Novel toner compositions for black gravure inks

Abstract

A novel, easy, and efficient manner of toning shades of toluene-based gravure inks is provided, particularly through the incorporation of certain polymeric colorants therein said gravure ink formulations. In addition, such toner additives provide a toning capabilities of carbon black-based gravure inks that provides jetter black appearances with lower degrees of redness and bronzing on various types of printing substrates than other toner formulations of standard alkali blue types of toning additives. Such printed substrates and methods of printing utilizing such novel gravure toner additives are also encompassed within this invention.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . A black gravure ink solution comprising at least one polymeric colorant toner component exhibiting a λ max  absorption measurement between about 550 and 610 nm and comprising a nonionic chromophore component, at least one black coloring component selected from the group consisting of at least one black pigment, at least one black dyestuff, and a mixture of both, at least one solvent, and at least one resin component.  
     
     
         2 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 1  wherein said solvent is toluene and said polymeric colorant toner component exhibits a λ max  absorption measurement between about 560 and 580 nm.  
     
     
         3 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 1  wherein said polymeric colorant toner component comprises polyoxyalkylene chains thereon.  
     
     
         4 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 3  wherein said polyoxyalkylene chains comprise at least a majority of C 3  or higher alkylene oxide monomers.  
     
     
         5 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 4  wherein said polyoxyalkylene chains comprise a combination of ethylene oxide monomers and C 3  or higher alkylene oxide monomers in a ratio of from about 1:1.4 to about 1:4.  
     
     
         6 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 5  wherein said C 3  or higher alkylene oxide monomer is propylene oxide.  
     
     
         7 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 2  wherein said polymeric colorant toner component comprises polyoxyalkylene chains thereon.  
     
     
         8 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 7  wherein said polyoxyalkylene chains comprise at least a majority of C 3  or higher alkylene oxide monomers.  
     
     
         9 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 8  wherein said polyoxyalkylene chains comprise a combination of ethylene oxide monomers and C 3  or higher alkylene oxide monomers in a ratio of from about 1:1.4 to about 1:4.  
     
     
         10 . The black gravure ink solution of  claim 9  wherein said C 3  or higher alkylene oxide monomer is propylene oxide.