Ink-Jet Printing: Detection of Liquid Distribution by 1D MRI

Ink-jet printing applying water-based inks currently attracts more attention also due to ecologic reasons. Problems occur during storage and transport of printed paper due to the liquid distribution within the paper or carton board. NMR spectroscopy and µCT were adapted and applied to investigate inks, papers and carton boards. The components already show a large variability in their properties which becomes even more important when investigating them together, in combination, in a pseudo-printing process, for example, by MRI. The process of liquid dispersion in the paper substrate was investigated, time-resolved with one-dimensional spatial resolution along the printing direction, which allowed us to study penetration and spread of the fluid in the substrate. The focus of this paper is on the methodical basis of this process. The experiments reveal technically relevant parameters like chemical composition of inks, pore size distribution of the paper, and kinetics of ink penetration and distribution in combination of both, but also show the multitude of influencing parameters in printing processes.