Claims
- 1. An ink jet printing apparatus for producing an image on an ink receiver having a coating thereon in response to a digital image, comprising:
- a) at least one ink reservoir for providing ink for printing the image;
- b) a print head means coupled to an ink receiver and at least one ink reservoir, for disposing ink spots on the coating on the ink receiver; and
- c) a processing tank containing a fluid for treating the ink spots disposed on the ink receiver by bonding with the coating on the ink receiver, thereby improving the stability, durability, and quality of the image.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ink spots are disposed on the receiver in response to a digital input.
- 3. The ink jet printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a drop-on-demand ink jet printer.
- 4. The ink jet printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a continuous ink jet printer.
- 5. The ink jet printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inks comprise color pigments.
- 6. The ink jet printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inks comprise dyes.
- 7. The ink jet printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises a compound having a blocked aldehyde functional group and the coating is a layer of gelatin.
- 8. The ink jet printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises a compound having aldehyde functional groups and the coating is a layer of gelatin.
- 9. The ink jet printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises a compound having active olefinic functional groups and the coating is a layer of gelatin.
- 10. The ink jet printing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the ink receiver comprises resin coated paper stock which has been treated with a corona discharge and coated with an imaging layer at an area density of about 800 mg/ft.sup.2.
- 11. An ink jet printing apparatus for reproducing an image on an ink receiver having a coating in response to a digital image, comprising:
- a) a computer adapted to receive the input digital image;
- b) at least one ink reservoir for providing ink for printing the image;
- c) a print head means coupled to the ink receiver and one ink reservoir, for producing ink spots on the ink receiver in response to the computer;
- d) a processing tank containing a fluid for treating the ink spots disposed on the ink receiver by bonding with the coating of the ink receiver in the processing tank, thereby improving the stability, durability, and quality of the image.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the ink reservoir in step (b) contains color ink.
- 13. A method of producing an image on an ink receiver using the apparatus of claim 1 or 11, comprising the steps of:
- a) ejecting ink from the ink reservoir through the print head and disposing said ink onto the ink receiver;
- b) moving the ink receiver to a processing tank; and
- c) treating the ink spots disposed on the ink receiver in step a) with the fluid in the processing tank.
- 14. A digital printing apparatus for producing an image on a receiver having a coating in response to a digital image, comprising:
- a) means for producing an image on the receiver; and
- b) a processing tank containing a fluid for treating the receiver with the image by bonding with the coating on the ink receiver, thereby improving the stability, durability, and quality of the image.
- 15. An ink jet printing arrangement for producing an image on an ink receiver in response to a digital image, comprising:
- a coating of gelatin on the ink receiver;
- at least one ink reservoir for providing ink for printing the image;
- a print head means coupled to the ink receiver and at least one ink reservoir for disposing ink spots on the coating on the ink receiver, and
- a processing tank containing a solution, which solution contains a hardening compound selected from the group consisting of a compound containing a blocked aldehyde functional group, aldehyde functional groups and active olefinic functional groups, for bonding with gelatin to improve the stability, durability, and quality of the image formed by the ink spots.
- 16. The arrangement of claim 15 wherein the ink spots are disposed on the receiver in response to a digital input.
- 17. The ink jet printing arrangement of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is a drop-on-demand ink jet printer.
- 18. The ink jet printing arrangement of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is a continuous ink jet printer.
- 19. The ink jet printing arrangement of claim 15 wherein the inks comprise color pigments.
- 20. The ink jet printing arrangement of claim 15 wherein the inks comprise dyes.
- 21. The ink jet printing arrangement of claim 15 wherein the coating of gelatin has an area density of about 800 mg/ft.sup.2.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present invention is related to commonly assigned, concurrently filed:
The disclosures of these related applications are incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (28)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th Edition, T.H. James, 1977. McMillan Publishing Co., pp. 77-87. |
Research Disclosure, vol. 365, Sep. 1994, Item 36544, II B. Hardeners. |