The role of nanoparticle silica pigments in microporous glossy ink jet media

The demand for glossy ink jet media is growing. Microporous media is widely used in the Asian markets because of its rapid drying characteristics and photo-like image quality Many different types of pigments have found utility in microporous media coating formulations. This paper will focus on the range of silica nanoparticle pigments used in the topcoat of two-layer glossy microporous media architectures applied by cast coating. We will present data on nanoparticle pigment and resin combinations, showing that the pigment/resin combination is critical for optimal inkjet print performance. We will use DOI measurement, gloss, transparency, and color optical density measurements to compare the various pigment/resin combinations.