Lexmark International, Inc.

Ann M Piekunka

Bradley Leonard Beach

James M Mrvos

Terence E Franey

Agnes Kam Zimmer

James F Feeman

Jerry F Stone

Kathryn E Burns

Paul Timothy Spivey

Richard B Watkins

Rodney O Aulick

Ashok Vishnu Gangal

Allen C Sanders

Matthew D Clift

An aqueous jet ink of water, dissolved dyes and a surfactant of R--N(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.x (C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.y H, where x+y is from 5 to 25, with x and y each at least 2, and R is alkyl or oxygen containing. The static surface tension is less than 40 dynes/cm while the dynamic surface tension is about 65 dynes/cm. Satellites and splatter in thermal drop on demand printing are greatly reduced, and drop misdirection is reduced.

Jet ink with amine surfactant

A dye having a representative formula as follows and an ink providing waterfast printing having the dye, in which a surfactant is not essential: ##STR1##

Dye having hydrophobic substituent and aqueous ink

Aqueous inks containing 1,2-alkyl of from C4 to C10 diols, specifically 1,2-hexanediol or 1,2-pentanediol are employed in jet inks. Two such inks of different colors applied side-by-side to paper do not bleed and therefore give excellent image definition. The diols are not flammable, odorous or highly volatile.

Inks used in multi-color printing

Hydroxyethylated polyethyleneimine is added to jet ink having an anionic dye to prevent whisker forming overnight. To avoid excessive viscosity at start-up, the polyethyleneimine is low molecular weight or a low molecular weight hydroxyethylated amine is combined with high molecular weight polyethyleneimine.

Jet inks avoiding solid formation

A water-soluble dye for a color subtractive, lightfast, wide spectrum ink as follows: ##STR1## wherein: X is ##STR2## R.sub.1 is: an aliphatic radical having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; the radical ##STR3## in which R.sub.2 is --H, -lower alkyl of 1 to 4 C atoms, -lower alkoxy, -halogen, --NO.sub.2 --CN, --CO.sub.2 H;

Magenta dye, jet ink, and color set

A waterfast ink having 3.0% Food Black 2, 2.5% highly hydroxyethylated polyethyleneimine, 10.0% ammonium benzoate, and the balance water. The invention appears to function upon loss of water after printing by a polar neutralizing between the dye and the polyimine, which results in an affinity of the dye to paper. It is applicable to any dye having anionic solubilizing groups but not having quaternary ammonium and to any ammonium salt.

Waterfast aqueous inks

A printer ribbon having nigrosine dye with hydroxide counter ion, preferably at 23% by weight, in an oleic acid vehicle to form an ink saturating a fabric. The ribbon has the long life of a dye-only fabric ribbon and is effective for both correspondence and bar code applications.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Ann M Piekunka