Inkjet Printing Substrates Rafi Bronstein [e-mail]

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Inkjet Printing SubstratesRafi
BronsteinRafi.Bronstein_at_HP.com
Inkjet Printing
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Inkjet ink

• An inkjet ink is a low viscosity liquid
  containing various pigments and/or dyes and some
  other components. It is used for coloring a
  surface to produce an image
• Spreads faster than it dries/cures

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Inkjet Inks

• Inkjet inks are absorbent substances and require
  specially coated paper for optimum results.
• Photographic" inkjet papers work with the
  characteristics of the ink to reproduce
  photo-quality images.
• Inkjet paper should have excellent ink adherence,
  high scratch and kink resistance, bleed control
  for sharp edges and high densities for more
  vibrant colours.

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Types of Inkjet Printing Substrates

• Substrate is a term used in industrial printing
  to describe the base material onto which images
  will be printed. Base materials include (though
  are not limited to)
• films,
• foils,
• textiles,
• fabrics,
• plastics,
• any variety of paper and others

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Substrate Requirements

• Runnability - the ability of the paper to be
  transported smoothly through the print engine
• Printability - the ability of the media,
  interacting with the marking material, to produce
  an image of the desired quality
• Usability - a variety of characteristics such as
  overall look and feel, freedom from curl, cockle
  and bleed-through, image permanence, and
  readiness for finishing operations such as
  folding, creasing and binding.
• Lightfastness - ultraviolet or UV stability is a
  very important feature that is completely
  determined by the inks and media.

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Substrate Requirements

• Porosity special coating providing fast ink
  absorption
• Gloss type of finishing/coating that ensures
  special image quality
• Minimal delta E

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Inkjet Paper

• Inkjet paper is paper designed for inkjet
  printers, typically classified by its weight
  (gram/m2), brightness and smoothness, and
  sometimes by its opacity.
• Inkjet printing requires the paper to have
  exactly the right degree of absorbency to accept
  the ink but prevent its sideways spread.

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Coated paper properties

• - Limits and controls dot size and shape
• - Holds colorant on surface, control the
  absorption rate
• - Provide brilliant and neutral reflective
  background
• - Reduces "curling"
• - Provide various textures, and appearance

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Examples of Substrate Caused Print Defects
Puddling
Curl
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Examples of Substrate Caused Print Defects
Banding
Mottling
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Examples of Substrate Caused Print Defects
Bleed
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Types of coatings

• Barrier coating (prevents saturation)
• Reflective coating
• Sealer coating
• Texture/Finish coating
• Gloss coating

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Ink Receptive Coatings

• Base substrate
• paper, PE film, fabric, vinyl
• Fiber based coated
• Photo based glossy coating
• Synthetic base coated

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Inkjet Receptive Coating
PAPER CROSS SECTION
Top coating
Control coat
Cellulose fibers
Back coat
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Inkjet Receptive Coating Functions

• Before printing
• Tactile properties improvement (smoothness,
  stickiness), optical properties (brightness,
  whiteness), mechanical properties (curl,
  coefficient of friction)
• In course of printing
• Control the movement of ink vehicle on the
  surface, to affect image quality and ink
  absorption rate
• After printing
• Durability, handleability

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Receptive Coating Components

• Polymer coating
• Improves strength, affects wettability, holds
  colorant at the surface, improves smoothness
• Pigment coating
• Increases stiffness, affects porosity, absorbs
  water, increases brightness and opacity
• Additives
• Improves manufacturing conditions

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Types of Inkjet Receptive Coating

• Porous coating

SUBSTRATE
SUBSTRATE
H2O/Solvent evaporation
SUBSTRATE
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Types of Inkjet Receptive Coating

• Swellable coating

SUBSTRATE
SUBSTRATE
H2O/Solvent evaporation
SUBSTRATE

• Hybrid coating

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Porous Coating

• Absorbs ink via capillary pressure
• Fast ink absorption
• Limited ink holding capacity
• Potentially high water resistance
• Low lightfastness with dye inks
• Colorant penetration
• Limited substrate choice

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Swellable Coating

• Absorbs ink via solvation and diffusion
• Slow ink absorption
• Large ink holding capacity
• Potentially low water resistance
• High lightfastness with dye inks
• Suitable for a variety of substrates

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Hybrid Coating

• A subclass of swellable coating
• Requires large amount of coating pigment

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Photographic inkjet paper
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Film substrates

• TRANSPARENCY FILM
• Special surface to hold the ink
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• SILVER REFLECTIVE FILM
• Excellent special affects
• Applications include marketing, certificates,
  crafts, business cards
• WINDOW DECAL
• Clear film with an adhesive backing
• Backlit film
• Is a unique translucent flexible sign face
  material,
•  

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Film substrates

• Mesh - A unique open-weave flexible sign face
  material.
• Bright white background for accurate colors
• Material consistency for image quality
• Strong lightweight flexible material
• Stretch-free for long-term mechanical stability
• Semi-gloss finish for luminescent graphics
• Resists scratches, punctures, wrinkles and folds
• Seamable
• Canvas - An environmentally friendly polyester
  fabric. Coated for optimized ink adhesion and
  color reproduction
• Bright white background for accurate colors
• Unique texture for optimized print results
• Stretchable fabric for framing
• Optimized tensile strength for Matte finish for
  indoor application
• Sewable
• Repels pollution and washes clean in water
• Tolerates repeated rolling and unrolling
•  

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Polyester Substrate
Image printed on uncoated (left) and coated
(right) polyester films
Imaged polyester with cracked coating in printed
area
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Finishing

• Hem
• Seaming
• Sewing
• Pole Pockets
• Grommets
• In panels
• No finishing

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New substrates drives

• Digital printing
• New applications enabled

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Ink jet Printing Substrates
Wall Covering
Paper
Paper
Mylar
Fabricated products
Textile
GA
Paper
Paper
Rigid
Floor covering
Wide Format
Signage
CAD
Security
Printed glass
POP
1990
2010
1985
2005
1995
2000
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QA

• Do you have any questions?

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Thank you