Dye-sublimation inkjet printing for textile

Abstract

Provided herein is an inkjet dye-sublimation ink composition that is formulated to interact with an immobilizing composition such that the ink composition coagulates on the surface of an absorptive substrate, thereby substantially limiting soaking of the ink composition into the substrate. Also provided are a printing process and a printing machine, wherein the ink composition is directly printed on the substrate concomitantly with the immobilizing composition, and thereafter undergo heat-pressing to afford a dye-sublimation transfer of the dye to the substrate, thereby forming an image which is characterized by sharp and well defined edges of the dyed areas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dye-sublimation ink composition, comprising a sublimable dye, a property-sensitive agent and an aqueous carrier, wherein:
 the composition is substantially devoid of a film-forming agent; and   said property-sensitive agent is characterized by causing congelation of the composition upon contacting a property-adjusting agent.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said property-sensitive agent is selected from the group consisting of an alkali-soluble agent, an acid-sensitive agent, a metal oxide-sensitive agent, a divalent metal cation-sensitive agent, and a combination thereof, and said property-adjusting agent is selected correspondingly from the group consisting of an acid, a metal oxide and a divalent metal cation. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein said property-sensitive agent is a dispersing agent, associated with dispersing or emulsifying said sublimable dye in said carrier. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , having a pH higher than 7.5. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , suitable for direct inkjet printing from an inkjet printhead by being characterized by at least one of:
 a maximal particle size of less than 1 microns;   a dynamic viscosity at shear that ranges from 2 to 25 centipoises;   a printing temperature Brookfield viscosity less than 25 centipoises;   a surface tension that ranges from 24 to 32 mN/m; and   an electrical resistance of 50 to 2000 ohm per centimeter.   
     
     
         6 . An inkjet printing kit comprising the dye-sublimation ink composition of  claim 1  and an immobilizing composition that comprises a property-adjusting agent and a carrier, said property-adjusting agent is selected from the group consisting of an acid, a metal oxide and a divalent metal cation. 
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 6 , identified in print, in or on said packaging material, for use in printing an image on an absorptive substrate using the dye-sublimation ink composition, while immobilizing the ink composition upon contact with said immobilizing composition. 
     
     
         8 . The kit of  claim 6 , wherein each of said immobilizing composition and said ink composition are packaged separately in a packaging material.