Inkjet printer and inkjet printing method using the same

Abstract

Provided is an inkjet printer which is capable of preventing ink flow and color blurring as well as color mixing during multicolor printing when image formation is performed with aqueous ink on a web-shaped printing base material, and an inkjet printing method using the inkjet printer. The inkjet printer is configured to perform image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base material, and comprises: a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing base material; a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and a surface pre-heating unit which is arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and is configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image formation through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is performed on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit.

In the claims: 
     
         1 . An inkjet printer for aqueous ink which is configured to perform image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base material, the inkjet printer comprising:
 a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing base material;   a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and   a surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and the surface pre-heating unit being configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image formation through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is performed on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit.   
     
     
         2 . An inkjet printer according to  claim 1 , wherein heating by the surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing means for applying hot air to the surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 
     
     
         3 . An inkjet printer according to  claim 2 , wherein the hot air blowing means comprises:
 a nozzle group main body having a plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material; and   a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps formed in the nozzle group main body.   
     
     
         4 . An inkjet printer according to  claim 1 , further comprising a back surface heating unit configured to heat a back surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 
     
     
         5 . An inkjet printer according to  claim 4 , wherein heating by the back surface heating unit is performed via one of a hot air blowing means and a hot plate. 
     
     
         6 . An inkjet printer according to  1 , wherein the web-shaped printing base material is a transparent film. 
     
     
         7 . An inkjet printing method, comprising:
 providing an inkjet printer comprising:
 a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey a web-shaped printing base material; 
 a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and 
 a surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and the surface pre-heating unit is configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material; 
   performing, via the inkjet printer, single-pass system image formation via the single-pass system inkjet head with aqueous ink on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit of the inkjet printer.   
     
     
         8 . An inkjet printing method according to  claim 7 , wherein heating by the surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing means for applying hot air to the surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 
     
     
         9 . An inkjet printing method according to  claim 8 , wherein the hot air blowing means comprises:
 a nozzle group main body having a plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material; and   a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps formed in the nozzle group main body.   
     
     
         10 . An inkjet printing method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 providing a back surface heating unit configured to heat a back surface of the web-shaped printing base material.   
     
     
         11 . An inkjet printing method according to  claim 10 , wherein heating by the back surface heating unit is performed via one of a hot air blowing means and a hot plate. 
     
     
         12 . An inkjet printing method according to  claim 7 , wherein the web-shaped printing base material is a transparent film.