JPH01182055A - Image quality enhancement processing device of light-permeable printed material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve gloss, transparency and water-proofness by recording on a sheet, transparentizing it, and by allowing a sheet for processing to come into contact with the surface layer of a recording material to be recorded, making the sheet further transparent and glossy through heating and/or pressure application, and separating the sheet after cooling. CONSTITUTION:If a material to be recorded 1 with an ink jet image advances into an image quality enhancement processing device 100, the surface layer 6 of the material to be recorded 1 is covered with a smooth processed sheet 29 between a heating roller 11 and a pressing roller 12 so that the surface layer 6 becomes molten and transparent from a non-processed state, and at the same time, heated and pressed. At that time, the sheet 29 sticks closely to the surface layer 6 uniformly because it is thin and pliable, and the surface layer 6 assumes such a state that it is packed with the sheet 29. Further, resin particles 5a become monolithic through melting and cohesion. Under this state, the united molten particles are further transported and the surface layer 6 is cooled below the softening point of resin by air-blasting of a cooling fan 3. After this, one end of the material to be recorded 1 is separated from the sheet 29 by means of a separation belt 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to the production of translucent printed matter using a recording liquid (hereinafter referred to as ink), and particularly relates to the production of translucent prints using a recording liquid (hereinafter referred to as ink), and in particular to improving the gloss, transparency, density, and sharpness of recorded images. , relates to an image quality improvement processing device for translucent printed matter having excellent ink absorption properties.

(Prior Art) Methods of recording using ink have been common for a long time, such as writing with a fountain pen, or recently,
A so-called ink sheet recording method has also appeared, and ink is also used here.

The inkjet recording method uses various operating principles to generate ink droplets, which are then flown and attached to the recording material for recording. It is attracting attention as a recording method that allows multicolor printing.

Water-based inks are mainly used for inkjet recording from the viewpoint of safety and recording permeability.

Conventionally, ordinary paper has been generally used as the recording material used in this inkjet recording method. However, as the performance of inkjet recording devices improves, such as faster recording speeds and multicolor recording, inkjet recording paper, which has a porous ink absorption layer on the base material to increase ink absorption, has become available. Recording materials have been developed and are in use.

These recording materials are used in the inkjet recording method.
In order to obtain high resolution and high quality recorded images, (1) ink absorption should be as fast as possible; (2)
Even if ink dots overlap, the ink deposited later does not flow into the dot deposited earlier. (3) The diameter of the ink dots does not become larger than necessary. (4) The shape of the ink dots is close to a perfect circle. , and its circumference should be smooth; (5) the density of the ink dots should be high and the periphery of the dots should not be blurred; and (6) the ink should have excellent color development properties, among other requirements as a recording material. is required to meet the requirements.

Furthermore, in inkjet recording, recording materials have been used to obtain recorded images for surface image observation, but with the improvement of inkjet recording technology and the spread of devices, it has become possible to take advantage of the characteristics of inkjet recording. It is now possible to consider its use for other purposes.

Applications other than surface image observation include, for example, those that project recorded images onto a screen using optical equipment such as a slide or OHP (overhead projector) for observation, contact printers, and printed circuit board plates (photomasks). ), color separation plate when creating a positive plate for color printing,
Examples include CMF (color mosaic filter) for color displays such as liquid crystals.

Transparent negatives and positives used with optical instruments or devices using optical technology are produced by taking a photograph of the recorded object or the object to be recorded, or directly recorded on a transparent recording material such as plastic film. However, by performing inkjet recording using a transparent inkjet recording material, recording speeds up, and high-quality, full-color printing with high resolution that can be used in the optical equipment mentioned above is possible. A recorded image can be obtained.

Therefore, in order to use it for such purposes, it is necessary that it has transparency suitable for the intended use, in addition to the performance required for the recording material for general inkjet recording described above.

As the above-mentioned transparent recording material, a porous ink-receiving layer is provided on a transparent curtain material, and after an image is recorded by an inkjet recording method, the porosity of the ink-receiving layer is eliminated using a heating roll or a pressure roll. A method of obtaining a print for transmitted light observation by performing a transparent treatment is known.

Although the recording material used in this method has excellent ink absorbency, it has poor color development because the dye in the ink partially aggregates after it becomes transparent. In addition, since the ink retention properties of the material constituting the porous ink-receiving layer itself are insufficient, after the material is made transparent, the ink remains in liquid form at the interface between the transparent substrate and the ink-receiving layer, causing image bleeding and It has drawbacks such as the tendency for the ink-receiving layer to peel off.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the purpose of the present invention is particularly to impart glossiness to recorded images, further improve transparency and It has excellent clarity, resolution, and optical density, and is suitable for high-speed recording. It has excellent ink receptivity, water resistance, light resistance, blocking resistance, and storage stability of recorded images. An object of the present invention is to provide a first image quality processing device for producing translucent prints that do not cause peeling.

(Means for solving problems) The objects described in the following are achieved by the present invention.

That is, in the present invention, recording is performed using ink from the surface layer side of a recording material having a liquid-permeable surface layer and an ink retention layer, and after the recorded image is made transparent, the quality of the image is further improved. In an image quality improvement processing device for improving image quality, a processing sheet that comes into contact with a recorded image on a recording material, a means for pressurizing the processing sheet into close contact with the image surface, and a means for pressurizing and closely contacting the processing sheet and the image. means for heating the image surface in order to soften or melt the image surface when the image surface is heated, and means for peeling the processing sheet from the image surface after the image surface heated by the heating means is solidified again. This is an image quality improvement processing device for translucent printed matter, which is characterized by the following.

(Function) The main feature of the present invention is that when recording is performed with ink on a recording material having a surface layer and an ink retention layer, the ink passes through the surface layer and is retained by the ink retention layer to form an image. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image quality improvement processing device which subsequently processes the surface layer to make it transparent and further processes the surface to provide a printed matter having excellent gloss and transparency.

In the image quality improvement processing apparatus of the present invention, after recording and making the recording material transparent, a processing sheet is brought into contact with the surface layer of the recording material, and the sheet is further made transparent and glossy by heating and/or pressure, and after cooling, the sheet is By peeling off, a translucent printed matter with excellent gloss, transparency, water resistance, and other physical properties is provided.

(Preferred Embodiments) Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail based on preferred embodiments.

The recording material used in the present invention includes a base material as a support,
an ink-retaining layer formed on the collected material that substantially absorbs and captures ink or recording agent; and an ink-retaining layer formed on the ink-retaining layer that directly receives ink, has liquid permeability, and substantially records. Consists of a surface layer that does not leave any residue.

However, if the surface layer or ink retaining layer also functions as a base material, the base material is not necessarily required.

As the base material used for the above-mentioned recording material, any conventionally known base material can be used. Specifically, polyester resin, diacetate resin, triacetate resin, polystyrene resin, polyethylene resin, polycarbonate resin, polymethacrylate resin, cellophane resin, etc. , plastic films such as celluloid, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyimide resin, etc.
Examples include a board or a glass board. The thickness of these base materials may be any thickness, but in terms of radiation, it is 1 μm to 5.00 μm.
It is about 0 μm.

Incidentally, since the present invention is to obtain a translucent printed matter, the base material must be transparent.

Furthermore, by selecting a base material that has water resistance, abrasion resistance, blocking resistance, etc., it is possible to impart water resistance, abrasion resistance, blocking resistance, etc. to the obtained print.

The liquid permeability of the surface layer constituting the recording material used in the present invention refers to a property that allows ink to pass through it quickly and does not substantially allow the recording agent in the ink to remain in the surface layer.

A preferred embodiment of the surface layer having liquid permeability is one having a porous structure having cracks and communicating pores inside the surface layer, and can be made transparent by heating and/or pressure.

The surface layer that satisfies the above characteristics is mainly composed of resin particles and a binder.

Such resin particles include organic particles such as thermoplastic resins that are non-adsorbent to the recording agent in the ink and can be fused and homogenized by heating and/or pressure, such as,
At least one resin powder or emulsion such as polyethylene, polymethacrylate, elastomer, ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer, styrene-acrylic copolymer, polyester, polyacrylic, polyvinyl ether, etc. may be used as desired.

Note that the resin particles used in the present invention are not limited to the resin particles mentioned above, but may be other well-known resin particles as long as they are non-adsorbent to the recording material and can be made transparent. It doesn't matter what the material is.

In addition, the binder used has the function of binding the resin particles and/or the ink retaining layer, and like the resin particles, it must be non-adsorbent to the recording material. be.

Further, as a preferable material for the binder, any conventionally known material can be used as long as it has the above-mentioned function, such as polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic resin, styrene-acrylic copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, and ethylene. - Vinyl acetate copolymer, starch, polyvinyl butyral, gelatin, casein, ionomer, gum arabic, carboxydimethylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylamide, polyurethane, melamine resin, epoxy resin, styrene-butadiene rubber, urea resin, phenolic resin, One or more resins such as α-olefin resin, chlorobrene, and nitrile rubber can be used as desired.

Furthermore, in order to improve the above-mentioned functions of the surface layer, various additives such as surfactants, optical brighteners, preservatives/anti-pep agents, penetrants, cross-linking agents, etc. may be added to the surface layer as necessary. You may.

The mixing ratio (weight ratio) of the particles to the binder is preferably in the range of particle/binder -1/2 to 50/1, more preferably in the range of 3/1 to 20/1.

If there is too much binder in this mixing ratio, the number of cracks and communicating pores in the surface layer will decrease, and the ink absorption effect will decrease. Furthermore, if there are too many particles in the mixing ratio, adhesion between the particles or between the ink retaining layer and the particles will not be sufficient.
It becomes impossible to form a surface layer.

The thickness of the surface layer depends on the amount of ink droplets, but is preferably 1 to 200 μm, more preferably 3 to 50 μm.
It is.

Next, the non-porous ink retaining layer that substantially captures the ink or recording agent absorbs and retains the ink that has passed through the surface layer, and retains the ink substantially permanently.

The ink retaining layer needs to have a stronger ink absorption ability than the surface layer. This is because when the absorption power of the ink retention layer is weaker than that of the surface layer, the ink applied to the surface layer passes through the surface layer, and when the tip of the ink reaches the ink retention layer, the surface layer When the ink stays inside, the ink permeates and diffuses in the surface layer in the lateral direction more than necessary at the interface between the surface layer and the ink retaining layer. As a result, the resolution of the recorded image decreases, making it impossible to form a high quality recorded image. Further, the ink retaining layer needs to be optically transparent.

The ink retaining layer that satisfies the above requirements is preferably made of a light-transparent resin that adsorbs the recording agent and/or a light-transparent resin that is soluble and swellable with respect to the ink.

For example, when a water-based ink containing an acid dye or a direct dye is used as the recording material, the ink-retaining layer is made of a cationic resin that has adsorption properties for the dye, such as quaternized polyamines and/or Alternatively, it is preferably composed of a water-soluble or wood-philic polymer that has swelling properties with respect to water-based ink.

The material constituting the ink retention layer has the function of absorbing and trapping ink, forms a non-porous layer, and is sufficiently stable for transparency treatment after inkjet recording, making it suitable for use as an ink retention layer. There is no particular limitation as long as the function does not disappear.

The thickness of the ink retaining layer is sufficient as long as it absorbs and traps ink, and although it varies depending on the amount of ink droplets, it is preferably 1 to 50 μm, more preferably 3 to 2 μm.
It is 0 μm.

The material constituting the ink retaining layer may be any material as long as it can absorb water-based ink and retain the recording agent in the ink, but since the ink is mainly water-based, it must be water-soluble or hydrophilic. Preferably, it is formed from a polymer.

Examples of such water-soluble or hydrophilic polymers include albumin, gelatin, casein, starch, cationic starch, gum arabic, natural resins such as sodium alginate, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, polyamide, polyacrylamide, and polyethyleneimine. , polyvinyl pyrrolidone, quaternized polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl bilicylium halide, melamine resin, phenol resin, alkyd resin, polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol, ion-modified polyvinyl alcohol, polyester, polyacrylic acid soda and other synthetic resins, preferably these Examples include hydrophilic polymers made water-insoluble by crosslinking a polymer, hydrophilic and water-insoluble polymer complexes made of two or more types of polymers, and hydrophilic and water-insoluble polymers having hydrophilic segments.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, various additives such as waterproofing agents,
Surfactants, preservatives, anti-spill agents, etc. can be added.

The method for forming the ink retaining layer and surface layer on the base material is as follows:
A coating solution is prepared by dissolving or dispersing the materials preferably listed above in an appropriate solvent, and the coating solution is coated by a method such as a roll coating method, a rod bar coating method, a spray coating method, an air knife coating method, etc. A method in which the material is coated on a base material by a known method and then dried immediately is preferred, and the above-mentioned material is applied by a hot-melt coating method, or once a single sheet is formed from the above-mentioned material, and then the sheet is coated. A method such as laminating on a base material may also be used.

However, when providing an ink retaining layer on the base material, for example,
It is preferable to strengthen the adhesion between the base material and the ink retaining layer by forming an anchor coat layer or the like to eliminate spaces.

If a space exists between the base material and the ink retaining layer, it is not preferable because it causes diffuse reflection on the observation surface of the recorded image and substantially lowers the optical density of the image.

Means for recording images using the above-mentioned recording materials include recording devices using ink containing a recording agent, such as fountain pens, ballpoint pens, felt pens, pen plotters, ink misters, ink jets, and various types of printing. Examples include recording devices.

From the viewpoint of high-speed image recording, an inkjet recording device or a pen plotter is suitable.

The ink used in the above recording method can be a water-based and/or oil-based ink that is conventionally known. It is necessary that the viscosity be 500 cps or less.

Preferably the viscosity is 100 cps or less, preferably 50 cps
s or less.

Furthermore, water-based inks are preferable in consideration of safety against fire, resistance to environmental contamination, and the like. As the recording agent contained in the ink, conventionally known coloring agents such as dyes and pigments and other color-forming materials can be used. For example, as the recording agent used in inkjet recording, water-soluble dyes such as direct dyes, basic dyes, reactive dyes, and food colorings are preferred.

In the present invention, methods for making the recording material transparent after recording with ink include a method using heating, a method using pressure, and a method using both heating and pressure.

For example, to explain specifically how to make the material transparent by heating, the resin particles that form the surface layer are melted by heating,
There is a way to make a uniform coating.

When transparentization is performed by heating, if the ink retaining layer also melts, the image will be disturbed, and the support will also become softened, which is undesirable as it will induce deformation.

Therefore, it is essential that the melting temperature of the resin forming the surface layer is lower than the melting temperature of the ink retaining layer and the softening temperature of the base material. Usually, when a preferably used polyethylene terephthalate film is used as a base material, it is necessary to heat the surface layer at 150° C. or lower.

In addition, in the process of forming an ink retaining layer and a surface layer on the base material,
Usually, a drying step is included, but in order to obtain sufficient efficiency in the drying step for practical purposes, the drying temperature is 60°C or higher, preferably 80°C.
The temperature is 0° C. or higher, and therefore the melting temperature of the resin constituting the surface layer needs to be higher than this temperature.

Examples of the method for making the resin transparent include heating and applying pressure to fuse the resin particles in the surface layer, and all of these methods are suitable for the present invention.

However, in the conventional technology, when the ink absorbing layer is simply heated and/or pressurized, sufficient melting or dissolving bonding between the resin particles of the ink absorbing layer may not be achieved when the ink absorbing layer is melted or dissolved. Furthermore, when heating or pressure melting is carried out using a roller, etc., if the ink absorbing layer is further peeled off from the roller and left in the air as it is, unevenness will occur on the surface of the ink absorbing layer, and gloss and smoothness will be obtained due to diffuse reflection of light. Otherwise, the translucency may not be sufficient.

The main feature of the present invention is to particularly improve this diffuse reflection and insufficient light transmittance.

Hereinafter, the image quality improvement processing apparatus of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings and conventional methods.

First, a conventional image quality improvement processing method and images obtained by the method are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and will be explained.

11 is a rigid melting roller having a release layer on its surface, 12 is a rubber pressure roller that applies arbitrary pressure, and 13 is a recording material 1
a heating source for heating and melting the ink absorption layer 5 on the surface of the
2 is a base material of the recording material 1, 35 is an entrance guide, 7 is a separation claw, and 24 is a paper discharge roll.

In the conventional image quality improvement processing method, an ink absorption layer 5 is provided on the base material 2 between the rolls 11 and 12, and the recording image 3 formed on the ink absorption layer is moved while the rolls 11 and 12 are moved. The ink absorbing layer 5 of the recording material 1 is
If the resin particles 5a forming the ink absorbing layer 5 are processed to make them transparent and smooth, or if this process is performed at high speed, as shown in FIG.
Particle spaces 5C remain because the particles are not sufficiently connected.

This remaining space 5C is particularly noticeable when heating and pressurization are insufficient, and even if heating and pressurization are sufficient, a similar problem occurs if the roll speed is slow. If this space 5C exists, the image density will not be sufficient because the reflection density of the recording material corresponding to the space 5C will also be added to the image density.

In addition, the image surface 5b is also sparse and has poor image quality. What is more dominant is that even though the entire ink absorbing layer 5 is softened at the separation point A between the ink absorbing layer 5 and the contact roll 11, the surface portion that is melted by receiving heat at the highest temperature is particularly soft after the separation. This results in the formation of fine irregularities such as those shown in 5b.

The surface of the transparent image 3 thus obtained diffusely reflects light, resulting in less gloss. It is presumed that this surface unevenness is due to the cohesive force when the molten resin cools instantly. In particular, a drawback of the conventional method is that even if the resin particles are sufficiently melted and integrated with sufficient heat and pressure, surface irregularities 5b still occur.

The present invention converts the image obtained by the conventional method shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 into an image with surface gloss and smooth surface as shown in FIG. 8, and the details thereof are shown in FIGS. 1, 4 to 8. Explain with reference to.

As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 1, the recording material 1 used in the present invention has an ink retaining layer 4 on the surface of a base material 2 and a surface layer 6 thereon, and the ink passes through the surface layer 6. The ink is retained in the ink retaining layer 4 to form an image 3. The recording material 1 having this image 3 is sent to the image quality improvement processing device 100 shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 shows an image quality improvement processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention,
Reference numeral 11 denotes a heating roller (of metal or rubber on the surface) which has an internal heating source 13 set at a temperature higher than the softening point of the resin particles forming the surface layer 6, and 12 the heating roller side by an arbitrary pressure means. A pressure roller (with a rubber or metal surface) that is pressed against the

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the main part of FIG. 1, and as is clear from FIG. 1 and FIG. The surface layer 6 is separated from the heating roller 11 by a distance sufficient for the surface layer 6 to return from a softened or melted state to a solidified state. In this example, in order to shorten this distance, a cooling fan 33 is provided that can supply cold air or air cooling to the conveyance path of the recording material 1 between the separation roller 24a and the heating roller 11.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a smoothed sheet that is in close contact with the surface layer 6 of the recording material 1, and is passed over the surface of the heating roller 11, the surface of the separation roller 24a, the tension roller 25, and the support roller 26 to perform endless rotation. This sheet 29
is thin and deforms slightly when exposed to heat. 34 is a temperature sensor for heating and controlling the surface temperature of the heating roller 11 to a temperature at which the surface of the surface layer 6 can be softened or melted by the pressing force of the pressure roller 12, and the heating source 13 is controlled by a control means (not shown). Controls energization to.

Reference numeral 24b denotes a separation roller that comes into contact with the edge of the recording material 1 to enhance the separation effect of the separation roller. Reference numeral 28b denotes a paper discharge roller, on which the separation belt 30 is passed together with the separation roller 24b, and guides the recording material 1 to the paper discharge side. Reference numeral 28a denotes a paper discharge roller which is driven to rotate coaxially with the paper discharge roller 28b. In addition, 31 is a conveyance roller that works together with the separation roller 24a, 32 is a paper ejection roller, 28b is an ejection auxiliary roller that works together with the paper ejection roll 28a, 35 is a population guide, and 37 is in contact with the sheet, and the sheet is placed on the support roller 26. This is a member that smoothes and cleans the sheet while pressing 29.

Now, when the recording material 1 on which an inkjet image has been formed enters the image quality improvement processing device 100, the surface layer 6 is changed from an untreated state to a molten transparent state (or temporarily melted) by a heating roller 11 and a pressure roller. Heat and pressurize between 12/
It is processed. Between these rollers 11 and 12, the surface layer 6
Since the heating and pressing conditions that can melt or soften at least the surface of the recording material 1 are satisfied, when the recording material 1 is held and conveyed in the direction of the arrow, the surface layer 6 of the recording material 1 is covered with the smoothing sheet 29 and is heated and pressed. Ru. At this time, since the sheet 29 is thin and flexible, it adheres uniformly to the surface layer 6, and as shown in FIG. 5, the surface layer 6 becomes as if backed by the sheet 29, and the resin particles 5a are fused and integrated.

In this state, the recording material 1 is further conveyed, and the surface layer 6 is cooled to below the softening point of the resin by air blowing from the cooling fan 33, and then one end portion of the recording material 1 is separated from the sheet 29 by the separation belt 30.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, one end 1a of the recording material 1 is inserted with a slight deviation from the sheet 29 by an arbitrary width, and is separated by the separation belt 30. Peeling of the sheet 29 after the resin particles have cooled can be more reliably performed by increasing the curvature of the sheet 29 between the surface layer 6 on the recording material 1 and the peeling point P of the sheet 29, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, the surface layer 6 obtained by the above-mentioned image quality improvement treatment has a surface layer surface 5b that is as smooth as the smooth surface of the smoothed sheet 29. It becomes uniform, and the surface layer surface 5b also becomes a clean and smooth surface, and most of the incident light (2) is reflected as shown by the arrow. Therefore, by using the image quality improvement processing apparatus of the present invention, it was possible to reliably obtain a high-quality image that was clear, high in density, glossy, and highly transparent.

Note that for the configuration for pressing the sheet 29 against the surface layer 6 and performing the heat treatment, other flat plates or the like may be used, but a roller configuration is preferable, and the rollers 11 and 12 are not two rolls but three rolls. You can.

The separation rolls 24 may be constructed of rubber or metal, and each roller may have a resin surface. The smoothing sheet 29 is heat resistant, does not cause compatible adhesion with the surface layer due to heating or pressure, and adheres closely to the recording material 1 and the surface layer 6. Furthermore, the unevenness on the surface layer is smoothed. A thin and highly smooth material is desirable for adhesion.

Specifically, the material may be polyimide film, polyester film, etc., and the thickness is 50 μm or less, preferably 25 μm or less.
The average surface roughness is 10 μm or less, preferably 0.1 μm or less. As shown in FIG. 1, when the smoothing sheet 29 is in the form of an endless belt stretched by a tension roll 25, the cleaning pad member 3
Step 7 cleans the surface. Since such a sheet has poor durability, the sheet 29 may be wound up from a smoothing sheet roll 26a to a take-up roll 26b, as shown in FIG. 4, and used only for -degree image processing. .

The sheet 29 completely covers the surface layer 6 of the recording material 1, is heat resistant to the heat applied to the surface layer 6, and has a melting point higher than the melting point of the surface layer resin particles. .

When a resin film is used for the sheet 29, it is preferable to use a resin film different from the resin component forming the formed surface layer 6, since this has the effect of improving the releasability of the sheet 29 from the surface layer 6.

Further, the heat source may be provided on the roller on the surface side or on a plurality of rollers, and the heat source is not limited to the heater 13 inside the roller, but may also be provided by other means such as external heating, a pipe, or a PTC ceramic heater. I don't mind. or,
A belt or press plate may be used instead of a roller, but
It is more preferable to use a clamping means having elasticity that allows the surface layer 6 and the sheet 29 to be brought into close contact with each other.

In order to use the translucent print obtained as described above for transmitted light observation such as OHP, the recording material must have a translucency of 1 minute after the image quality improvement treatment. .

In order to use it for the above purpose, it is necessary that the linear transmittance of the print is 10% or more.

The linear transmittance T (%) here refers to the incident perpendicular to the sample, transmitted through the sample, and at least 8
The spectral transmittance of the straight light that passes through the light-receiving side slit on the extension line of the incident optical path separated by more than cm and is received by the detector is measured using, for example, a UV-200 spectrophotometer (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation).
etc., and from the measured spectral transmittance,
The Y value of the tristimulus value of the color is determined by the following formula.

T=Y/Y0 X100 (1) T: Linear transmittance Y: Y value Y of the sample. Y value of Ni blank Therefore, the linear transmittance referred to in the present invention is for straight light, and the diffuse transmittance (an integrating sphere is provided behind the sample to calculate the transmittance including diffused light) Transparency(
This is different from methods that evaluate translucency using diffused light, such as applying a white and black backing to the back of a sample and determining the ratio between them. The problem with devices that use optical technology is the behavior of straight-line light, so when evaluating the translucency and gloss of the recording material to be used in those devices, it is important to check the straight-line transmission of the recording material. Determining the ratio is particularly important. When observing the translucent print obtained in the present invention using equipment such as an OHP, recording is performed from the surface layer side as in the past, and the recorded surface is observed using transmitted light. Alternatively, a mirror image of the original can be recorded from the surface side and observed from the base material side.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. Note that % or parts in the text are based on weight unless otherwise specified.

Example 1 A polyethylene terephthalate film (thickness 70 μm, manufactured by Toshi) was used as a translucent base material, and the following composition A was coated on this base material using a bar coater so that the dry film thickness was 9 μm. , and dried in a drying oven at 120° C. for 5 minutes.

Composition A Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K-90, manufactured by GAF, 10% DMF solution) 90 parts Novolak type phenol resin (Resitop PSK-2320
: Gunsong Chemical Co., Ltd., 10% DMF solution) 10 parts Furthermore, the following composition B was coated thereon using a bar coater so that the dry film thickness was 30 μm, and the mixture was dried in a drying oven at 80° C. for 10 minutes. .

Composition 1 Thermoplastic elastomer resin (Chemipearl A-100, manufactured by Mikata Petrochemical Industries, solid content 40%, particle size 5 μm)
100 parts ionomer resin (Chemivar S-111, manufactured by Mikata Petrochemical Industries, solid content 40%, particle size 5 μm) 30 parts surfactant (Emulgen 810, manufactured by Kao) 0.5 parts The recording material was white and opaque.

Example 2 A polyethylene terephthalate film (thickness 100 μm, manufactured by Toshi) was used as a translucent base material, and the following composition C was coated on this base material using a bar coater so that the dry film thickness was 10 μm. , and dried in a drying oven at 120° C. for 5 minutes.

Composition: Polyhinylpyrrolidone (PVP K-90, manufactured by GAF,
10% DMF solution) 90 parts novolac type phenolic resin (Regitop PSK-2320:
10 parts of Gunei Chemical (manufactured by Gunei Chemical Co., Ltd., 10% DMF solution) were coated with the following composition using a bar coater so that the dry film thickness was 20 μm, and dried in a drying oven at 80°C for 10 minutes. .

Styrene-acrylic copolymer resin (Boncoat PP-1)
000, manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, solid content 45%)
100 parts polyvinyl alcohol (
PVA-117, manufactured by Kuraray, 10% aqueous solution)
30 parts surfactant (Beletex 0T-P
, manufactured by Kao, solid content 70%) 0.3
The recording material thus obtained was white and opaque.

Using the following four types of ink on the recording materials of Examples 1 and 2 above, generating bubbles with a heating resistor,
Inkjet recording was performed using a recording apparatus that uses an on-demand type inkjet recording head that discharges ink using the pressure. Next, the surface layer side of the obtained print was heated at 140°C for 1 minute (Example 1) and heated and heated using a fixing roller (transport speed 9.5 mm/sec, roller linear pressure 40 kg, and roller temperature 140°C). Pressure treatment (Example 2) was performed to obtain translucent prints.

Furthermore, image quality improvement processing was performed using the image quality improvement processing apparatus 100 of the present invention as described above.

In the image quality improvement processing device, the conveyance speed of the recording material was set at 10 mm/sec, the heating roller and the pressure roller were both set at 155° C., and each roller pair (11, 12
) with a pressure of 30 g/mm, and a smoothed sheet with a pressure of 12 g/mm.
It was made of a polyimide film with a thickness of μm.

Yellow ink set-) C1, Direct Yellow 86 3 parts N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone 5 parts diethyl glycol 20 parts polyethylene glycol 3200 15 parts water
60 parts magenta inter-) C, T, acidlet 35 3 parts N-
Methyl-2-pyrrolidone 5 parts Diethyl glycol 20 parts Polyethylene glycol #200 15 parts Water
60 parts 21 parts 6 ink □ 01 parts) C, 1, Tirect Blue - 863 parts N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone 5 parts diethyl glycol 20 parts polyethylene glycol 8200 15 parts water
60 copies black ink
) C, 1, Food Black 2 3 parts N-
Methyl-2-pyrrolidone 5 parts Diethyl glycol 20 parts Polyethylene glycol #200 15 parts Water
60 copies Comparative Example 1 1) Item 11 in which image quality improvement processing is performed in Example 1.

Comparative example 2 The image before performing image quality improvement processing in Example 2.

Tests were conducted according to the following method to evaluate whether the translucent printed matter thus obtained was sufficiently suitable for the purpose of the present invention.

(1) Ink absorption was measured by leaving the print at room temperature after inkjet recording, and measuring the time it took for the ink to dry and stop adhering to the finger when touching the recorded area with the finger.

(2) Image transmission density after image quality improvement processing (0°D,)
was measured for the black ink recorded area using a Macbeth transmission densitometer TD-504.

(3) The linear transmittance of the non-recorded area after image quality improvement processing is:
Using a UV-200 spectrophotometer (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation), the distance from the sample to the window on the light-receiving side was maintained at about 9 cm, and the spectral transmittance was measured and determined by the above formula (1).

(4) The adhesion between the base material and the ink-retaining layer (ink-absorbing layer) in the image area after image quality improvement treatment was checked for the black ink recording area, and the recording area was rubbed 10 times using a plastic eraser to retain the ink. Those that did not cause peeling between the layer (ink absorbing layer) and the base material were rated as x, and those that caused O1 peeling were rated as x.

(5) The resolution of the recorded image is determined by projecting the print onto a screen using 0HP (Overhead Blochter).
Evaluation was made visually according to the following criteria.

○: A line with a pitch width of 0.2 mm and a thickness of 0.1 mm can be clearly distinguished.

Δ: Lines with a pitch width of 0.2 mm and a size of 0°1 mm cannot be clearly distinguished.

X: A line with a pitch width of 0.5 mm and a thickness of 0.3 mm cannot be clearly distinguished.

Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation was performed based on the above results, and the above results are shown in Table 1. In the overall evaluation, if even one of the above five evaluation items was insufficient, an X was given.

1-111mrVVVI Example 1 1 1.05 80 0 0 0 Example 2 2 0.95 75 0 0 0 Comparative Example 1 1
1.00 70 △ △ △Comparative example 2 2
0.90 65 △ △ △D Ink absorption (seconds) ■Two-image transmission density■: Linear transmittance (%)
■: Adhesion V: Resolution ■: Overall evaluation (effect) According to the processing with the image quality improvement processing device of the present invention, the peelability between the base material and the ink holding layer in the image portion recorded with ink is improved. An excellent translucent print with good gloss and density can be obtained.

Further, in the present invention, since only the surface layer that does not substantially retain an image is subjected to image quality improvement processing, a high-resolution image can be obtained without blurring or disturbance of the image.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the surface layer becomes smooth and non-porous without cracks due to the image quality improvement treatment, so that durability such as water resistance and weather resistance, and storage stability of recorded images are significantly improved.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the image quality improvement processing device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged explanatory diagram of a conventional transparency device, Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional image, and Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the sheet 29; FIGS. 5 and 8 are explanatory diagrams of effects based on the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a peeling state between the sheet 29 and the surface layer 6 in the device. 1: Recording material 2: Base material 3: Image 4: Ink retaining layer 5: Ink absorbing layer 6: Surface layer 11: Heating roller 12: Pressure roller 29: Smoothing sheet 30: Separation belt Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd. Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 1↑ ↑↓艷

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) Recording is performed using a recording liquid from the surface layer side of a recording material that has a liquid-permeable surface layer and an ink holding layer, and after making the recorded image transparent, the image quality of the image is further improved. In an image quality improvement processing device, a processing sheet that comes into contact with a recorded image on a recording material, a means for pressurizing the processing sheet into close contact with the image surface, and a means for pressurizing and closely contacting the processing sheet and the image; a means for heating the image surface to soften or melt the image surface; and a means for peeling the processing sheet from the image surface after the image surface heated by the heating means is solidified again. Features: Image quality improvement processing device for translucent printed matter. (2) The image quality improvement processing device for a translucent printed matter according to claim (1), wherein the recording material is formed by laminating an ink retaining layer and a surface layer on a translucent base material. (3) The apparatus for improving the image quality of a translucent printed matter according to claim (1), which improves the image quality by heat treatment. (4) The image quality improvement processing device for a translucent printed matter according to claim (1), which improves image quality by pressure treatment. (5) The image quality improvement processing device for a translucent printed matter according to claim (1), which improves image quality by using both heat treatment and pressure treatment.