| abstract |
Systems and methods for providing smudge resistant and durable ink-jet images having good optical density are provided. Specifically, a system for printing durable ink-jet ink images can comprise a set of two ink-jet pens, preferably thermal ink-jet pens. The first ink-jet pen contains an ink-jet ink, wherein the ink-jet ink comprises a first liquid vehicle, from 0.5% to 6% by weight of a pigment colorant, and from 0.2% to 15% by weight of an anionic or neutral latex-containing colloidal suspension. The second ink-jet pen contains a fixer composition, wherein the fixer composition comprises effective amounts of second liquid vehicle, and from 0.2% to 15% by weight of a cationic polymer such as poly(vinyl pyridine) salts, polyalkylaminoethyl acrylates, polyalkylaminoethyl methacrylates, poly(vinyl imidazole); or preferably, polyethyleneimines, polybiguanides, and/or polyguanides. When applied to the substrate, upon overprinting or underprinting the fixer composition with respect to the ink-jet ink, a durable and smudge resistant image is formed. A method of the present invention can utilize the system and provide for underprinting or overprinting the fixer composition as desired. |