Ink compositions and multicolor thermal ink jet printing process for the production of high quality images

Abstract: Disclosed is a set of inks for printing multicolor images in an ink jet printer, said ink set comprising (A) a first ink having a first color and comprising water and a colorant selected from the group consisting of (1) anionic dyes, (2) dyes having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, (3) pigment particles having anionic groups chemically attached thereto, (4) pigment particles having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, and (5) mixtures thereof; and (B) a second ink comprising water, an optional colorant having a color other than the first color, and an ammonium salt having at least two cationic ammonium functional groups, wherein the colorant in the first ink is capable of being immobilized on a printing substrate by interaction with the ammonium salt having at least two cationic ammonium functional groups in the second ink, thereby enabling reduced intercolor bleed.

Description: The present invention is directed to a set of inks for printing multicolor images in an ink jet printer. More specifically, the present invention is directed to the use of aqueous ink compositions particularly suitable for the production of high quality images on print substrates. The ink compositions used in the present invention reduce intercolor bleed and enhance optical density. The present invention is also directed to multicolor ink jet printing processes for the production of high quality images on print substrates. In a multicolor ink jet printing process, several inks can be printed on a print substrate. In some instances two different inks can be printed next to each other. Intercolor bleed can occur if the inks are not dried properly or if the printing process is too fast for the ink set. Undesired ink mixing on a print substrate, especially on the surface of a plain paper, can cause severely distorted images near the border of two inks. After ink drying, the border of the two inks shows irregular structure with poor edge sharpness (or raggedness) because of the invasion of one ink into the other. The bleed images are not desirable and can be detected easily by eyes. This phenomenon is called intercolor bleed or color bleed. Intercolor bleed occurs particularly when a darker ink (such as a black ink) and a lighter ink (such as a yellow ink, a cyan ink, magenta ink, or the like) are printed next to each other, because of high contrast between the two colors. Intercolor bleed can also occur when two color inks are printed next to each other (for example, a yellow ink next to a magenta ink, a yellow ink next to a cyan ink, a magenta ink next to a cyan ink, or the like). The severity of the intercolor bleed generally is affected by ink type and composition, absorption rate of the printed substrate, printhead design, ink drop mass, ink dot size, and method and speed of printing. There is a need to reduce intercolor bleed and to produce high quality multicolor ink jet images on print substrates, including plain and coated papers, transparencies, textiles, and other desired substrates. A need remains for ink compositions suitable for high resolution and high speed ink jet printing. A major concern with all ink jet printers, and with high resolution ink jet printers in particular, is clogging of the nozzles during operation and between operations. This clogging is caused by evaporation of an organic solvent or water from the opening of the nozzle. In dye based inks, this evaporation can cause crystallization or precipitation of soluble ink components, such as dyes or solid additives, as well as causing an increase in ink viscosity. In pigment based inks, this evaporation can cause precipitation of the pigment particles because of flocculation or aggregation, or precipitation of solid additives, as well as causing an increase in ink viscosity. Initial evaporation of water and solvent generally causes an increase in ink viscosity, which affects the ability of the heater or resistor of a printhead to fire a drop of ink properly through the nozzle. Accordingly, a desirable characteristic of ink jet inks is the ability of the ink to remain in a fluid and jettable condition in a printhead opening that is exposed to air. The maximum idling time that still allows a printhead to jet a first drop of ink with a transit time of 100 microseconds or less wherein the ink travels a distance of 0.5 millimeters after a period of nonuse or idling is called the latency (1st drop) or decapped time. The maximum idling time that still allows a printhead to jet a 9th drop of ink with a transit time of 100 microseconds or less wherein the ink travels a distance of 0.5 millimeters after a period of nonuse or idling is called the 9th drop latency or decapped time. This test is run with the printhead or nozzles uncovered or decapped and generally at a relative humidity of 15 percent. The time interval is the longest period of time that the printhead, uncovered, will still fire a specified drop (1st drop or 9th drop) without a failure. The longer the latency (1st drop latency or 9th drop latency) time rating, the more desirable is the ink for use in an ink jet printer. The inception of clogging can also cause distortion of the image or alphanumeric characters being printed by the printhead. This distortion can appear as a drop of ink that is displaced from its intended position. Sometimes two drops of ink will be formed equally spaced from the intended target position. Misplacement of the ink drops can also lead to intercolor bleed and poor image quality as a result of the undesired mixing of two color inks in a multicolor ink jet printing process. Intercolor bleed occurs particularly near the border areas of two colors. Sometimes small numerous satellite drops are also produced. On some occasions the drop can even reach its intended position but at a lower drop volume or drop mass and produce a lower optical density image. Ultimately, the clogged nozzle can fail to fire entirely, and no image can be generated on a print substrate, resulting in an image defect. With the demand for higher resolution printers, the nozzles of printheads in ink jet printers are correspondingly decreasing in size. Nozzle openings of a printhead are typically about 50 to 80 microns in width or diameter for a 300 spots per inch (300 spi) resolution printhead. With the advent of higher resolution (for example, 360 spi, 400 spi, 600 spi, 720 spi, and the like) printheads, these nozzle openings are even smaller, and are typically about 10 to about 49 microns in width or diameter. These printheads with small nozzle dimensions can require special inks that do not easily clog the small nozzle openings. Some antibleed ink compositions comprising gel-like materials or multivalent metal salts in combination with certain incompatible colorants can have difficulty in jetting effectively through the small nozzles of a high resolution printhead. Thus, a need remains for ink jet ink compositions that not only enable reduced intercolor bleed, but also exhibit the ability to be used in a high resolution printhead. In a high speed ink jet printer, inks preferably are able to print at a high frequency, preferably at least 4 KiloHertz. Inks containing high molecular weight materials can have high viscosity and are not particularly suitable for fast ink jet printing. In addition, inks with high viscosity tend to have even higher viscosity upon water and solvent evaporation (due to idling), which results in short ink latency, poor ink jettability, and slow refill. Such inks may not be suitable for high speed ink jet printing. Antibleed inks that can function in a high resolution printhead with a high frequency response are desirable because they allow the inks to be printed at a high speed with good throughput and good print quality. There is also a need for the development of ink jet ink compositions that exhibit low viscosity with good jettability and refill characteristic in addition to the ability to reduce intercolor bleed. Accordingly, while known compositions and processes are suitable for their intended purposes, a need remains for improved multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes. In addition, a need remains for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes wherein the prints generated exhibit reduced intercolor bleed. Further, a need remains for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes wherein the prints generated exhibit excellent image quality. Additionally, a need remains for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes with rapid printing times. There is also a need for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes wherein the prints generated exhibit improved optical density of the black and/or color image areas. In addition, there is a need for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes which employ materials, software, and hardware of low cost. Further, there is a need for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes which enable reduced kogation. Additionally, there is a need for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes which can be used in conjunction with microwave drying of the prints. A need also remains for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes wherein the prints generated exhibit improved waterfastness. In addition, a need remains for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes wherein the prints generated exhibit improved lightfastness. Further, a need remains for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes wherein the inks exhibit good latency and maintainability. Additionally, a need remains for multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes wherein the images generate have good to excellent color quality. Examples 1 and 6 of EP-A-0776951 disclose an ink set for printing multicolor images in an ink jet printer, said ink set comprising a first ink comprising water and a first colorant, and a second ink comprising water, a second colorant having a color other than that of the first colorant, and polyallylamine hydrochloride. EP-A-0697445 discloses an ink set comprising a liquid composition containing water, a polyallylamine salt and an optional colorant, and an ink containing water and an anionic dye or a pigment. It is an object of the present invention to provide ink jet ink compositions and multicolor thermal ink jet printing processes that will fulfill at least some of the above needs. The present invention provides a set of inks for printing multicolor images in an ink jet printer, said ink set comprising (A) a first ink having a first color and comprising water and a colorant selected from the group consisting of (1) anionic dyes, (2) dyes having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, (3) pigment particles having anionic groups chemically attached thereto, (4) pigment particles having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, and (5) mixtures thereof; and (B) a second ink comprising water, an optional colorant having a color other than the first color, and a diquaternary and/or triquaternary ammonium salt selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine salts, N-methylethylenediamine salts, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine salts, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine salts, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine salts, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine salts, 1,5-diaminopentane salts, 1,4-diaminopiperazine salts, 1,6-hexanediamine salts, piperazine salts, 4-aminopyridine salts, 3-aminopyrrolidine salts, 5-aminoquinuclidine salts, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline salts, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane salts, 1,4-diaminobenzene salts, 1,2-diaminobenzene salts, 1,3-diaminobenzene salts, hexamethonium chloride, hexamethonium salts, salts of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, salts of diaminoethyl ether of polyproyleneglycol, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine salts, 1,3,5-triazine salts, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane salts, 1,2,4,-triazole salts, glycerol tris((poly(propylene glycol), amine terminated) ether salts, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether salts, isomers thereof, and mixtures thereof, wherein the colorant in the first ink is capable of being immobilized on a printing substrate by interaction with the diquaternary and/or triquaternary ammonium salt in the second ink, thereby enabling reduced intercolor bleed. For the above set of inks, the following embodiments are preferred: the colorant in the first ink is an anionic dye; the colorant in the first ink includes pigment particles; the ammonium salt is present in the second ink in an amount of from 0.001 to 15 percent by weight of the ink; at least one of the first ink and the second ink contains a humectant; and the second ink contains no colorant. The present invention further provides a multicolor ink jet printing process which comprises: (a) incorporating into an ink jet printer a first ink having a first color and comprising water and a colorant selected from the group consisting of (1) anionic dyes, (2) dyes having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, (3) pigment particles having anionic groups chemically attached thereto, (4) pigment particles having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, and (5) mixtures thereof; (b) incorporating into the ink jet printer a second ink comprising water, an optional colorant having a color other than the first color, and a diquaternary and/or triquaternary ammonium salt selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine salts, N-methylethylenediamine salts, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine salts, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine salts, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine salts, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine salts, 1,5-diaminopentane salts, 1,4-diaminopiperazine salts, 1,6-hexanediamine salts, piperazine salts, 4-aminopyridine salts, 3-aminopyrrolidine salts, 5-aminoquinuclidine salts, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline salts, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane salts, 1,4-diaminobenzene salts, 1,2-diaminobenzene salts, 1,3-diaminobenzene salts, hexamethonium chloride, hexamethonium salts, salts of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, salts of diaminoethyl ether of polyproyleneglycol, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine salts, 1,3,5-triazine salts, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane salts, 1,2,4,-triazole salts, glycerol tris((poly(propylene glycol), amine terminated) ether salts, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether salts, isomers thereof, and mixtures thereof; (c) causing droplets of the first ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate; and (d) causing droplets of the second ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate, wherein the colorant in the first ink is immobilized on the substrate by interaction with the diquaternary and/or triquaternary ammonium salt in the second ink, thereby enabling reduced intercolor bleed. For the above process, the following embodiments are preferred: the second ink contains no colorant; at least one of the inks is jetted through a printhead capable of printing at least 360 spots per inch; the substrate is heated before, during, or after printing; the printer employs a process selected from thermal ink jet printing, acoustic ink jet printing, continuous stream ink jet printing, or piezoelectric ink jet printing; and the ink jet printer employs a printhead which is a partial width printhead, a partitioned printhead, or a full width array. Further preferred embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the sub-claims. The first ink used according to the present invention comprises water, an optional humectant, optional additives, and a colorant selected from the group consisting of (1) anionic dyes, (2) dyes stabilized by an anionic stabilizing agent (such as a surfactant or emulsifying agent), (3) pigment particles having anionic groups chemically attached thereto, (4) pigment particles having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent (also referred to as a dispersing agent, or a dispersant) having anionic groups (-CO 2 - , -SO 3 - , or the like) thereon, and (5) mixtures thereof. The color of the first ink is generally preferred to be black, although the color of the first ink can also be any other selected color if so desired. The second ink used according to the present invention comprises water, an optional humectant, optional additives, an optional colorant, and a specific diquaternary ammonium salt (an ammonium salt containing two cationic ammonium moieties) or a specific triquaternary ammonium salt (an ammonium salt containing three cationic ammonium moieties), as well as any combination thereof with each other and/or with a quaternary ammonium salt containing only one cationic ammonium moiety. Each diquaternary ammonium salt comprises two cationic ammonium moieties and their two corresponding anions, and each triquaternary ammonium salt comprises three cationic ammonium moieties and their three corresponding anions, with the total number of carbon atoms being up to 60. The diquaternary and triquaternary ammonium salts can also comprise any desired number of heteroatoms, such as oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, selenium, phosphorous, or the like. The diquaternary and triquaternary ammonium salts can, if desired, be substituted with different functional groups, including linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl groups, aromatic groups, and heterocyclic groups, said groups being connected to the cationic ammonium moieties in the molecule. Furthermore, the diquaternary and triquaternary ammonium salts can be substituted with various functional groups, such as hydroxyl groups, ether linkages (-O-), carbonyl groups, carboxylic acid groups, ester groups, amide groups, and the like. The cationic ammonium moieties can reside at any desired positions in the molecule. The diquaternary and triquaternary ammonium salts can be derived from the reaction of an acid (organic or inorganic) or an alkylating agent with either an unsubstituted or a substituted primary, secondary, or tertiary amine, with the diquaternary ammonium salts derived from compounds having two amine groups and the triquaternary ammonium salts derived from compounds having three amine groups. The anions of the diquaternary and triquaternary ammonium salts can be selected from the anions of any organic acid (such as formic acid anion (HCO 2 - ), acetic acid anion (CH 3 CO 2 - ), propionic acid anion (CH 3 CH 2 CO 2 - ), benzoic acid anion (C 6 H 5 CO 2 - ), or the like), inorganic acid (such as hydrochloric acid anion (Cl - ), hydrobromic acid anion (Br - ), hydroiodic acid anion (I - ), nitric acid anion (NO 3 - ), hydrosulfuric acid anion (HSO 4 - ), perchloric acid anion (ClO 4 - ), or the like), or alkylating agent. The diquaternary ammonium salts used in the present invention include, but are not limited to, ethylenediamine dihydrochloride, ethylenediamine dihydrobromide, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, ethylenediamine dinitrate, ethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, ethylenediamine diformate, ethylenediamine diacetate, ethylenediamine dipropionate, N-methylethylenediamine dihydrochloride, N-methylethylenediamine dihydrobromide, N-methylethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N-methylethylenediamine dinitrate, N-methylethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N-methylethylenediamine diformate, N-methylethylenediamine diacetate, N-methylethylenediamine dipropionate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrochloride, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrobromide, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dinitrate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine diformate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine diacetate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dipropionate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrochloride, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrobromide, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dinitrate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine diformate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine diacetate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dipropionate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dihydrochloride, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dihydrobromide, N-methyl, N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dinitrate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine diformate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine diacetate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dipropionate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine dinitrate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine diformate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine diacetate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine dipropionate, 1,5-diaminopentane dihydrochloride, 1,5-diaminopentane diacetate, 1,4-diaminopiperazine dihydrochloride, 1,4-diaminopiperazine diacetate, 1,6-hexanediamine dihydrochloride, 1,6-hexanediamine dihydrobromide, 1,6-hexanediamine dihydroiodide, 1,6-hexanediamine diformate, 1,6-hexanediamine diacetate, piperazine dihydrochloride, piperazine diacetate, 4-aminopyridine dihydrochloride, 4-aminopyridine diacetate, 4-aminopyridine dihydrobromide, 4-aminopyridine dipropionate, 3-aminopyrrolidine dihydrochloride, 3-aminopyrrolidine dihydrobromide, 3-aminopyrrolidine diacetate, 5-aminoquinuclidine dihydrochloride, 5-aminoquinuclidine dibromide, 5-aminoquinuclidine diacetate, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline dihydrochloride, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline dihydrobromide, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline diacetate, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane dihydrochloride, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane diacetate, 1,4-diaminobenzene dihydrochloride, 1,4-diaminobenzene diacetate, 1,2-diaminobenzene dihydrochloride, 1,2-diaminobenzene diacetate, 1,3-diaminobenzene dihydrochloride, 1,3-diaminobenzene diacetate, hexamethonium chloride, hexamethonium bromide, dihydrochloride salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, dihydrobromide salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, dihydroiodide salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, dinitrate salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, diacetate salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, dihydrochloride salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, dihydrobromide salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, dihydroiodide salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, dinitrate salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, diacetate salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, and the like; isomers thereof; and mixtures thereof. The triquaternary ammonium salts used in the present invention include, but are not limited to, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine trihydrochloride, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine trihydrobromide, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine trihydroiodide, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine triformate, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine triacetate, 1,3,5-triazine trihydrochloride, 1,3,5-triazine trihydrobromide, 1,3,5-triazine trihydroiodide, 1,3,5-triazine triformate, 1,3,5-triazine triacetate, 1,3,5-triazine tripropionate, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane trihydrochloride, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane trihydrobromide, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane trihydroiodide, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane triformate, 1,4,7-triazacydononane triacetate, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane tripropionate, 1,2,4,-triazole trihydrochloride, 1,2,4,-triazole trihydrobromide, 1,2,4,-triazole trihydroiodide, 1,2,4,-triazole triformate, 1,2,4,-triazole triacetate, 1,2,4,-triazole tripropionate, glycerol tris((poly(propylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydrochloride, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydrobromide, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydroiodide, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether triformate, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether triacetate, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether tripropionate, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydrochloride, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydrobromide, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydroiodide, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether triformate, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether triacetate, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether tripropionate, and the like, as well as mixtures thereof. The diquaternary and triquaternary ammonium salts can also comprise mixed anions and different functional groups in a molecule. The second ink composition contains the di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt in any desired or effective amount to enable it to react or complex with the colorant and/or colorant stabilizing agent in the first ink composition, thereby causing immobilization or precipitation of the colorant and/or colorant stabilizing agent on the print substrate and resulting in the reduction of intercolor bleed and the improvement of image quality. Typically, the di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt is present in the ink in an amount of from 0.001 to 15 percent by weight of the ink, preferably from 0.01 to 15 percent by weight of the ink, more preferably from 0.1 to 10 percent by weight of the ink, and even more preferably from 0.1 to 8 percent by weight of the ink, although the amount can be outside of these ranges. The di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salts can also be used in conjunction with one or more monoquaternary ammonium salts in any combination. The monoquaternary ammonium salts have one cationic quaternary ammonium moiety and a corresponding anion in each ammonium salt molecule. The monoquaternary ammonium salts are prepared from an amine (including primary amines, secondary amines, and tertiary amines) and an alkylating agent or an organic or inorganic acid. Monoquaternary ammonium salts, however, are less effective than diquaternary ammonium salts and triquaternary ammonium salts for reducing intercolor bleed. The diquaternary ammonium salts, triquaternary ammonium salts, and mixtures thereof with monoquaternary ammonium salts are capable of forming cations and anions in an aqueous ink medium. Ammonium cations with more than two ammonium groups are effective in immobilizing or reacting or complexing the colorants in the inks employed in the present invention. If desired, the aforementioned di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salts can also be used in conjunction with any known multivalent metal salts (organic and inorganic salts comprising metal cations, including Ca ++ , Zn ++ , Mg ++ , Cu 2+ , Sr ++ , Ba ++ , Al +++ , transition metal cations such as Ga 3+ , In 3+ , Cr 3+, Fe +++ , Sn ++++ , or the like, lanthanide metal cations, such as Pr 3+ , Nd 3+ , Y 3+ , or the like) in the second ink for the present invention to reduce intercolor bleed further and to improve print quality and jetting performance. The ink compositions for the present invention also contain water, a colorant, one or more optional humectants, and one or more optional additives such as cosolvents and/or other optional additives known in the art of ink jet inks. Many useful known humectants and/or cosolvents are suitable for use in the inks for the present invention. Some suitable humectants and cosolvents include, but are not limited to, glycol derivatives, such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, poly(ethylene-co-propylene) glycol, and the like, as well as their reaction products with alkylene oxides, including ethylene oxide and propylene oxide; triol derivatives containing from 3 to 40 carbon atoms, including glycerine, trimethylolpropane, 1,3,5-pentanetriol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, and the like, as well as their reaction products with alkylene oxides, including ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and mixtures thereof; diols containing from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, such as 1,3-pentanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,4-petanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,5-hexanediol, 2,6-hexanediol, neopentylglycol (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol), and the like, as well as their reaction products with alkylene oxides, including ethylene oxide and propylene oxide in any desirable molar ratio to form materials with a wide range of molecular weights; sulfoxide derivatives containing from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, including dialkylsulfoxides (symmetric and asymmetric sulfoxides) such as dimethylsulfoxide, methylethylsulfoxide, alkylphenyl sulfoxides, and the like; sulfone derivatives (symmetric and asymmetric sulfones) containing from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, such as dimethysulfone, methylethylsulfone, sulfolane (tetramethylenesulfone, a cyclic sulfone), dialkyl sulfones, alkyl phenyl sulfones, dimethylsulfone, methylethylsulfone, diethylsulfone, ethylpropylsulfone, dipropylsulfone, propylbutylsulfone, dibutylsulfone, methylphenylsulfone, methylsulfolane, dimethylsulfolane, and the like; amides with from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, such as N-alkylamides, N,N-dialkyl amides, N,N-alkyl phenyl amides, 2-pyrrolidinone (a cyclic amide), N-methylpyrrolidinone (a cyclic amide), N-cyclohexylpyrrolidinone, N,N-dimethyl-p-toluamide (aromatic), N,N-dimethyl-o-toluamide, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, and the like; ethers, such as alkyl ether derivatives of various alcohols, ether derivatives of triols and diols, including butylcarbitol, hexylcarbitol, triolethers, alkyl ethers of polyethyleneglycols, alkyl ethers of polypropyleneglycols, alkyl ethers of phenylpolyethyleneglycols, alkyl ethers of phenylpolypropyleneglycols, and the like; urea and urea derivatives; inner salts such as betaine, and the like; thio (sulfur) derivatives of the aforementioned materials (humectants), including thioethyleneglycol, thiodiethyleneglycol, trithio- or dithio-diethyleneglycol, and the like; hydroxyamide derivatives, including acetylethanolamine, acetylpropanolamine, propylcarboxy-ethanolamine, propylcarboxy-propanolamine, and the like; reaction products of aforementioned materials (humectants) with alkylene oxides; and mixtures thereof. The ability of the ink compositions for the present invention to be jetted at high frequency (because of high frequency response, typically 4 KiloHertz or greater) allows one to print multicolor ink jet images at high speed, especially when full width array ink jet printheads are used. A printing speed of 50 copies per minutes for the production of multicolor images can be achieved. Humectants, if present, are in the ink in any desired or effective amount, typically up to 40 percent by weight of the ink, preferably up to 35 percent by weight of the ink, and more preferably from 5 to 30 percent by weight of the ink, although the amount can be outside of these ranges. Ink compositions for the present invention can also be prepared with low viscosity. Low molecular weight materials are preferred in the inks. Diquaternary ammonium salts are preferred for this purpose. Ink compositions for the present invention with low viscosity can allow fast ink jetting and refill in multicolor ink jet printing processes of the present invention. The viscosity of the ink composition is usually less than 10 centipoise (at room temperature, i.e., about 25°C), preferably from 1 to 6 centipoise, and more preferably from 1 to 5 centipoise. The ink compositions for the present invention can also comprise additional additives, such as a penetrant to minimize intercolor bleeding and drying time. The penetrant can impart to the ink, especially a color ink, a low surface tension, preferably less than 45 dynes per centimeter, more preferably from 20 to 45 dynes per centimeter, and even more preferably from 25 to 45 dynes per centimeter. Penetrants include, but are not limited to, hydroxyethers (Cellusolve® and Alkylcellusolves®, Carbitol® and Alkylcarbitols® such as Propylcarbitol®, Butylcarbitol®, Pentylcarbitol®, Hexylcarbitol®, and the like); alkylethers of glycol derivatives, including alkylethers of ethyleneglycol, diethyleneglycol, triethyleneglycol, tetraethyleneglycol, dipropyleneglycol, tripropyleneglycol, and tetra-propyleneglycol; polyethyleneglycol ether derivatives, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, and alkylphenyl ether derivatives of polyethyleneglycols; polypropyleneglycol ether derivatives, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, and alyklphenyl ether derivatives of polypropyleneglycols; amide derivatives, including N-methylpyrrolidinone, N,N-dimethyl-p-toluamide, N,N-dimethyl-o-toluamide, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, and the like; surfactants, including nonionic and ionic materials with low surface tension (typically 45 dynes per centimeter or less at room temperature); and the like, as well as mixtures thereof. The aforementioned additives can be used in the inks for the present invention to give ink jet ink compositions with additional advantages in the reduction of intercolor bleed and drying time. The use of the aforementioned penetrants and/or surfactants is particularly useful for color ink compositions used in a multicolor ink jet printing process. Use of these penetrants and/or surfactants can allow significant reduction of intercolor bleed between the black and color inks as well as between two different color inks. However, if desired, the aforementioned materials can also be used in black ink jet ink compositions, provided that they are compatible with the colorants in the inks. The colorants used in the ink compositions for the present invention can be selected from dyes, pigments, and mixtures thereof. The colorant can be selected from the suitable colorants listed in the Color Index , published jointly by American Association of Textile Chemist and Colorists (AATCC) and The Society of Dyers and Colorists in Bradford, England; BUYER'S GUIDE for Textile Chemist and Colorist , published by AATCC, and the like. The colorant can be present in the inks either with or without a dispersing agent. For example, pigment particles such as those modified chemically to possess ionizable functional groups in water, such as carboxylate or sulfonate groups, are stable in an aqueous ink and do not require a dispersing agent. Some examples of chemically modified pigments are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 5,281,261, also suitable are commercial carbon black dispersions such as Cabojet 200, Cabojet 300, and the like. Pigment particles which are not chemically modified preferably are present with at least a dispersing agent (or dispersant) to stabilize the particles in an aqueous ink. The pigment stabilizing agent can be anionic, cationic, or nonionic. Anionic pigment stabilizing agents, however, are preferred in the first ink (i.e., the ink not containing the di-, tri-, or polyquaternary ammonium salt) because of their ability to react with or form complexes with or immobilize the di-, tri-, or polyquaternary ammonium salt in the second ink. In embodiments of the present invention wherein dyes are used, the dye is present in the ink in any effective amount to provide desired color and optical density. Typically, the dye is present in an amount from 0.1 to 15 percent by weight of the ink, preferably from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the ink, more preferably from 1 to 8 percent by weight of the ink, and even more preferably from 1 to 7 percent by weight of the ink, although the amount can be outside of this range. A mixture of dyes in any desired proportion can also be employed to obtain a specific shade or hue. Similarly, in embodiments of the present invention where pigment is used, the pigment can be present in the ink in any effective amount. Typically the pigment is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 15 percent by weight of the ink, and preferably from 1 to 10 percent by weight of the ink, although the amount can be outside of these ranges. When both dyes and pigments are incorporated into an ink, the weight percentage of the combined colorant can be adjusted accordingly. Any suitable dye or mixture of dyes that is compatible with the other ink ingredients can be used. Water soluble or water dispersible anionic dyes, direct dyes, reactive dyes, and cationic dyes can be selected. Pigments can be of any desired color, such as black, cyan, magenta, yellow, red, blue, green, brown, or the like, as well as mixtures thereof. It is preferred that the pigment particles in an ink jet ink composition have the same or similar color so there is no interference or impairment of the desired color of the final ink. The optional colorant of the second ink should be compatible with the selected di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt in the second ink jet ink composition to avoid any jetting and/or stability problems. More specifically, the selected colorant in the second ink should not be precipitated by the selected di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt. Preferably, the pigment particle size is as small as possible to enable a stable colloidal suspension of the particles in the liquid vehicle with good color strength, and to prevent clogging of the ink channels or nozzle openings when the ink is used in an ink jet printer. Preferred average particle sizes or diameters are generally from 0.001 to 3 microns, although the particle sizes can be outside of these ranges. A more preferred pigment particle size distribution is one wherein particles having at least 50 percent of the particles being below 0.3 micron, with no particles being greater than 3.0 microns (measured on a Hodaka CAPA 700 Particle Size Analyzer). More preferably, the average pigment particle size includes particles having at least 70 percent of the particles being below 0.3 micron, with no particles being greater than 1.2 microns. Pigment particle sizes can, however, be outside of these ranges provided that they do not cause undesired clogging and maintenance problems. In some embodiments of the present invention, the dye or pigment can be dispersed in the ink with one or more dispersants or stabilizing agents. The stabilizing agents can be anionic, cationic, or nonionic. Some stabilizing agents have both hydrophilic (comprising ionic groups which are capable of ionizing in water) and hydrophobic (affinity for pigments) moieties. Suitable stabilizing agents include, but are not limited to, anionic dispersants, such as polymers and copolymers of styrene sulfonate salts (such as Na + , Li + , K + , Cs + , Rb + , substituted and unsubstituted ammonium cations, and the like), unsubstituted and substituted (such as alkyl, alkoxy, substituted naphthalene derivatives, and the like) naphthalene sulfonate salts (such as Na + , Li + , K + , Cs + , Rb + , substituted and unsubstituted ammonium cations, and the like) with an aldehyde derivative, such as unsubstituted alkyl aldehyde derivatives, including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propylaldehyde, and the like, as well as mixtures thereof. Examples of such stabilizing agents include, but are not limited to, commercial products such as Versa® 4, Versa® 7, Versa® 77 (National Starch and Chemical Co.); Lomar® D (Diamond Shamrock Chemical Co.); Daxad® 19, Daxad® K (W.R. Grace & Co.); Tamol® SN (Rohm & Haas); and the like. Other useful anionic stabilizing agents include polymers or copolymers of styrene and an acrylic acid salt, styrene and a methacrylic acid salt, styrene and a maleic acid salt, and the like, as well as mixtures thereof. Nonionic stabilizing agents or surfactants can also be used in inks for the present invention, such as ethoxylated monoalkyl or dialkyl phenols, including Igepal® CA and CO series materials (Rhone-Poulenc Co., such as Igepal® CA-630, CO-630, and the like); Surfynol® series materials from Air Products and Chemicals Co.; and Triton® series materials (Union Carbide Company). These nonionic surfactants or dispersants can be used alone or in combination with anionic or cationic dispersants. The ratio of dye or pigment to stabilizing agent by weight typically is from 1:0.01 to 1:3, preferably from 1:0.1 to 1:2, and more preferably from 1:0.10 to 1:0.75. The ratio of naphthalene substituent to aldehyde in the aforementioned anionic stabilizing agents typically is about 1:1, although this ratio can be different depending on the stoichiometry of the feed stock and reaction condition, and can readily be adjusted to obtain a dispersant having a desired molecular weight and the desired ratio of naphthalene substituent to aldehyde. The weight average molecular weight of the stabilizing agent is generally less than 20,000, preferably less than 13,000, and more preferably less than 10,000. The dispersion preferably contains enough dispersant to stabilize the dye or pigment particles in water, but not so much as to affect adversely properties of the dispersion and ink such as viscosity, stability, and optical density. The ink compositions for the present invention, particularly dye-based inks, can optionally include a water soluble or miscible microwave coupler. The microwave coupler can be selected from any one of the known microwave couplers, which can be organic or inorganic salts or nonionic microwave coupling agents that allow an ink to be dried quickly by a microwave heating device. The ionic type of microwave coupler can be selected from organic or inorganic salts that allow the ink to be dried quickly by a microwave-heating device. The microwave coupler can be, for example, a salt that provides the ink with a desirable conductivity and coupling efficiency. The salts or ionic compounds exhibit a high degree of ionization in aqueous inks with good electrical conductivity and are capable of coupling with a microwave device for drying ink on a print substrate and avoiding intercolor bleed when the inks are printed next to, for example, a pigment based ink which is stabilized by an anionic dispersant. Those ionic compounds typically include metal and ammonium salts of inorganic and organic acids with cations and anions. Typical cations of salts include, but are not limited to, H + , NH 4 + , Cs + , K + , Na + , Li + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ , Mn 2+ , Co 2+ , Sr 2+ , Cd 2+ , Ba 2+ , Fe 2+ , Cu 2+ , Ga 3+ , In 3+ , Cr 3+ , Pr 3+ , Nd 3+ , Y 3+ , Al 3+ , Fe 3+ , lanthanide cations, actinide cations, and the like. The anions of the salts include, but are not limited to, halides (I - , Br - , Cl - , and F - ), chlorate (ClO 3 - ), OH - , NO 3 - , SO 4 2- , CH 3 CO 2 - , CH 3 CH 2 CO 2 - , C 6 H 5 CO 2 - , C 6 H 5 SO 3 - , various ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) anions, and the like. Metal salts of monovalent and multivalent salts can also be used in inks for the present invention for the reduction of intercolor bleed, either through microwave heating of the images or through chemical interaction with anionic colorants in the presence or absence of heat in a multicolor ink jet printing process. The di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salts contained in the inks for the present invention can be used in conjunction with metal salts to form ionized species easily in an aqueous medium. They are capable of coupling effectively with microwaves to generate heat for the reduction of intercolor bleed and the increase of ink drying efficiency and rate. Thus, the inks for the present invention can have reduced intercolor bleed performance with faster drying rates and printing speeds if a microwave device is employed in the multicolor ink jet printing process. The di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salts can also be used in conjunction with multivalent metal salts in inks to increase further the efficiency of antibleed performance, either with or without a microwave device. The inks for the present invention can optionally include a jetting aid such as polyethylene oxide (typically in amounts of less than 5 percent by weight) or a small quantity (typically less than 0.1 percent by weight) of stabilized pigment particles. A preferred polyethylene oxide is one having a weight average molecular weight of about 18,500, although the molecular weight of the jetting aid can be different. Examples of inks containing preferred polyethylene oxides are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent 5,207,825. The jetting aid provides smooth jetting or jetting with low jitter, and is particularly useful in dye-based inks. If necessary, jetting aids can also be used in pigment-based ink jet inks. Other desired additives, including water soluble polymers, pH buffering agents, biocides, chelating agents (EDTA and the like), anticurl agents, antibleed agents, and other known ink additives can also optionally be used in the inks for the present invention. Such additives can generally be added to the inks in known amounts for their known purposes. Additives such as surfactants or wetting agents can also be added to the inks. These additives can be of the anionic or nonionic types. Suitable surfactants and wetting agents include, but are not limited to, Tamol SN®, Tamol LG®, and Triton® series (Rohm and Haas Co.); Marasperse® series; Igepal® series (Rhone-Poulenc Co., formerly from GAF Co.); Tergitol® series; Duponol® series (E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co.); Surfynol Series (Air Products Inc.); Iconol® Series (BASF Co.); Brij® Series (ICI Americas Inc.); Pluronic® Series (BASF Co.); Emulphor® ON 870 and ON 877 (GAF); and other commercially available surfactants. These surfactants (or dispersants) and wetting agents can be present in the ink in effective amounts, generally from 0 to 15 percent by weight of the ink, preferably from 0.001 to 10 percent by weight of the ink, and more preferably from 0.01 to 8 percent by weight of the ink, although the amount can be outside of these ranges. Polymeric additives can also be added to the inks for the present invention to enhance the viscosity or smear resistance of the ink. Suitable polymeric additives include, but are not limited to, water soluble polymers and copolymers such as Gum Arabic, polyacrylate salts, polymethacrylate salts, polyvinyl alcohols, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidinone, polyvinylether, starch, polysaccharides, polyethyleneimines derivatized with ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide, such as the Discole® series (DKS International); the Jeffamine® series (Texaco); and the like as well as mixtures thereof. Polymeric additives can be present in the ink in amounts of from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the ink, preferably from 0.001 to 8 percent by weight of the ink, and more preferably from 0.001 to 5 percent by weight of the ink, although the amount can be outside of these ranges. Other optional additives include, but are not limited to, biocides such as Dowicil® 150, 200, and 75, benzoate salts, sorbate salts, Proxcel® (available from ICI). and the like. When used, such biocides are generally present in an amount of from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the ink, preferably from 0.001 to 8 percent by weight of the ink, and more preferably from 0.01 to 4.0 percent by weight of the ink, although the amount can be outside of these ranges. Inks for the present invention can also include pH controlling (buffering) agents. Suitable pH controlling agents or buffering agents include, but are not limited to, acids, bases, phosphate salts, carboxylate salts, sulfite salts, sulfate salts, amine salts, and the like. Such pH controlling agents are generally present in an amount of from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the ink, preferably from 0.001 to 5 percent by weight of the ink, and more preferably from 0.01 to 5 percent by weight of the ink, although the amount can be outside of these ranges. The inks for the present invention in some embodiments also exhibit good latency and high frequency response. Some examples of the inks for the present invention have shown latency data of 10 seconds or more at a relative humidity of 15 percent when a high resolution 600 spi printhead is employed. Maximum frequency response of at least 5 to 12 KiloHertz was observed when the inks were used in a high resolution printhead of 600 spi. Since the inks for the present invention frequently have low viscosity (5 centipoise or less), they can also be used in ink jet printheads with resolutions of 600 to 720 spi, allowing printing with a resolution of up to 1440 spi. If full width array printheads are used, a printing speed of 50 pages per minute or more can be achieved. Thus, inks for the present invention can be used to produce multicolor images at a very high speed. If desired, the inks can also be printed at any speed lower than 50 pages per minute using proper electronic control and printheads selected from single printheads, partial-width printheads, full width array printheads, and combinations thereof. The inks for the present invention can be applied to a print substrate, either with or without being heated by a heating device, in an imagewise fashion according to digital data signals. Application of the inks onto the substrate can also be made by any other suitable printing process compatible with aqueous inks, including flexographic printing, pen plotters, continuous stream ink jet printing systems, drop-on-demand ink jet printing systems (including piezoelectric, acoustic, and thermal ink jet printing processes), and the like. The print substrate employed can be any substrate compatible with aqueous inks. Suitable substrates include, but are not limited to, textiles; plain papers, such as Xerox® series 10, Xerox® 4024, Strathmore Legacy, Ampad Premium grade, Hammermill Jet Print, GP Microprint, Weyerhaeuser Jet-Xtra, Boise Cascade, Union Camp Great White Recycled, commercial bond papers and the like; coated papers (or special ink jet papers including photo-realistic ink jet papers) such as those available from Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Eastman Kodak, Oji Paper, 3M, Mitsubishi, Polaroid, and Xerox; ink jet transparencies suitable for aqueous inks or ink jet printing processes, including those from Arkwright, Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Asahi, and Xerox; and the like, as well as materials from other commercial sources. In multicolor ink jet printing processes of the present invention, the inks can be printed on a print substrate in a single pass or a multiple pass method, by a single printhead, or a partial width printhead, or a full width array printhead, or combinations thereof, in an imagewise manner according to digital data signals. In a multicolor ink jet printing process, the print substrate and imaged inks can optionally be dried either with or without heat at any stage of the printing process, including before, during, and after printing, as well as combinations thereof. Heat can be applied by a microwave dryer or device. In addition to microwave heating, the print substrate and the ink jet ink compositions can be dried at any stage of the multicolor ink jet printing process by means such as a radiant heater, a hot plate, a hot roller or drum, a heating element, a lamp, or the like. The drying of the print substrate and inks further improves print quality and increases printing speed. In another embodiment, the second ink, containing the di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt, contains no colorant. In this instance, two or more inks with colorants can be used (for example, clear, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks) in a multicolor ink jet printing processes of the present invention. The clear liquid can be used to print on a print substrate in the region between two different inks. The clear second ink comprises a di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt which can react with or complex with or otherwise immobilize the colorant in the first ink, thereby preventing the colorant from invading into the neighboring color imaging area of the third ink, resulting in reduction of intercolor bleed. Any desired number of pixels of the second ink can be printed between the first and third inks. This multicolor ink jet printing process employing a clear liquid in the second ink has an advantage in that there is no incompatibility between the selected di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt and a colorant in the second ink. If desired, the second ink comprising the di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt can also be printed under or above the first ink on a substrate in any desired sequences or patterns, such as 1/16 tone, 1/8 tone, 1/4 tone, 1/2 tone, 3/4 tone, 4/4 (full tone),or the like, to enhance optical density, image quality, color fidelity, waterfastness, and lightfastness. These image improvements can be achieved by the desired reaction or complexation between the di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt of the second ink and the colorant of the first ink. The multicolor ink jet printing process of the present invention can have any desired ink printing sequence in any combination as long as the purpose or the need of the present invention is fulfilled. It is, however, preferred to print the black ink as far apart as possible from the printing of the yellow ink to minimize intercolor bleed between the black and yellow inks. Accordingly, preferred sequences are K(black) C(cyan) M(magenta) Y(yellow); KMCY; YMCK; and YCMK. Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail. All parts and percentages in the examples are by weight unless otherwise indicated. EXAMPLE I A yellow ink composition was prepared by simple mixing of the ingredients which contained 2.72 percent by weight Acid Yellow 23 dye (Hoechst Celanese Co.), 2.91 percent by weight diethylene glycol, 2.91 percent by weight 2-pyrrolidinone, 9.70 percent by weight N-acetylethanolamine, 1.94 percent by weight butyl carbitol, 0.097 percent by weight Brij 30 surfactant, 0.049 percent by weight polyethylene oxide (bisphenol-A derivative, molecular weight 18,500, obtained from Polysciences Corp.), 2.43 percent by weight ethylenediamine dihydrochloride, and distilled water (balance). To the resulting ink was added 0.5 molar potassium hydroxide until the pH of the ink was 6.85, followed by filtering the ink through 5.0 micron, 1.2 micron, and 0.8 micron membrane filters. The resulting ink, which had a surface tension of about 30 dynes per centimeter, was incorporated into a Hewlett-Packard® 855C thermal ink jet printer (printing 600 spi black and 300 spi yellow) and printed onto a variety of plain papers next to the carbon black containing black ink supplied for the HP 855C (HP 51645A ink). Using high quality printing mode (checkerboarding, no heat during printing), good print quality was obtained for the yellow ink with minimal intercolor bleeding on the border between black and yellow. For comparison purposes, the black ink was also printed on the same set of papers alone, with no adjoining yellow images. The table below indicates the average MFLEN ( M id F requency L ine E dge N oise, Horizontal lines) of the HP 850C black ink when printed alone and the average MFLEN of the HP 850C black ink when printed next to the yellow ink. MFLEN was evaluated by measuring the average MFLEN number of a line (average edge sharpness of both top and bottom edges of a horizontal line). The MFLEN number was obtained by equipment consisting of a personal computer, an illuminating light source, a filter, and an imaging microscope with a CDD sensor. The equipment was calibrated with a standard image (line with sharp edges). Software using a Fourier Transform technique was used to calculate the MFLEN data and line width. Lower MFLEN numbers indicate better image quality. Intercolor bleed usually is caused by undesirable mixing of inks near the bordering areas and results in a distorted line image with irregular edges and large MFLEN values. The smaller MFLEN number is desirable because it shows sharper line image with reduced intercolor bleed. Paper MFLEN adjacent to yellow MFLEN alone Xerox® Recycled paper 11.5 4.6 Xerox® Image Series LX 24 # Ashdown paper 4.3 2.4 Hammermill Tidal DP, International Paper 27.0 31.6 Xerox® 4024 DP, Union Camp 7.0 1.5 Rank Xerox, Premier ECF, Modo 18.0 9.3 Rank Xerox Premier TCF, Nymolla 6.3 1.5 Champion, Moji-Duacu, Brazil 14.3 8.7 Xerox® 4024 DP, Champion Courtland 4.4 0.5 Average 11.6 7.4 The selected papers represent major plain papers used throughout the world, including the United States, Europe, and Latin America, and are representative of a wide spectrum of papers used by consumers. As the results indicate, the average MFLEN for the black ink printed adjacent to the yellow ink (11.6) is close to the average MFLEN for the black ink printed alone without any ink next to its border (7.4). For comparison purposes, the process was repeated with a similar yellow ink composition containing no ethylenediamine dihydrochloride. The average MFLEN in this instance was about 36. EXAMPLE II A black ink composition was prepared by simple mixing of the ingredients which contained 4.0 percent by weight carbon black (anionic dispersion IJX 56, obtained from Cabot Corp.), 23.2 percent by weight sulfolane, 6 percent by weight 2-pyrrolidinone, 2.9 percent by weight latex copolymer of benzylmethacrylate/ethoxytriethyleneglycol methacrylate/methacrylic acid, 0.05 percent by weight polyethylene oxide (bisphenol-A derivative, molecular weight 18,500, obtained from Polysciences Corp.), and deionized water (balance). The ink exhibited the following physical properties: viscosity: 2.18 centipoise at 25°C; surface tension: 41.4 dynes per centimeter; frequency response (using a 600 spi printhead) 9 KiloHertz. The black ink thus prepared was incorporated into a Hewlett-Packard 855C printer and printed with the yellow ink prepared in Example I. For comparison purposes, a yellow ink composition was prepared by simple mixing of the ingredients which contained 59.85 percent by weight PROJET YELLOW OAM (a liquid dye concentrate containing 7.5 percent by weight Acid Yellow 23 dye solids in water, obtained from Zeneca Colors), 21 percent by weight sulfolane, 18 percent by weight tripropylene glycol methyl ether (DOWANOL TPM, obtained from Dow Chemical Co.), 0.65 percent by weight (tris(hydroxymethylamino)methane), 0.35 percent by weight ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, 0.1 percent by weight DOWICIL 200 (biocide, obtained from Dow Chemical Co.), and 0.05 percent by weight polyethylene oxide (bisphenol-A derivative, molecular weight 18,500, obtained from Polysciences Corp.). The ink was adjusted to a pH of 7.8 and filtered before use. The black ink was incorporated into a Hewlett-Packard 855C printer and printed with this yellow ink. The table below indicates the average MFLEN of the black ink when printed next to the comparative yellow ink prepared in this Example (MFLEN II) and the average MFLEN of the black ink when printed next to the yellow ink of Example I (MFLEN I): Paper MFLEN II MFLEN I Xerox® Recycled paper 52.5 8.5 Xerox® Image Series LX 24 # Ashdown paper 16.1 8.6 Hammermill Tidal DP, International Paper 47.7 27 Xerox® 4024 DP, Union Camp 34.4 8.7 Rank Xerox, Premier ECF, Modo 43.6 9.1 Rank Xerox Premier TCF, Nymolla 17.3 6.6 Champion, Moji-Duacu, Brazil 52.9 30.1 Xerox® 4024 DP, Champion Courtland 30.9 2.2 Average 36.9 12.6 As the data indicate, intercolor bleed was substantially lower for the yellow ink containing ethylenediamine dihydrochloride (Example I yellow ink) than that of a yellow ink containing no di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt (Example II yellow ink). EXAMPLE III A yellow ink composition was prepared by simple mixing of the ingredients which contained 40 percent by weight PROJET YELLOW OAM (a liquid dye concentrate containing 7.5 percent by weight Acid Yellow 23 dye solids in water, obtained from Zeneca Colors), 12 percent by weight sulfolane, 12 percent by weight acetylethanolamine, 8.92 percent by weight butyl carbitol, 2.57 percent by weight ethylenediamine diacetate, 6 percent by weight urea, 0.74 percent by weight imidazole, 0.074 percent by weight DOWICIL 200 (biocide, obtained from Dow Chemical Co.), 0.5 percent by weight ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, 0.05 percent by weight polyethylene oxide (bisphenol-A derivative, molecular weight 18,500, obtained from Polysciences Corp.), and deionized water (balance). The yellow ink was filtered prior to use. The yellow ink thus prepared was incorporated into a Hewlett-Packard 855C printer and printed with the black ink prepared in Example II. The printer also contained cyan and magenta inks supplied for the HP850C printers, and multicolored images were formed. The table below indicates the average MFLEN of the black ink of Example II when printed next to the yellow ink prepared in this Example: Paper MFLEN Xerox® Recycled paper 31.8 Xerox® Image Series LX 24 # Ashdown paper 7.8 Hammermill Tidal DP, International Paper 29.4 Xerox® 4024 DP, Union Camp 17.0 Rank Xerox, Premier ECF, Modo 24.4 Rank Xerox Premier TCF, Nymolla 15.6 Champion, Moji-Duacu, Brazil 25.3 Xerox® 4024 DP, Champion Courtland 11.5 Average 20.3 EXAMPLE IV The yellow ink prepared in Example III was incorporated into a Hewlett-Packard® 855C thermal ink jet printer and printed onto a variety of plain papers next to the carbon black containing black ink supplied for the HP 850C (HP 51645A ink). The table below indicates the average MFLEN of the HP 850C black ink when printed next to the yellow ink of Example III: Paper MFLEN Xerox® Recycled paper 35.1 Xerox® Image Series LX 24 # Ashdown paper 7.6 Hammermill Tidal DP, International Paper 28.6 Xerox® 4024 DP, Union Camp 33.9 Rank Xerox, Premier ECF, Modo 19.6 Rank Xerox Premier TCF, Nymolla 12.9 Champion, Moji-Duacu, Brazil 22.6 Xerox® 4024 DP, Champion Courtland 27.9 Average 23.5 EXAMPLE V A black ink composition was prepared by simple mixing of the ingredients which contained 4 percent by weight carbon black solids (supplied as an anionic dispersion IJX 56, obtained from Cabot Corp.), 20 percent by weight sulfolane, 4.8 percent by weight tripropylene glycol methyl ether (DOWANOL TPM, obtained from Dow Chemical Co.), 1 percent by weight latex copolymer of benzylmethacrylate/ethoxytriethyleneglycol methacrylate/methacrylic acid, 0.05 percent by weight polyethylene oxide (bisphenol-A derivative, molecular weight 18,500, obtained from Polysciences Corp.), and deionized water (balance). The resulting black ink was incorporated into a Hewlett-Packard® 855C thermal ink jet printer and printed onto a variety of plain papers next to the yellow ink prepared in Example I. For comparison purposes, this black ink was also printed next to the yellow ink supplied for the HP 850C. The table below indicates the average MFLEN of the black ink prepared in this Example when printed next to the yellow ink prepared in Example I (MFLEN I) and the average MFLEN of the black ink when printed next to the HP 850C yellow ink (MFLEN HP850C): Paper MFLEN HP850C MFLEN I Xerox® Recycled paper 19.5 13.2 Xerox® Image Series LX 24 # Ashdown paper 14.6 2.0 Hammermill Tidal DP, International Paper 18.2 31.0 Xerox® 4024 DP, Union Camp 33.7 21.8 Rank Xerox, Premier ECF, Modo 15.7 13.5 Rank Xerox Premier TCF, Nymolla 9.8 3.0 Champion, Moji-Duacu, Brazil 16.4 22.9 Xerox® 4024 DP, Champion Courtland 18.7 2.6 Average 18.3 17.3 EXAMPLE VI A black ink composition was prepared by simple mixing of the ingredients which contained 2.5 percent by weight carbon black solids (supplied as an anionic dispersion CABOJET® 300, obtained from Cabot Corp.), 22 percent by weight sulfolane, 6 percent by weight 2-pyrrolidinone, 1.48 percent by weight latex copolymer of benzylmethacrylate/ethoxytriethyleneglycol methacrylate/methacrylic acid, 0.05 percent by weight dipropylene glycol, 0.05 percent by weight polyethylene oxide (bisphenol-A derivative, molecular weight 18,500, obtained from Polysciences Corp.), and deionized water (balance). The black ink thus prepared was incorporated into a Hewlett-Packard 855C printer with the yellow ink prepared in Example III. For comparison purposes, a yellow ink composition was prepared by simple mixing of the ingredients which contained 40 percent by weight PROJET YELLOW OAM (a liquid dye concentrate containing 7.5 percent by weight Acid Yellow 23 dye solids in water, obtained from Zeneca Colors), 10 percent by weight sulfolane, 20 percent by weight acetylethanolamine (solution containing 75 percent by weight acetylethanolamine in water), 9 percent by weight urea, 6 percent by weight butyl carbitol, 1 percent by weight imidazole, 0.1 percent by weight DOWICIL 150 (biocide, obtained from Dow Chemical Co.), 0.065 percent by weight ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, 0.05 percent by weight polyethylene oxide (bisphenol-A derivative, molecular weight 18,500, obtained from Polysciences Corp.), and deionized water (balance). The black ink was incorporated into a Hewlett-Packard 855C printer and printed with this yellow ink. The table below indicates the average MFLEN of the black ink when printed next to the comparative yellow ink prepared in this Example (MFLEN VI) and the average MFLEN of the black ink when printed next to the yellow ink of Example III (MFLEN III): Paper MFLEN VI MFLEN III Xerox® Recycled paper 32.3 31.8 Xerox® Image Series LX 24 # Ashdown paper 17.8 7.8 Hammermill Tidal DP, International Paper 43.7 29.4 Xerox® 4024 DP, Union Camp 37.6 17 Rank Xerox, Premier ECF, Modo 34.2 24.4 Rank Xerox Premier TCF, Nymolla 22.4 15.6 Champion, Moji-Duacu, Brazil 32.8 25.3 Xerox® 4024 DP, Champion Courtland 22.7 11.5 Average 30.4 20.3 As the data indicate, intercolor bleed was substantially lower for the yellow ink containing ethylenediamine diacetate (Example III yellow ink) than that of a yellow ink containing no di- and/or triquaternary ammonium salt (Example VI yellow ink). EXAMPLE VII The HP 850C carbon black containing black ink was printed on the set of plain papers with a Hewlett-Packard 855C printer to create black solid areas for optical density measurements (control). In a separate experiment, the yellow ink prepared in Example I was printed on the same set of papers first, followed by printing of the HP black ink on top of the yellow images. The optical densities of the black images alone on the papers (OD alone ) and the optical densities of the black images printed on top of the yellow images (OD yellow ) were as follows: Paper OD alone OD yellow Xerox® Recycled paper 1.47 1.53 Xerox® Image Series LX 24 # Ashdown paper 1.51 1.52 Hammermill Tidal DP, International Paper 0.98 1.39 Xerox® 4024 DP, Union Camp 1.45 1.52 Rank Xerox Premier TCF, Nymolla 1.56 1.53 Champion, Moji-Duacu, Brazil 1.40 1.56 Xerox® 4024 DP, Champion Courtland 1.34 1.50 Average 1.39 1.51 As the data indicate, the optical density of the black ink is sensitive to the substrate used. An overall increase in average optical density of the black image was observed when the yellow ink was printed under the black ink. EXAMPLE VIII A yellow ink composition was prepared by simple mixing of the ingredients which contained 3 percent by weight PROJET YELLOW OAM dye, 10 percent by weight sulfolane, 6 percent by weight butyl carbitol, 15 percent by weight acetylethanolamine, 9 percent by weight urea, 1.9 percent by weight ethylenediamine dihydrochloride, 0.05 percent by weight imidazole, 0.1 percent by weight DOWICIL 200 (biocide, obtained from Dow Chemical Co.), 0.05 percent by weight ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, 0.05 percent by weight polyethylene oxide (bisphenol-A derivative, molecular weight 18,500, obtained from Polysciences Corp.), and deionized water (balance). The pH of the ink was adjusted to 7.3 and the ink was filtered through 1.2 micron and 0.8 micron filters. The ink exhibited a viscosity of 3.25 centipoise at 25°C and a surface tension of 38.5 dynes per centimeter. The ink thus prepared was incorporated into a thermal ink jet printing test fixture capable of jetting 600 spi black and 600 spi color. The 1st drop latency was ≥10 seconds, the 9th drop latency was ≥50 seconds, and the frequency response was ≥8 KiloHertz. The black ink prepared in Example II was also incorporated into the test fixture, and black and yellow images were printed adjacent to each other on the eight papers of Example II. The average MFLEN was 15.

Claims: A set of inks for printing multicolor images in an ink jet printer, said ink set comprising (A) a first ink having a first color and comprising water and a colorant selected from the group consisting of (1) anionic dyes, (2) dyes having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, (3) pigment particles having anionic groups chemically attached thereto, (4) pigment particles having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, and (5) mixtures thereof; and (B) a second ink comprising water, an optional colorant having a color other than the first color, and a diquaternary and/or triquaternary ammonium salt selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine salts, N-methylethylenediamine salts, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine salts, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine salts, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine salts, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine salts, 1,5-diaminopentane salts, 1,4-diaminopiperazine salts, 1,6-hexanediamine salts, piperazine salts, 4-aminopyridine salts, 3-aminopyrrolidine salts, 5-aminoquinuclidine salts, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline salts, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane salts, 1,4-diaminobenzene salts, 1,2-diaminobenzene salts, 1,3-diaminobenzene salts, hexamethonium chloride, hexamethonium salts, salts of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, salts of diaminoethyl ether of polyproyleneglycol, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine salts, 1,3,5-triazine salts, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane salts, 1,2,4,-triazole salts, glycerol tris((poly(propylene glycol), amine terminated) ether salts, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether salts, isomers thereof, and mixtures thereof, wherein the colorant in the first ink is capable of being immobilized on a printing substrate by interaction with the diquaternary and/or triquaternary ammonium salt in the second ink, thereby enabling reduced intercolor bleed. The set of inks according to claim 1 wherein the second ink further contains a material selected from the group consisting of monoquaternary ammonium salts, monovalent metal salts, multivalent metal salts, and mixtures thereof. The set of inks according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the ammonium salt in the second ink is a molecule containing exactly two cationic ammonium functional groups in the molecule. The set of inks according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the ammonium salt in the second ink is selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine dihydrochloride, ethylenediamine dihydrobromide, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, ethylenediamine dinitrate, ethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, ethylenediamine diformate, ethylenediamine diacetate, ethylenediamine dipropionate, N-methylethylenediamine dihydrochloride, N-methylethylenediamine dihydrobromide, N-methylethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N-methylethylenediamine dinitrate, N-methylethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N-methylethylenediamine diformate, N-methylethylenediamine diacetate, N-methylethylenediamine dipropionate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrochloride, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrobromide, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dinitrate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine diformate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine diacetate, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine dipropionate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrochloride, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrobromide, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dinitrate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine diformate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine diacetate, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine dipropionate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dihydrochloride, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dihydrobromide, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dinitrate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine diformate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine diacetate, N-methyl,N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine dipropionate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine dihydroiodide, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine dinitrate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine dihydrosulfate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine diformate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine diacetate, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine dipropionate, 1,5-diaminopentane dihydrochloride, 1,5-diaminopentane diacetate, 1,4-diaminopiperazine dihydrochloride, 1,4-diaminopiperazine diacetate, 1,6-hexanediamine dihydrochloride, 1,6-hexanediamine dihydrobromide, 1,6-hexanediamine dihydroiodide, 1,6-hexanediamine diformate, 1,6-hexanediamine diacetate, piperazine dihydrochloride, piperazine diacetate, 4-aminopyridine dihydrochloride, 4-aminopyridine diacetate, 4-aminopyridine dihydrobromide, 4-aminopyridine dipropionate, 3-aminopyrrolidine dihydrochloride, 3-aminopyrrolidine dihydrobromide, 3-aminopyrrolidine diacetate, 5-aminoquinuclidine dihydrocloride, 5-aminoquinuclidine dibromide, 5-aminoquinuclidine diacetate, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline dihydrochloride, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline dihydrobromide, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline diacetate, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane dihydrochloride, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane diacetate, 1,4-diaminobenzene dihydrochloride, 1,4-diaminobenzene diacetate, 1,2-diaminobenzene dihydrochloride, 1,2-diaminobenzene diacetate, 1,3-diaminobenzene dihydrochloride, 1,3-diaminobenzene diacetate, hexamethonium chloride, hexamethonium bromide, dihydrochloride salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, dihydrobromide salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, dihydroiodide salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, dinitrate salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, diacetate salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, dihydrochloride salt of diaminoethyl ether of polyproyleneglycol, dihydrobromide salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, dihydroiodide salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, dinitrate salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, diacetate salt of diaminoethyl ether of polypropyleneglycol, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine trihydrochloride, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine trihydrobromide, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine trihydroiodide, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine triformate, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine triacetate, 1,3,5-triazine trihydrochloride, 1,3,5-triazine trihydrobromide, 1,3,5-triazine trihydroiodide, 1,3,5-triazine triformate, 1,3,5-triazine triacetate, 1,3,5-triazine tripropionate, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane trihydrochloride, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane trihydrobromide, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane trihydroiodide, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane triformate, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane triacetate, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane tripropionate, 1,2,4,-triazole trihydrochloride, 1,2,4,-triazole trihydrobromide, 1,2,4,-triazole trihydroiodide, 1,2,4,-triazole triformate, 1,2,4,-triazole triacetate, 1,2,4,-triazole tripropionate, glycerol tris((poly(propylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydrochloride, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydrobromide, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydroiodide, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether triformate, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether triacetate, glycerol tris((polypropylene glycol), amine terminated) ether tripropionate, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydrochloride, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydrobromide, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether trihydroiodide, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether triformate, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether triacetate, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether tripropionate, isomers thereof, and mixtures thereof. The set of inks according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the ammonium salt in the second ink is an ethylenediamine salt. A multicolor ink jet printing process which comprises: (a) incorporating into an ink jet printer a first ink having a first color and comprising water and a colorant selected from the group consisting of (1) anionic dyes, (2) dyes having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, (3) pigment particles having anionic groups chemically attached thereto, (4) pigment particles having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, and (5) mixtures thereof; (b) incorporating into the ink jet printer a second ink comprising water, an optional colorant having a color other than the first color, and a diquaternary and/or triquaternary ammonium salt selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine salts, N-methylethylenediamine salts, N,N-dimethylethylenediamine salts, N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine salts, N-methyl, N'-ethyl-ethylenediamine salts, N,N'-diethylethylenediamine salts, 1,5-diaminopentane salts, 1,4-diaminopiperazine salts, 1,6-hexanediamine salts, piperazine salts, 4-aminopyridine salts, 3-aminopyrrolidine salts, 5-aminoquinuclidine salts, 5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline salts, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane salts, 1,4-diaminobenzene salts, 1,2-diaminobenzene salts, 1,3-diaminobenzene salts, hexamethonium chloride, hexamethonium salts, salts of diaminoethyl ether of polyethyleneglycol, salts of diaminoethyl ether of polyproyleneglycol, N,N,N',N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine salts, 1,3,5-triazine salts, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane salts, 1,2,4,-triazole salts, glycerol tris((poly(propylene glycol), amine terminated) ether salts, glycerol tris((polyethylene glycol), amine terminated) ether salts, isomers thereof, and mixtures thereof; (c) causing droplets of the first ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate; and (d) causing droplets of the second ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate, wherein the colorant in the first ink is immobilized on the substrate by interaction with the diquaternary and/or triquaternary ammonium salt in the second ink, thereby enabling reduced intercolor bleed. The process according to claim 6 wherein the second ink is printed onto the substrate before the first ink, or wherein the first ink is printed onto the substrate before the second ink. The process according to claim 6 or 7 wherein at least some of the second ink is printed on top of the first ink on the substrate, or wherein at least some of the first ink is printed on top of the second ink on the substrate. The process according to any of claims 6 to 8 wherein the second ink contains no colorant, wherein a third ink comprising water and a colorant having a color other than the first color is incorporated into the ink jet printer, wherein droplets of the third ink are caused to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the substrate, and wherein droplets of the second ink are caused to be printed onto the substrate between images of the first ink and images of the third ink.

Inventors: LIN JOHN WEI-PING, LIN, JOHN WEI-PING
Applicants: XEROX CORP, XEROX CORPORATION
Application year: 1999
Main classification: C09D11
IPC codes: C09D11, B41M5, B41M7, B41J2