Measurement of Viscosity Increasing Process of Ink Droplets after Landing on Media

Abstract

In order to achieve high image quality in the development of an inkjet imaging system, it is necessary to arrange the ink dots at the target position and size. When neighboring dots interfere with each other and the position and size of the dots change from the target, image quality defects, such as beading, occur. To avoid this, the ink droplets should be spread and solidified quickly. Understanding the solidification states of the ink droplets and the time it takes to reach them are important to optimize the inkjet imaging process. In this report, a measuring method of the time change in viscosity of an ink droplet after landing on media using dynamic light scattering was developed. The relationship between the wetting and the increasing viscosity in the ink droplets has been understood, and it has been possible to directly confirm that the ink droplets are behaving as intended in the imaging process.