Penetration control based on penetration theory is important for inkjet printing because ink penetration affects print quality and productivity. However, existing theories of pigment ink penetration are many unanswered questions regarding the penetration behavior inside the media. In this study, three-dimensional penetration shapes of two types of pigment inks with different particle sizes onto three types of porous polyimide films were measured by X-ray CT (computational tomography) to elucidate the influence of media void size, hydrophilicity, and pigment particle size. The results showed that when the media void size was larger than the pigment particle size, the stronger the capillary force of the media, the more pigment particles densely penetrated into the media. Under conditions where the media void size and pigment particle size are almost equal or smaller, penetration is suppressed because pigment particles tend to clog the void space.

In recent years, there has been a demand for interior designs of vehicle cabins that emphasize comfort and pleasantness, creating a luxurious space. However, natural materials are costly, and there are challenges related to weight reduction and compatibility with electrostatic panels, leading to a demand for alternative materials. Conventional metal-like decorative expressions typically rely on plating, but due to significant environmental impacts, the development of alternative methods is being actively pursued. Melt transfer printing can be used as an alternative to plating, enabling high-gloss printing with metallic ink that conveys a sense of luxury, and when combined with lighting systems, it allows for light-based effects. Additionally, it is possible to print without conductivity, enabling combinations with millimeter waves and electrostatic sensors. Furthermore, it is becoming possible to address the previously troublesome limitations on print sizes. This paper introduces the features of our on-demand metal decorative printing using melt transfer printing.

DNP has developed a next-generation decorative panel that realizes an advanced seamless design and comfortable interior space. This panel can hide displays and operation switches and can show images and switches without changing the color of the original light source, which is difficult with conventional technology.

For display applications, we optimized the micropore diameter and pitch during micropore formation to eliminate moiré patterns and glare. Consequently, clear images can now be displayed, even on displays with resolutions of 200 dpi or higher. Currently, micro-LED (light emitting diode) s and mini-LED local dimming displays have been introduced instead of conventional LCD (liquid crystal display) s, which have high brightness, and they enable brightening only the necessary areas, making them extremely compatible with next-generation decorative panels.

In the future, this technology is expected to be applied not only in the interior space of automobiles but also in various situations, such as housing and home appliance industries.

Security features have been playing a crucial role since the history of banknotes began. For many years, the advances of industrial technologies and the change in circumstances surrounding banknotes have generated new and emerging threat to banknote security. This paper approaches the subject of security features from an evaluation viewpoint, being principally concerned with production technologies, which are partially confidential, difficult to imitate by commercially available alternative technologies and ease in authenticity including quality consistency for authentication accuracy following on the effectiveness of past and present security features against counterfeiting.

This paper discusses the technique of “decorating without decoration” for plastic products. Traditional plastic decoration methods such as painting, printing, and plating aim to enhance appearance and tactile quality, but in recent years approaches leveraging the material's inherent color and surface geometry have gained attention. “Decorating without decoration” refers to techniques that use coloration and texture to impart a high-quality, premium feel without adding any external decorative layers. This approach is also significant for its potential to reduce environmental impact and to facilitate single-material (monomaterial) product design. The paper outlines the evolution of plastic decoration techniques and introduces specific “decorating without decoration” methods along with the molding technologies underpinning them.

This article explains the technical evolution of projectors up to the current digital projectors, and the expansion of the uses of digital projectors that has accompanied this evolution. In addition, creating space is an area that has seen particularly rapid expansion in recent years in terms of the uses of digital projectors. The features of digital projectors that are particularly useful for immersive creating space, using Fujifilm's Z series as an example.

Chemical functionalization of poly (arylenebutadiynylene) s and their applications to organic solar cells and thin-film transistors are described. The terminal alkynes of poly (arylenebutadiynylene) s are utilized as functional groups for azide-alkyne click reaction to introduce polystyrene chains. The resulting coil-rod-coil type block copolymer was demonstrated to be an effective compatibilizer for bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells because it could promote nano-phase separation of donor and acceptor domains. In addition, by thermally annealing poly (arylenebutadiynylene) films at appropriate temperatures, topochemical reactions of the butadiyne units proceeded, resulting in cross-linked semiconducting polymer films. By tuning the cross-linking density, enhanced crystallinity was achieved, which led to an improved hole mobility in thin-film transistors.