The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 04, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 10, 2000
Ann P. Holloway, Lexington, KY (US);
Jean Marie Massie, Lexington, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc, Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
A method of printing uses an inkjet print head to print an ink containing about 0.01 to about 15 wt. % of a wetting agent onto an intermediate transfer surface to form an image on the intermediate transfer surface. The method transfers the image from the intermediate transfer surface to a final medium while the ink is partially wet. The wetting agent may be a 1,2 alkyldiol having 4-10 carbon atoms or a diether alcohol having 6-14 carbon atoms. 1,2 hexanediol and hexylcarbitol, respectively, are particularly suitable wetting agents. If 1,2 hexanediol is used as the wetting agent, the ink may contain about 1.0 to about 5.0 wt. % hexanediol. If hexylcarbitol is used as the wetting agent, the ink may contain about 0.1 to about 2.5 wt. % of hexylcarbitol. The intermediate transfer surface may be coated with a coating solution. In this case, the ink should have a surface energy different from that of the coating solution by no more than about about 10 dynes/cm. The coating solution may contain polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and if so, about 0.01 to about 20 wt. % PVP is suitable. The PVP should have a molecular weight greater than about 400,000.