Claims
- 1. A process which comprises (a) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus (1) a developing composition comprising a liquid vehicle and a color developer; (2) an oxidizing composition comprising a liquid vehicle and an oxidizing agent; (3) a coloring composition comprising a liquid vehicle and a dye coupler; and (4) a fixing composition comprising a liquid vehicle and a fixative; (b) causing droplets of the developing composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; (c) causing droplets of the oxidizing composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; (d) causing droplets of the coloring composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; and (e) causing droplets of the fixing composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; wherein the process results in at least some portions of the substrate bearing images comprising all four of the developing composition, the oxidizing composition, the coloring composition, and the fixing composition, said portions forming a printed image.
- 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein first, second, and third coloring compositions are incorporated into the printing apparatus and caused to be ejected onto the substrate, wherein the first coloring composition comprises a liquid vehicle and a cyan dye coupler, the second coloring composition comprises a liquid vehicle and a magenta dye coupler, and the third coloring composition comprises a liquid vehicle and a yellow dye coupler.
- 3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the printing apparatus employs a thermal ink jet process wherein the ink in the nozzles is selectively heated in an imagewise pattern, thereby causing droplets of the ink to be ejected in imagewise pattern.
- 4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the printing apparatus employs an acoustic ink jet process, wherein droplets of the ink are caused to be ejected in imagewise pattern by acoustic beams.
- 5. A process according to claim 1 wherein two of (i) the developing composition, (ii) the coloring composition, and (iii) the oxidizing composition are applied to the substrate in fixed volumes per pixel, and the remaining composition of (i), (ii), and (iii) is applied to the substrate in varying volume per pixel, thereby varying the intensity of color of the printed image.
- 6. A process according to claim 5 wherein the remaining composition is applied to the substrate through a printhead having a plurality of ink channels, wherein droplets of the remaining composition of at least two different volumes are formed by jetting the remaining composition from the ink channels.
- 7. A process according to claim 5 wherein the number of droplets of the remaining composition applied per pixel is variable.
- 8. A process according to claim 5 wherein the remaining composition is the oxidizing composition.
- 9. A process according to claim 1 wherein droplets of the developing composition, droplets of the coloring composition, and droplets of the oxidizing composition are applied to the substrate in an imagewise pattern so that droplets of developing composition, coloring composition, and oxidizing composition overlap in a controlled pattern, thereby forming spots of varying sizes on the substrate, said spots being formed in areas where droplets of the developing composition, coloring composition, and oxidizing composition overlap.
- 10. A process according to claim 1 wherein at time T1, the developing composition, oxidizing composition, and coloring composition have overlapped on the substrate to react and form an image, at time T2, the fixing composition is deposited onto a first portion P1 of the image, and at time T3, the fixing composition is deposited onto a second portion P2 of the image, wherein time period T1 to T2 is less than time period T1 to T3, thereby resulting in second portion P2 having a different color intensity from first portion P1.
- 11. A process which comprises (a) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus (1) a color forming composition comprising a liquid vehicle and at least one color forming agent; and (2) a reacting composition comprising a liquid vehicle and at least one material capable of reacting with the color forming agent to cause a desired color to form; (b) causing droplets of the color forming composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; and (c) causing droplets of the reacting composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; wherein the process results in at least some portions of the substrate bearing images comprising both the color forming composition and the reacting composition, said portions forming a printed image, wherein at time T1, the color forming composition has formed an image on the substrate, at time T2, the reacting composition is deposited onto a first portion P1 of the image, and at time T3, the reacting composition is deposited onto a second portion P2 of the image, wherein time period T1 to T2 is less than time period T1 to T3, thereby resulting in second portion P2 having a different color intensity from first portion P1.
- 12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the color forming composition comprises a color developer molecule and the reacting composition comprises an oxidizing agent.
- 13. A process according to claim 11 wherein the color forming composition comprises a leuco dye or vat dye and the reacting composition comprises an oxidizing agent or pH altering agent.
- 14. A process according to claim 11 wherein the color forming composition comprises a metal vanadate and the reacting composition comprises a polyphenolic compound.
- 15. A process according to claim 11 wherein the color forming composition comprises a mixture of two of (i) a developing composition, (ii) a coloring composition, and (iii) an oxidizing composition, and the reacting composition comprises the remaining composition of (i), (ii), and (iii).
- 16. A process which comprises (a) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus (1) a color forming composition comprising a liquid vehicle and at least one color forming agent; and (2) a reacting composition comprising a liquid vehicle and at least one material capable of reacting with the color forming agent to cause a desired color to form; (b) causing droplets of the color forming composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; and (c) causing droplets of the reacting composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; wherein the process results in at least some portions of the substrate bearing images comprising both the color forming composition and the reacting composition, said portions forming a printed image, wherein one of (i) the color forming composition and (ii) the reacting composition is applied to the substrate in fixed volumes per pixel, and the other of (i) and (ii) is applied to the substrate in varying volume per pixel, thereby varying the intensity of color of the printed image.
- 17. A process according to claim 16 wherein the color forming composition comprises a color developer molecule and the reacting composition comprises an oxidizing agent.
- 18. A process according to claim 16 wherein the color forming composition comprises a leuco dye or vat dye and the reacting composition comprises an oxidizing agent or pH altering agent.
- 19. A process according to claim 16 wherein the color forming composition comprises a metal vanadate and the reacting composition comprises a polyphenolic compound.
- 20. A process according to claim 16 wherein the color forming composition comprises a mixture of two of (i) a developing composition, (ii) a coloring composition, and (iii) an oxidizing composition, and the reacting composition comprises the remaining composition of (i), (ii), and (iii).
- 21. A process which comprises (a) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus (1) a color forming composition comprising a liquid vehicle and at least one color forming agent; and (2) a reacting composition comprising a liquid vehicle and at least one material capable of reacting with the color forming agent to cause a desired color to form; (b) causing droplets of the color forming composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; and (c) causing droplets of the reacting composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate; wherein the process results in at least some portions of the substrate bearing images comprising both the color forming composition and the reacting composition, said portions forming a printed image, wherein droplets of the color forming composition and droplets of the reacting composition are applied to the substrate in an imagewise pattern so that droplets of color forming composition and reacting composition overlap in a controlled pattern, thereby forming spots of varying sizes on the substrate, said spots being formed in areas where droplets of the color forming composition and reacting composition overlap.
- 22. A process according to claim 21 wherein the color forming composition comprises a color developer molecule and the reacting composition comprises an oxidizing agent.
- 23. A process according to claim 21 wherein the color forming composition comprises a leuco dye or vat dye and the reacting composition comprises an oxidizing agent or pH altering agent.
- 24. A process according to claim 21 wherein the color forming composition comprises a metal vanadate and the reacting composition comprises a polyphenolic compound.
- 25. A process according to claim 21 wherein the color forming composition comprises a mixture of two of (i) a developing composition, (ii) a coloring composition, and (iii) an oxidizing composition, and the reacting composition comprises the remaining composition of (i), (ii), and (iii).
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/911,111, filed on Jul. 23, 2001.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09911111 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10354258 |
Jan 2003 |
US |