene glycol dibutyl ether, triethylene glycol butyl methyl ether, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol diethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol dibutyl ether, propylene glycol dimethyl ether, propylene glycol diethyl Ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dipropylene glycol diethyl ether, and the like.

  Glycol ethers can control the wettability and permeation rate of the ink with respect to the recording medium, so that a clear image can be recorded. When a glycol ether is contained, the content may be 0.05% by mass or more and 6% by mass or less based on the total mass of the ink.

<Surfactant>
The surfactant has a function of reducing surface tension and improving wettability with a recording medium. Among the surfactants, for example, acetylene glycol-based surfactants, silicone-based surfactants, and fluorine-based surfactants can be preferably used.

  The acetylene glycol-based surfactant is not particularly limited. For example, Surfynol 104, 104E, 104H, 104A, 104BC, 104DPM, 104PA, 104PG-50, 104S, 420, 440, 465, 485, SE, SE- F, 504, 61, DF37, CT111, CT121, CT131, CT136, TG, GA, DF110D (all trade names, manufactured by Air Products and Chemicals. Inc.), Olfin B, Y, P, A, STG, SPC , E1004, E1010, PD-001, PD-002W, PD-003, PD-004, EXP. 4001, EXP. 4036, EXP. 4051, AF-103, AF-104, AK-02, SK-14, AE-3 (all are trade names, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd.), acetylenol E00, E00P, E40, E100 (all are trade names, river) Ken Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.).

  Although it does not specifically limit as a silicone type surfactant, A polysiloxane type compound is mentioned preferably. The polysiloxane-based compound is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, polyether-modified organosiloxane. Examples of commercially available products of the polyether-modified organosiloxane include BYK-306, BYK-307, BYK-333, BYK-341, BYK-345, BYK-346, and BYK-348 (all trade names, manufactured by BYK). KF-351A, KF-352A, KF-353, KF-354L, KF-355A, KF-615A, KF-945, KF-640, KF-642, KF-643, KF-6020, X-22-4515 , KF-6011, KF-6012, KF-6015, and KF-6017 (trade names, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.).

  As the fluorinated surfactant, it is preferable to use a fluorine-modified polymer, and specific examples include BYK-340 (manufactured by BYK Japan KK).

<PH adjuster>
Examples of the pH adjuster include potassium dihydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonia, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, triisopropanolamine, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, And sodium hydrogen carbonate.

<Preservatives and fungicides>
As preservatives and fungicides, sodium benzoate, sodium pentachlorophenol, sodium 2-pyridinethiol-1-oxide, sodium sorbate, sodium dehydroacetate, 1,2-dibenzinethiazolin-3-one (ICI) Proxel CRL, Proxel BND, Proxel GXL, Proxel XL-2, Proxel TN) and the like.

1.2.5. Method for Preparing Ink Composition The ink used in the present embodiment is obtained by mixing the above-described components in an arbitrary order, and filtering and removing impurities as necessary. As a method for mixing the respective components, a method in which the materials are sequentially added to a container equipped with a stirrer such as a mechanical stirrer or a magnetic stirrer and stirred and mixed is suitably used. As a filtration method, centrifugal filtration, filter filtration, or the like can be performed as necessary.

1.2.6. Physical Properties of Ink Composition The pH of the ink used in the present embodiment may be such that the surface tension at 20 ° C. is 20 mN / m or more and 40 mN / m from the viewpoint of a balance between image quality and reliability as an inkjet ink. It is more preferably from 25 mN / m to 35 mN / m. The surface tension was measured, for example, by using an automatic surface tensiometer CBVP-Z (trade name, manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.) and measuring the surface tension when the platinum plate was wetted with the ink in an environment of 20 ° C. It can be measured by confirming.

  In addition, from the same viewpoint, the viscosity of the ink according to the exemplary embodiment at 20 ° C. is preferably 3 mPa · s or more and 10 mPa · s or less, and more preferably 3 mPa · s or more and 8 mPa · s or less. The viscosity can be measured, for example, by using a viscoelasticity tester MCR-300 (trade name, manufactured by Pysica) under an environment of 20 ° C.

  Next, the ink attaching step and the reaction liquid attaching step in the inkjet printing method according to the present embodiment will be described.

1.3. Ink adhesion step The ink adhesion step according to the present embodiment includes, as described above, a nozzle that discharges an ink composition, a pressure chamber that applies pressure to the ink composition and discharges the ink composition from the nozzle, This is an ink adhering step of adhering the ink composition to the fabric using a print head in which a distance between a portion where the ink flows from the pressure chamber to the nozzle side and the nozzle is 500 μm or more.

  The fabric to which the ink composition is adhered is not particularly limited. For example, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and nonwoven fabrics made from natural fibers such as silk, cotton, and wool, and synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and rayon are used as raw materials. And the like.

  In the ink discharging step, it is preferable that the maximum mass of the ink discharged per ink droplet is 30 ng or less. Here, the ink amount of one droplet of ejection is the mass of one ejection (one shot), not the sum of several shots. In the ink attaching process according to the present embodiment, the maximum mass per ink droplet of ink ejection is 30 ng or less, so that the droplet is miniaturized, and strike-through of the fabric can be suppressed. The maximum mass per ink droplet is preferably 25 ng or less, more preferably 20 ng or less, further preferably 15 ng or less, and most preferably 10 ng or less. The lower limit of the maximum mass per ink droplet is preferably 1 ng or more, more preferably 3 ng or more, and still more preferably 5 ng or more.

In the ink adhering step, the maximum amount of ink adhering to the fabric is preferably 100 mg / inch ² or more. By setting the ink adhesion amount to 100 mg / inch ² or more, the concealment of the image can be ensured. The maximum amount of ink adhered to the fabric is more preferably 150 mg / inch ² or more, and further preferably 180 mg / inch ² or more. Further, the upper limit of the maximum amount of ink adhering to the fabric is preferably 300 mg / inch ² or less, more preferably 250 mg / inch ² or more, and further preferably 200 mg / inch ² or more.

  Further, as described above, the solid content of the resin was increased by using a print head in which the distance from the portion where the ink flows out of the pressure chamber to the nozzle side from the pressure chamber to the nozzle was 500 μm or more. Even in this case, drying from the nozzle surface is prevented, so that an ink jet printing method having excellent intermittent properties can be obtained, and an ink jet printed matter having excellent washing fastness can be obtained.

1.4. Reaction liquid adhesion step The inkjet printing method according to the present embodiment includes a reaction liquid adhesion step of adhering a reaction liquid containing a coagulant for coagulating or thickening the components of the ink composition to a fabric before or after the ink adhesion step. Is preferred. As described above, when performing ink-jet printing on a non-white fabric using a white ink containing a white pigment, the ink components are aggregated from the viewpoint of improving the color developing property of the obtained image and the concealing property of the fabric. Alternatively, it is preferable to attach a reaction solution containing a coagulant to increase the viscosity to the cloth.

  For example, when a reaction liquid attaching step is provided before the ink attaching step, if a reaction liquid containing an aggregating agent is attached to a region of the fabric on which the ink is attached to form an image, the ink is attached in the ink attaching step. When is adhered, the coagulant contained in the reaction liquid reacts with the resin or pigment contained in the ink, so that these components contained in the ink can be coagulated to form an aggregate. Thereby, the color developability of the image formed in the ink adhering step is improved, and the cloth can be concealed favorably.

  Incidentally, the reaction liquid attaching step can be performed after the ink attaching step. In this case, by adhering the reaction liquid before the ink adhered in the ink adhering step dries, a resin, a pigment or the like contained in the ink can be formed into an aggregate using an aggregating agent. Thereby, the color developability of the image formed in the ink adhering step is improved, and the cloth can be concealed favorably.

2. Examples Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples, but the present invention is not limited to only these Examples. In the Examples and Comparative Examples, “parts” and “%” are based on mass unless otherwise specified.

2.1. Preparation of White Ink Composition After mixing the components shown in the lower part of Table 1 and mixing and stirring with a magnetic stirrer for 2 hours, the mixture was further filtered using a membrane filter having a pore size of 5 μm to obtain a white ink composition of I1 to I9. Obtained. The numerical values in Table 1 represent the content (% by mass) in the white ink composition, and the upper row of Table 1 represents the numerical values corresponding to claim 1. The abbreviations of the components shown in Table 1 are as follows.

-White pigment (trade name "Tipaque (registered trademark) CR-60-2", manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd.)
-Urethane resin (trade name "Takelac WS-6021", manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.)
-Surfactant (trade name "BYK-306", manufactured by BYK)
-Additives (trade name "Proxel CRL", manufactured by ICI)

2.2. Preparation of Ink-jet Printing Apparatus A modified machine of SC-F2000 (manufactured by Seiko Epson Corporation) was prepared as an ink-jet printing apparatus provided with the print head described in FIGS. 1 to 3 described above. As the head, three types of heads H1 to H3 shown in Table 2 were used.

  Here, the head H1 has the structure shown in FIG. 3, and the length from the bottom surface of the pressure chamber 20 to the nozzle surface 13, that is, the distance (d1 + d2) of the connection part 132 is 1000 μm, and the nozzle pitch is 300 dpi, the volume of the pressure chamber 20 is 2900 pl, and the total volume of the communication hole 127, the nozzle hole 12, and the pressure chamber 20 is 4200 pl.

  The head H2 has a structure shown in FIG. That is, the print head H2 shown in FIG. 4 has no communication hole, and the pressure chamber 20 indicates a space defined by the nozzle plate 10, the communication plate 110, and the vibration plate 30, and the nozzle hole 12 And a space that does not include the supply port 126. In the head H2, the length from the bottom surface of the pressure chamber 20 to the nozzle surface 13, that is, the distance of the connection portion 132 is the length of the nozzle hole 12, and is equal to the thickness of the nozzle plate 10 and 100 μm. The nozzle pitch is 360 dpi, the volume of the pressure chamber 20 is 2900 pl, and the total volume of the nozzle hole 12 and the pressure chamber 20 is 3100 pl.

  The head H3 has a structure similar to that of the head H1, and has a larger pressure chamber volume and a lower nozzle density than the head H1. That is, the distance of the connection part 132 is 1000 μm, the nozzle pitch is 180 dpi, the volume of the pressure chamber 20 is 3700 pl, and the total volume of the communication hole 127, the nozzle hole 12 and the pressure chamber 20 is 5000 pl.

The head H4 has a structure similar to that of the head H1, and the distance of the connecting portion 132 is 500 μm, which is shorter than the head H1, but the nozzle pitch and the volume of the pressure chamber 20 are the same as those of the head H1. That is, the nozzle pitch is 300 dpi, the volume of the pressure chamber 20 is 2900 pl, and the total volume of the communication hole 127, the nozzle hole 12, and the pressure chamber 20 is 3600 pl because the distance of the connection part 132 is shorter than the head H1. In any of the heads, the nozzle diameter of the nozzle hole 12 is 20 μm.

2.3. Printing Record Test A printing record test was performed on a fabric (heavyweight, 100% cotton, black fabric). The pretreatment agent was 15% by mass of calcium chloride, 0.1% by mass of a surfactant (trade name "BYK-348", manufactured by BYK), and Movinyl 966A (trade name, manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Co., Ltd.). 10% by mass and ion-exchanged water (remainder) were mixed so that the total amount became 100% by mass to obtain a pretreatment agent. Here, the compounding amount of each component is a solid content conversion.

The pretreatment liquid was uniformly sprayed at an application amount of 3 g per A4 size of the fabric, dried by heating, and then the fabric was set on the printer, and the prepared inks I1 to I9 were applied to one nozzle row of each head. And the ink was ejected from the head to adhere the ink to the cloth. The ink mass per droplet was set to the value shown in Tables 3 and 4, and the dot resolution was adjusted so that the ink adhesion amount in the recording area was 200 mg / inch ^2, and the image was recorded. After the ink was applied, the fabric was discharged, heated at 170 ° C. for 1 minute and dried to obtain a print. However, since Example 7 was an example in which the ink droplet mass was reduced in Example 6, the ink adhesion amount was set to about 22% of the other examples.

2.4. Evaluation of printed matter 2.4.1. Evaluation of image concealing property The L * value of the image of the print was measured with a colorimeter (trade name "Gretag Macbeth Spectrolino", manufactured by X-RITE) and evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
AA: 94 ≦ L *
A: 91 ≦ L * <94
B: 89 ≦ L * <91
C: L * <89

2.4.2. Evaluation of washing fastness The printed material was evaluated by a washing fastness test. The washing fastness test was performed according to “AATCC612A, 3A” and evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. In addition, the following “2A” indicates that the washing was performed at 25 ° C., and “3A” indicates that the washing was performed at 60 ° C. The Duty 100% portion is an image portion created by the above-described printing record test, and the Duty 50% portion is an image portion created in the same manner except that the amount of adhesion is half that of the Duty 100%.
(Evaluation criteria)
AA: Under the 3A condition, there was no falling off of the film at the Duty 50% part. A: Under the 3A condition, there was no falling off of the coating at the Duty 50% part, and there was no falling off of the film at the Duty 100% part.
B: Under the 3A condition, the film did not fall off even at the Duty 100% portion, and under the 2A condition, the film did not fall off even at the Duty 50% portion.
C: Under the 2A condition, the coating film dropped even at a duty of 50%.

2.4.3. Evaluation of intermittentness Under the printing conditions of the apparatus used for the above-described printing recording test, assuming long-term use, ink was continuously discharged from the head to the ink receiver provided on the side of the platen for 5 minutes, and the head was operated for 1 minute. After standing, 10 sets of continuous ejection for 5 minutes and standing for 1 minute were performed again. After the completion, a non-discharge inspection of the nozzle was performed, the number of non-discharge nozzles with respect to the total number of nozzles used was calculated, and evaluated based on the following criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
AA: less than 1% A: 1% or more and less than 3% B: 3% or more and less than 5% C: 5% or more

2.4.4. Evaluation of Mist Under the recording conditions of the apparatus used in the above-described printing recording test, after the ink was continuously attached to the cloth for 5 minutes, the ink liquid was discharged in a region having a radius of 7 μm from the center of the nozzle row of the nozzle plate of the head. The ratio of the area covered with was measured and evaluated according to the following criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
AA: less than 10% A: 10% or more and less than 30% B: 30% or more and less than 50% C: 50% or more

2.4.5. Evaluation of Coloring Property (Offset) The back of the fabric in the image area of the printed matter obtained in the printing record test was visually observed and evaluated according to the following criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
A: No strikethrough.
B: There is some strikethrough.
C: There is considerable strikethrough.

2.5. Evaluation results Table 3 below shows the evaluation results of the examples and comparative examples.

  As is clear from the results in Table 3, in Examples 1 to 5 and 8 in which the print heads H1, H3, and H4 in which the length from the pressure chamber to the nozzle surface was 500 μm or more, and the inks I1 to I5 were combined. Was also satisfactory. In addition, although the print head H3 was used, in Example 6, strike-through was observed because the maximum mass of one ink droplet discharged from the ink composition was 31 ng. In Example 7, since the nozzle pitch was small, the result was inferior in image concealment.

  On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1 in which the communication hole was not provided and the head H2 having a short length from the pressure chamber to the nozzle surface was used, drying of the ink proceeded from the nozzle surface, resulting in poor intermittentness. . In Comparative Example 2, although the print head H1 was used, the amount of resin solid content relative to the ink composition used was small, and as a result, the washing fastness was poor. In Comparative Example 3, since the amount of the resin solid content relative to the used ink composition was large, a large amount of mist was generated, and the nozzle surface was soiled. In Comparative Example 4, since the ratio of the total content of the organic solvent to the total content of the solid content of the resin was smaller than 0.3, drying of the ink proceeded, resulting in poor intermittentness. In Comparative Example 5, since the sum of the total content of the solid content of the resin and the total content of the organic solvent was more than 37% by mass with respect to the ink composition, a large amount of mist was generated, and the nozzle surface was soiled.

  Thus, according to the ink jet textile printing method according to the present invention, by combining the head and the ink included in the scope of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the ink from drying from the nozzle surface and to secure the ejection reliability while fabricating the ink. It is clear that the adhesiveness to washing (fastness to washing) can be improved, the concealment of the image can be ensured, the generation of mist at the time of ejection can be suppressed, and the occurrence of ink strikethrough can be prevented. Was.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. For example, the invention includes configurations substantially the same as the configurations described in the embodiments (for example, a configuration having the same function, method, and result, or a configuration having the same object and effect). Further, the invention includes a configuration in which a non-essential part of the configuration described in the embodiment is replaced. Further, the invention includes a configuration having the same operational effects as the configuration described in the embodiment or a configuration capable of achieving the same object. Further, the invention includes a configuration in which a known technique is added to the configuration described in the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Nozzle plate, 12 ... Nozzle hole, 13 ... Nozzle surface, 20 ... Pressure chamber, 30 ... Vibration plate, 32 ... Piezoelectric element, 34 ... Piezoelectric actuator, 40 ... Ink supply chamber, 100 ... Print head, 110 ... Communication plate , 120: Pressure chamber substrate, 126: Supply port, 127: Communication hole, 128: Discharge port, 130: Housing, 132: Connection, 140: Compliance sheet, 150: Cover, 200: Printer, 230: Head unit, 231, ink cartridge, 232, carriage, 235, main scanning mechanism, 236, platen roller, 238, timing belt, 240, guide shaft

Claims (10)

A nozzle that discharges the ink composition, a pressure chamber that applies pressure to the ink composition and discharges the ink composition from the nozzle, and a connection unit that connects the pressure chamber and the nozzle; and a pressure of the pressure chamber. Using a print head having a distance of 500 μm or more from a portion where the ink flows out from the chamber to the nozzle side to the nozzle, and an ink attaching step of attaching the ink composition to a fabric,
The ink composition contains 10% by mass or more and 26% by mass or less with respect to the ink composition as a solid content of a resin, and a ratio of a total content of the organic solvent to a total content of the solid content of the resin is 0.3 or more. , and the Ri total der less 37 wt% 27 wt% or more relative to the ink composition of the total content of the organic solvent and the total content of solids of the resin,
Said ink composition, Ru white ink composition der containing a white pigment, ink-jet printing process. In the inkjet printing method according to claim 1,
An inkjet printing method, wherein a maximum mass of one ink droplet discharged from the ink composition in the ink attaching step is 30 ng or less. In the ink-jet printing method according to claim 1 or 2,
The ink jet printing method, wherein the print head has a total volume of the pressure chamber and the connection portion per one pressure chamber of 4200 pl or more and 6200 pl or less. In the inkjet printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An ink jet printing method, wherein the volume of each pressure chamber is 3700 pl or less. In the inkjet printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The ink jet printing method, wherein the print head includes a communication plate provided with a communication hole forming a part of the connection portion. In the inkjet printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Furthermore, an inkjet printing method, further comprising a reaction liquid adhering step of adhering a reaction liquid containing a coagulant for coagulating or thickening the components of the ink composition to the cloth. In the inkjet printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The ink jet printing method, wherein the print head includes a plurality of nozzles for discharging the ink composition in a row, and a nozzle density in a row direction is 200 dpi or more. In the inkjet printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
An inkjet printing method, wherein the maximum amount of ink adhered to the fabric is 100 mg / inch ² or more. In the inkjet printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
  The ink jet printing method, wherein the print head has a distance between a part where the ink flows out of the pressure chamber of the pressure chamber to the nozzle side and a connection part from the nozzle to the nozzle is 700 μm or more.   An ink-jet printing apparatus for performing printing by the ink-jet printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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