Printability of coating layer with nano silica sol for inkjet printing high-end photo paper

Abstract

In recent years, printing paper with a function of information delivery and aesthetic value has attracted a great attention with increasing market demand for coated paper that is capable of high quality printing. The coated paper for inkjet printing with high-quality of photorealistic grades requires the coating layer with a good wettability and porous surface structure in order to improve the printability of ink. In this study, the coated paper was prepared using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and surface treated nano silica sol with silane coupling agent. It was confirmed that the coating layer with surface treated nano silica sol showed a uniform pore distribution and flat surface roughness. Glossiness of the prepared printing paper was similar to that of commercial high quality photo paper. Especially, the coated paper with surface treated nano silica sol showed improved printability with excellent roundness of the printed dot of ink. These results indicates that the coating layer with excellent wettability and uniform pore distribution can be formed by using the nano-silica particles with improved dispersibility through the surface treatment of the silane coupling agent.