Patent ID: 9724909
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: B41F,B41M,B41N,B41P

Claim:
1. A method for ink-based digital printing, comprising: applying a uniform layer of dampening fluid to a surface of an imaging member; laser patterning the dampening fluid layer by selectively removing portions of the dampening fluid according to digital image data; and inking the laser-patterned dampening fluid layer on the imaging member surface with an aqueous heterogeneous ink comprising self-coalescing polymeric nanoparticles that are less than 500 nm in size, optionally swellable with the ink vehicle, to form an ink image, wherein the self-coalescing polymeric nanoparticles in the aqueous heterogeneous ink self-coalesce without active rheological conditioning before the ink is transferred from the imaging member surface, wherein the polymeric nanoparticles are formed from sulfonated polyester polymer resin and wherein the imaging member surface comprises a flourosilicone.