Claims
- 1. A pigment-based ink set for ink jet printing, the ink set comprising at least one pigment-based ink; wherein the normalized differential specular reflectance for each ink in the set, NΔRS(X), is less than 1.25 when calculated according to Equation 1:NΔRS(X)=[NΔRS(Xn)]max Equation 1 where X represents the ink, n is an integer associated with each density patch printed on an image-recording element as part of a test image, and [NΔRS(Xn)]max is the maximum value of the [NΔRS(Xn)] values that are calculated for the density patches printed using ink X; wherein the image-recording element has a gloss value of at least about 5 when measured at 60°; wherein the test image for ink X consists of a series of at least ten density patches printed such that the ink laydown of the patches increases incrementally, from no ink laydown to a maximum level generating a density of at least about 1.5; and wherein the normalized differential specular reflectance value for each patch, NΔRS(Xn), is determined according to Equation 2: N Δ RS(Xn)=[RSmax(Xn)-RSmin(Xn)]RSmean(Xn)Equation 2where RSmax(Xn) is the maximum specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn, RSmin(Xn) is the minimum specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn, and RSmean(Xn) is the average specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn.
- 2. The pigment-based ink set of claim 1 wherein said pigment-based ink is a cyan ink comprising a cyan pigment; a magenta ink comprising a magenta pigment; or a yellow ink comprising a yellow pigment.
- 3. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said cyan pigment comprises a metal phthalocyanine pigment.
- 4. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said cyan pigment comprises a pigment selected from the group consisting of Pigment Blue 15:2, Pigment Blue 15:3, Pigment Blue 15:4, Pigment Blue 60, and a bis(phthalocyanylalumino)tetraphenyldisiloxane.
- 5. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said magenta pigment comprises a quinacridone pigment.
- 6. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said magenta pigment comprises a pigment selected from the group consisting of Pigment Red 122, Pigment Red 57:1, Pigment Red 123, Pigment Red 168, Pigment Red 184, Pigment Red 202 and Pigment Red 207.
- 7. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said yellow pigment comprises a pigment selected from the group consisting of Pigment Yellow 155, Pigment Yellow 74, Pigment Yellow 128, Pigment Yellow 13 and Pigment Yellow 93.
- 8. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said pigment-based ink comprises an inorganic pigment.
- 9. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said pigment-based ink comprises a pigment having a median particle size of less than about 0.3 μm.
- 10. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said pigment-based ink comprises a pigment having a median particle size of less than about 0.15 μm.
- 11. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said ink set further comprises a black ink comprising a black pigment.
- 12. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 11, wherein said black pigment is carbon black.
- 13. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said ink set further comprises a light cyan ink comprising a cyan pigment or a light magenta ink comprising a magenta pigment.
- 14. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said ink set further comprises an orange ink comprising an orange pigment, a green ink comprising a green pigment, a violet ink comprising a violet pigment or a brown ink comprising a brown pigment.
- 15. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said pigment-based ink comprises particles.
- 16. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said pigment-based ink comprises silica, alumina, titanium dioxide, zircona, clay, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, zinc oxide, polymeric particles, or mixtures thereof.
- 17. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 2, wherein said normalized differential specular reflectance for each ink in the set, NΔRS(X), is less than 1.15 when calculated according to Equation 1.
- 18. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said at least one pigment-based ink comprises a water soluble polymer, a water reducible polymer, a water dispersible polymer, or mixtures thereof; wherein said water soluble polymer, said water reducible polymer, said water dispersible polymer, or said mixtures thereof is present in an amount necessary to give a normalized differential specular reflectance for said at least one pigment-based ink, NΔRS(X), of less than 1.25.
- 19. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said at least one pigment-based ink comprises an addition polymer or a condensation polymer; wherein said addition polymer or said condensation polymer is present in an amount necessary to give a normalized differential specular reflectance for said at least one pigment-based ink, NΔRS(X), of less than 1.25.
- 20. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said at least one pigment-based ink comprises an addition polymer prepared from acrylic and/or styrenic monomers, a polyester, or a polyurethane; wherein said addition polymer, said polyester, or said polyurethane is present in an amount necessary to give a normalized differential specular reflectance for said at least one pigment-based ink, NΔRS(X), of less than 1.25.
- 21. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 20, wherein said acrylic monomer comprises a derivative of acrylic acid, an acrylate ester, an acrylamide, or an unsaturated anhydride or unsaturated imide monomer; wherein said unsaturated anhydride or unsaturated imide monomer may be completely or partially hydrolyzed after polymerization to form the corresponding carboxylic acid or amide functionality.
- 22. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 20, wherein said styrenic monomer comprises a derivative of styrene, an α-alkylstyrene, a trans-β-alkylstyrene, an alkylstyrene, an alkoxystyrene, a halogenated styrene, or a vinyl naphthalene.
- 23. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 20, wherein said polyester is derived from isophthalic acid, sodium sulfoisophthalic acid, diethylene glycol, and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol.
- 24. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 20, wherein said polyurethane is water dispersible.
- 25. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 1, wherein said pigment-based ink further comprises one or more non-volatile organic compounds which do not penetrate the surface of the recording element upon which said at least one pigment-base ink has been printed; wherein said one or more non-volatile organic compounds is present in an amount necessary to give a normalized differential specular reflectance for said ink, NΔRS(X), of less than 1.25.
- 26. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 25, wherein said non-volatile organic compound is a glycol-containing oligomer.
- 27. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 19, wherein the pigment-based ink further comprises a pigment, and wherein the ratio of said addition polymer or said condensation polymer to said pigment is at least about 0.5.
- 28. The pigment-based ink set according to claim 19, wherein the pigment-based ink further comprises a pigment, and wherein the ratio of said addition polymer or said condensation polymer to said pigment is at least about 0.7.
- 29. A method of selecting a pigment-based ink set for ink jet printing comprising:A) providing at least one pigment-based ink; B) printing a test image of the at least one pigment-based ink on an image-recording element having a gloss value of at least about 5 when measured at 60°; wherein the test image consists of a series of at least ten density patches printed such that the ink laydown of the patches increases incrementally, from no ink laydown to a maximum level generating a density of at least about 1.5; C) calculating the normalized differential specular reflectance value for each of the at least ten density patches, NΔRS(Xn), according to Equation 2: N Δ RS(Xn)=[RSmax(Xn)-RSmin(Xn)]RSmean(Xn)Equation 2 where X represents the at least one pigment-based ink, n is an integer associated with each density patch printed as part of the test image, RSmax(Xn) is the maximum specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn, RSmin(Xn) is the minimum specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn, and RSmean(Xn) is the average specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn; D) calculating the normalized differential specular reflectance for the at least one pigment-based ink, NΔRS(X), according to Equation 1: NΔRS(X)=[NΔRS(Xn)]max Equation 1 where [NΔRS(Xn)]max is the maximum value of the NΔRS(Xn) values that are calculated for the density patches using ink X; and E) selecting said pigment-based ink set such that NΔRS(X) for the at least one pigment-based ink is less than 1.25.
- 30. An ink jet printing method comprising the steps of:A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with a first image-recording element; C) loading the printer with a pigment-based ink jet ink set comprising at least one pigment-based ink, wherein the normalized differential specular reflectance for each ink in the set, NΔRS(X), is less than 1.25 when calculated according to Equation 1: NΔRS(X)=[NΔRS(Xn)]max Equation 1 where X represents the ink, n is an integer associated with each density patch printed on a second image-recording element as part of a test image, and [NΔRS(Xn)]max is the maximum value of the [NΔRS(Xn)] values that are calculated for the density patches printed using ink X; wherein the second image-recording element has a gloss value of at least about 5 when measured at 60°; wherein said test image for ink X consists of a series of at least ten density patches printed such that the ink laydown of the patches increases incrementally, from no ink laydown to a maximum level generating a density of at least about 1.5; and wherein the normalized differential specular reflectance value for each patch, NΔRS(Xn), is determined according to: N Δ RS(Xn)=[RSmax(Xn)-RSmin(Xn)]RSmean(Xn)Equation 2 where RSmax(Xn) is the maximum specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn, RSmin(Xn) is the minimum specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn, and RSmean(Xn) is the average specular reflectance over the visible spectral region between 390 nm and 720 nm for patch Xn; and D) printing on the first image-recording element, using the pigment-based ink jet ink set in response to the digital data signals.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Reference is made to commonly assigned, co-pending application Ser. No. 10/299,385 by Reem and Klingman filed of even date herewith entitled “Ink Composition for Ink Jet Printing”; and application Ser. No. 10/299,385 by Reem and Klingman, filed of even date herewith entitled “Combination Ink Set/Image-Recording Element for Ink Jet Printing.” These copending applications are incorporated by reference herein for all that they contain.
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