Nondestructive microscopic and spectroscopic mehtods for depth profiling of ink jet prints

• The binding process of printing inks on the printing substrate is one of the final phases in the creative chain of a new product formation—the print. It is not only the expected mechanism of ink drying that influences the ink distribution on the substrate surface, but also the properties of the substrate itself. Many factors, like hydrophobicity, roughness, and porosity influence the ink distribution on both coated and uncoated papers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of several nondestructive methods in the analysis of vertical and radial ink distribution on diverse ink jet prints. What are the limits and the extent of confocal Raman, ultraviolet (UV) Raman, CLSM and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) PAS in the analysis of ink jet ink distribution in the z direction of the print? In the experiment, both dye- and pigment-based ink jet inks were printed on different types of coated and uncoated papers. The results show a correlation between the confocal Raman and CLSM methods for depth profiling. UV Raman proved useful in the surface analysis of prints while FTIR PAS was useful for measurements at low depth in the z direction. The applied microscopic and spectroscopic methods provide a precise distinction between the upper homogeneous and the inside nonhomogeneous ink layers. Sporadic streams of deeply penetrated ink jet ink were also detected.

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