Patent Application
20060012655
An inkjet printing system may include a printhead and an ink supply which supplies liquid ink to the printhead. The printhead ejects ink drops through a plurality of orifices or nozzles and toward a print media, such as a sheet of paper, so as to print onto the print media. Typically, the nozzles are arranged in one or more arrays such that properly sequenced ejection of ink from the nozzles causes characters or other images to be printed upon the print media as the printhead and the print media are moved relative to each other.
In general, inkjet inks are either dye-based or pigment-based. Both are typically prepared in an ink vehicle that contains the dye and/or the pigment. Dye-based inkjet inks generally use a colorant which is dissolved in the ink vehicle and pigment-based inks generally use a colorant that is insoluble in the ink vehicle, but suspended or dispersed in the form of small particles.
Perceived color quality of inkjet inks can be characterized using any one of several color space systems, such as Munsell or CIELAB, as is well known in the art. With respect to the Munsell color space, a given color is defined using three terms, namely Hue (H), Value (V), and Chroma (C). With respect to the CIELAB color space, a color is defined using three terms L*, a*, and b*. With the CIELAB system, L* defines the lightness of a color and ranges from 0 (black) to 100 (white). In addition, the terms a* and b* may be used to define the hue and chroma of a color, where a* ranges from a negative number (green) to a positive number (red) and b* ranges from a negative number (blue) to a positive number (yellow). The additional terms of h° (hue angle) and C* (chroma) are also used to further describe a given color, as is known to those skilled in the art. As such, the Munsell H, V, and C values or the CIELAB L*, a*, and b* values can be used to calculate a volume of color space that a specific ink set can produce, whereby the larger the color space volume the more colors the ink set is capable of producing.
Desirable properties of inkjet inks include good crusting resistance, good stability, proper viscosity, proper surface tension, little color-to-color bleed, rapid dry time, no deleterious reaction with printhead components, high solubility of the dyes in the ink vehicle, consumer safety, low strike through, high color saturation, good dot gain, and suitable color characteristics. Furthermore, the durability of the printed image, for example, light and water fastness, also contributes to the quality of a printed inkjet image.
Known inkjet inks may possess one or more of the above described properties. Few inkjet inks, however, possess all of these properties since an improvement in one property often results in the degradation of another property. Accordingly, efforts continue in developing ink formulations that have improved properties while minimizing the degradation of others. However, challenges still remain to further improve the image quality and lightfastness of inkjet inks without sacrificing pen performance and/or reliability.
One aspect of the present invention provides an ink set for inkjet printing. The ink set includes a cyan ink having a first lightness value, a magenta ink having a second lightness value, and a blue ink having a third lightness value, wherein the cyan ink and the magenta ink mix to form a composite blue having a fourth lightness value, wherein the fourth lightness value is approximately twice the third lightness value.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
In one embodiment, the drops of ink are directed toward a medium, such as a print media 19, so as to print onto print media 19. Nozzles 13 may be arranged in one or more columns or arrays such that properly sequenced ejection of ink from nozzles 13 causes characters, symbols, and/or other graphics or images to be printed upon print media 19 as inkjet printhead assembly 12 and print media 19 are moved relative to each other.
Print media 19 may include any type of suitable sheet material, such as paper, card stock, envelopes, labels, transparencies, Mylar, and the like. Print media 19 may include a cut-sheet material or a continuous form or continuous web print media such as a continuous roll of unprinted paper.
Ink supply assembly 14 supplies ink to inkjet printhead assembly 12 and includes a reservoir 15 for storing ink. As such, in one embodiment, ink flows from reservoir 15 to inkjet printhead assembly 12. In one embodiment, inkjet printhead assembly 12 and ink supply assembly 14 are housed together in an inkjet print cartridge or pen, as identified by dashed line 30. In another embodiment, ink supply assembly 14 is separate from inkjet printhead assembly 12 and supplies ink to inkjet printhead assembly 12 through an interface connection, such as a supply tube. In either embodiment, reservoir 15 of ink supply assembly 14 may be removed, replaced, and/or refilled.
Carriage assembly 16 positions inkjet printhead assembly 12 relative to media transport assembly 18, and media transport assembly 18 positions print media 19 relative to inkjet printhead assembly 12. As such, a print region 17 within which inkjet printhead assembly 12 deposits ink drops is defined adjacent to nozzles 13 in an area between inkjet printhead assembly 12 and print media 19. In one embodiment, print media 19 is advanced through print region 17 during printing by media transport assembly 18.
Electronic controller 20 communicates with inkjet printhead assembly 12, carriage assembly 16, and media transport assembly 18. Electronic controller 20 receives data 21 from a host system, such as a computer, and may include memory for temporarily storing data 21. Data 21 may be sent to inkjet printing system 10 along an electronic, infrared, optical or other information transfer path. Data 21 represents, for example, an image, graphics, or pattern to be printed. As such, data 21 forms a print job for inkjet printing system 10 and includes one or more print job commands and/or command parameters.
In one embodiment, electronic controller 20 provides control of inkjet printhead assembly 12 including timing control for ejection of ink drops from nozzles 13. As such, electronic controller 20 defines a pattern of ejected ink drops which form characters, symbols, and/or other graphics or images on print media 19. Timing control and, therefore, the pattern of ejected ink drops, is determined by the print job commands and/or command parameters. In one embodiment, logic and drive circuitry forming a portion of electronic controller 20 is located on inkjet printhead assembly 12. In another embodiment, logic and drive circuitry forming a portion of electronic controller is located off inkjet printhead assembly 12.
In one embodiment, ink set 100 is provided by a single inkjet pen or cartridge including separate chambers for each of the inks. Thus, in one embodiment, ink set 100 is provided by a tri-chamber inkjet pen or cartridge including a chamber for light cyan ink 102, a chamber for light magenta ink 104, and a chamber for blue ink 106. In another embodiment, ink set 100 is provided by individual or separate inkjet pens or cartridges for each of the inks. Thus, in one embodiment, ink set 100 is provided by an inkjet pen including light cyan ink 102, an inkjet pen including light magenta ink 104, and an inkjet pen including blue ink 106.
In one embodiment, similar to light cyan ink 102, light magenta ink 104, and blue ink-106, cyan ink 112, magenta ink 114, and yellow ink 116 of ink set 110 are dye-based inks and are formulated to produce a large color gamut and have desirable lightfastness to enable the production of high-quality images. In addition, similar to that described above with reference to ink set 100, cyan ink 112, magenta ink 114, and yellow ink 116 of ink set 110 may be provided by a single inkjet pen or cartridge including separate chambers for each of the inks or by individual or separate inkjet pens or cartridges for each of the inks.
In one embodiment, the light inks of ink set 100 and the corresponding inks of ink set 110, namely light cyan ink 102 and cyan ink 112 and light magenta ink 104 and magenta ink 114 of ink sets 100 and 110, respectively, are distinguished by dye load. For example, in one embodiment, light cyan ink 102 of ink set 100 has a dye load of approximately 0.1 percent to approximately 2.0 percent by weight and light magenta ink 104 of ink set 100 has a dye load of approximately 0.1 percent to approximately 2.0 percent by weight. In addition, cyan ink 112 of ink set 110 has a dye load of approximately 2.0 percent to approximately 10.0 percent by weight and magenta ink 114 of ink set 110 has a dye load of approximately 2.0 percent to approximately 10.0 percent by weight.
In one embodiment, the light inks of ink set 100, namely light cyan ink 102 and light magenta ink 104, and the corresponding inks of ink set 110, namely cyan ink 112 and magenta ink 114, are distinguished by printed lightness values. In one embodiment, the lightness values are L* values as defined by the CIELAB color space system. The CIELAB color space system is based upon standards promulgated by the International Committee on Illumination or CIE (Commission Internationale de' L'Eclairage) in 1976. According to such standards, an L* value of 100 generally equals an ideal diffused perfectly white reflector. As such, with the CIELAB system, L* defines the lightness of a color and ranges from 0 (black) to 100 (white).
In one embodiment, the light inks of ink set 100 have printed lightness values greater than those of the corresponding inks of ink set 110. More specifically, light cyan ink 102 and light magenta ink 104 of ink set 100 have respective lightness values and cyan ink 112 and magenta ink 114 of ink set 110 have respective lightness values such that the lightness values of light cyan ink 102 and light magenta ink 104 are greater than the respective lightness values of cyan ink 112 and magenta ink 114. In one embodiment, for example, light cyan ink 102 and light magenta ink 104 each have a lightness L* value of approximately 60 to approximately 85, and cyan ink 112 and magenta ink 114 each have a lightness L* value of approximately 35 to approximately 55.
In one embodiment, light cyan ink 102 and light magenta ink 104 of ink set 100 mix to form a composite blue on print media 19. Accordingly, the composite blue has a printed lightness value. As such, in one embodiment, formulations of light cyan ink 102, light magenta ink 104, and/or blue ink 106 are selected such that blue ink 106 has a lightness value that is approximately one-half the lightness value of the composite blue formed by light cyan ink 102 and light magenta ink 104. Conversely, the lightness value of the composite blue formed by light cyan ink 102 and light magenta ink 104 is approximately twice the lightness value of blue ink 106. Thus, light cyan ink 102, light magenta ink 104, and blue ink 106 of ink set 100 may be used to print a wide range of lightness values.
In one embodiment, when used in a 6-ink printing system (cmBCMY) as described above, blue ink 106 of ink set 100 is mixed with yellow ink 116 of ink set 110 to form black on print media 19. As such, a separate inkjet pen or chamber of an inkjet pen including black ink may be excluded from the printing system thus increasing versatility of the printing system.
In one embodiment, light gray ink 122, medium gray ink 124, and black ink 126 are dye-based inks and are formulated to produce a large color gamut and have desirable lightfastness to enable the production of high-quality images. In addition, similar to that described above with reference to ink sets 100 and 110, light gray ink 122, medium gray ink 124, and black ink 126 of ink set 120 may be provided by a single inkjet pen or cartridge including separate chambers for each of the inks or provided by individual or separate inkjet pens or cartridges for each of the inks.
In one embodiment, light gray ink 122, medium gray ink 124, and black ink 126 of ink set 120 are distinguished by printed lightness values. More specifically, in one embodiment, light gray ink 122 has a lightness value greater than that of medium gray ink 124, and medium gray ink 124 has a lightness value greater than that of black ink 126. In one embodiment, the lightness values are L* values of the CIELAB color space system, as described above. In one embodiment, for example, light gray ink 122 has a lightness L* value of approximately 50 to approximately 70, medium gray ink 124 has a lightness L* value of approximately 25 to approximately 50, and black ink 126 has a lightness L* value of approximately 0 to approximately 5.
In one embodiment, blue ink 106 of ink set 100 is selected so as to have a relatively high chroma. Chroma refers to the relative colorfulness of a given color. More specifically, chroma is known in the art as the colorfulness of an area judged in proportion to the brightness of a similarly illuminated area that appears to be white. In the CIELAB system, chroma (C*) is defined by the following equation:
C*=(a*2+b*2)
where a* ranges from a negative number (green) to a positive number (red) and b* ranges from a negative number (blue) to a positive number (yellow). In addition, in the CIELAB system, hue or hue angle (h°) is defined by the following equation:
h°=tan-1b*/a*
In one embodiment, as described below, a formulation of blue ink 106 is selected such that blue ink 106 has a chroma C* value of approximately 60 to approximately 90. In one exemplary embodiment, the chroma C* value of blue ink 106 is approximately 80. In addition, in one embodiment, the lightness L* value of blue ink 106 is approximately 25 to approximately 35 and the hue h° value of blue ink 106 is approximately 270 to approximately 290. In one exemplary embodiment, the lightness L* value of blue ink 106 is approximately 27 and the hue h° value of blue ink 106 is approximately 288.
In one embodiment, blue ink 106 of ink set 100 includes a mixture of a phthalocyanine dye and a rhodamine magenta dye in an ink vehicle. Ink vehicles are well known in the art and refer to the vehicle in which a colorant, such as a selected dye or dyes, is placed to form the ink. A wide variety of ink vehicles in varying amounts may be used with the ink formulations of the present invention. Such ink vehicles may include a mixture of a variety of different components including, for example, ingredients such as solvents, buffers, biocides, viscosity modifiers, surface-active agents (surfactants), salts, metal chelators, and water.
In one embodiment, the formulation of blue ink 106 is defined by a percent by weight of the selected dyes. In one embodiment, for example, the amount of phthalocyanine dye is between about 2 percent by weight and about 4 percent by weight of the ink formulation. In addition, the amount of rhodamine magenta dye is between about 1 percent by weight and about 2 percent by weight of the ink formulation. In one exemplary embodiment, the amount of phthalocyanine dye is about 3.5 percent by weight of the ink formulation. In addition, the amount of rhodamine magenta dye is about 1.5 percent by weight of the ink formulation.
In one embodiment, the phthalocyanine dye of blue ink 106 is a cyan dye having a more bluish hue. Examples of phthalocyanine dyes suitable for blue ink 106 include Direct Blue 199 (DB199) dyes having the following structure:
wherein each R group is independently H, SO3H, SO2NH2, or SO2NH-alkyl-OH2, with the proviso that an average of from 2 to 6 R groups are other than H. In one embodiment, the phthalocyanine dye is a sulfonated dye with a degree of aggregation of the cyan being increased by tuning the degree of substitution by sulfoneamine, sulfoneamide, and sulfate groups. In one exemplary embodiment, the phthalocyanine dye is DB199.
In one embodiment, the rhodamine magenta dye of blue ink 106 has a purple hue. Examples of rhodamine magenta dyes suitable for blue ink 106 include Acid Red 52, Acid Red 289, Acid Red 388, and mixtures thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the rhodamine magenta dye of blue ink 106 is Acid Red 52 (AR52) available, for example, from Avecia Limited, Manchester, UK.
In one embodiment, the ink formulation of blue ink 106 also includes a metal-stabilized or metalized magenta dye. The metalized magenta dye, for example, helps stabilize the rhodamine magenta dye from light fade. A metalized magenta dye is defined as a magenta dye which includes a metal ion complex. Various methods for complexing metal ions to organic chemical groups, such as by chelation, are known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, a variety of metal ions, such as nickel, copper, cobalt, and iron may be used to create the metal ion complex.
In one embodiment, the metalized magenta dye is a copper- or nickel-containing azo dye. In one embodiment, the amount of metalized magenta dye is between about 0.1 percent by weight and about 10 percent by weight of the ink formulation.
With respect to the copper- or nickel-containing azo dye, any functional dye that meets these criteria can be used. Examples include CI Reactive Red 23, and CI Reactive Red 23 in the pacified form. An example of such a Reactive Red 23 in the pacified form includes the following structure:
wherein each M can be H or a monovalent ion such as Na+, Li+, K+, NH4+, and combinations thereof. Alternative examples include nickel metalized naphthol azo triazole dyes, and dyes having the following structure:
wherein M can be H or a monovalent ion such as Na+, Li+, K+, NH4+, and combinations thereof. Though the dye(s) shown above are functionalized with SO3 (or SO3M) groups at specific locations, this is provided by example only. One skilled in the art would recognize that other solubilizing groups or other locations can be functionalized with similar success. Such modifications are included herein. As mentioned, the copper- or nickel-containing azo dye can be a single copper- or nickel-containing azo dye, or can be at least two copper- or nickel-containing azo dyes blended together.
Different inks were formulated and qualities of the formulated inks were measured in an effort to assess the benefits of the present invention. Namely, the effect of different amounts of each dye component on the values of lightness, chroma, and hue was measured. In one embodiment, three different ink formulations were prepared having the following compositions:
While all of the inks had the same ink vehicles and included a phthalocyanine dye and a rhodamine magenta dye of Acid Red 52, each had different weight percentages of phthalocyanine dye and Acid Red 52. For example, ink formulation 1.1 had 2.3 percent by weight phthalocyanine dye and 1.0 percent by weight Acid Red 52, ink formulation 1.2 had 2.875 percent by weight phthalocyanine dye and 1.25 percent by weight Acid Red 52, and ink formulation 1.3 had 3.45 percent by weight phthalocyanine dye and 1.50 percent by weight Acid Red 52.
Lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue (h°) for each of the ink formulations identified above was measured and is provided in Table 4 below. As shown in Table 4, chroma is increased with the ink formulation 1.3.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed on even date herewith, having attorney docket number 200401844, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference.
