| Author | Somchoke Limwongsaree |
| Note | A special project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Master of Engineering (Professional) in
Pulp and Paper Technology, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Ink jet printing, due to its low cost and ability to produce full color prints with excellent
print quality as well as more compact printhead, becomes fast popular and more acceptable
to use for a wide range of the applications from home/office use to industrial use. As a
consequent of this popularity, the author is interested in studying the ink jet technology
with the main focus on ink-paper interactions and factors affecting the final print quality.
Better understanding of these issues is of great importance in improving the quality of ink
jet paper in order to fast serve the increasing quality demand from customers.
This special project is carried out through reviewing and analysis of the relevant
information from various sources including both academic and industrial publications. The
study covers important issues concerning the factors affecting ink jet print quality which
includes the impact of an ink, a printer, a paper, and ink and paper interactions.
Additionally, the influence of coating components including pigment, binder, and cationic
additives on ink jet print quality is also discussed in this paper.
The investigation suggests that the final print quality is predominantly determined not only
by the printhead technology, but also by the properties of the ink and paper. The complex
interaction of the ink and paper also plays an important role in determining the print
quality. Van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic forces are three key
interactions taking place when the ink immediately contacts the surface of paper. It is
found that the modification of coating formulation, for example by adding absorptive
polymer (gelatin, PVA, PVP, etc.) and/or cationic additives, is essential if an image with
high permanence and excellent print quality is to be attained. Consequently, the
development of ink receptive coating in order to correctly control ink penetration and
spreading as well as to increase ink-paper interaction has made a major breakthrough in the
improvement of ink jet print quality. |
| Year | 2008 |
| Type | Special Study Project Report (SSPR) |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Pulp and Paper Technology (PP) |
| Chairperson(s) | Lehtinen, Esa; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Nazhad, Mousa M.;Viljakainen, Esa; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | SCG Paper Public Company Limited; |