| 20090181217 | INK JET PRINTING ON SPORT COURT AND OTHER POLYMER TILES - A method designed for printing a durable, abrasion-resistant image on a non-porous, non-planar polymer surface. The method includes providing a substantially non-planar, polymer substrate having a non-porous surface onto which an image is to be printed with an inkjet printer, activating the polymer surface so as to promote cohesive and chemical bonding interactions between the polymer surface and at least one inkjet ink, applying a layer of an opaque, white, UV-polymerizable primer ink to the polymer surface with the inkjet printer, overlaying an inkjet image on top of the layer of opaque, white primer ink with the inkjet printer, wherein the image comprises a mosaic of dots of a plurality of UV-polymerizable inkjet inks applied by the inkjet printer, and finally, the inkjet inks are cured or “dried” by polymerizing with a UV light source. Activating increases the surface tension of the polymer surface such that the inks are able to bond to the surface. | 07-16-2009 |
