Dye sublimation ink thermal inkjet printing method

A thermal inkjet printing method, comprising:

• selecting a dye sublimation ink, including:
• a disperse dye colorant dispersion;
• a primary solvent selected from the group consisting of glycerol, ethoxylated glycerol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, dipropylene glycol, and combinations thereof, wherein the primary solvent is present in an amount ranging from about 10 wt% to about 22 wt% based on a total weight of the ink;
• a secondary solvent present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 7 wt% based on the total weight of the ink;
• a surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and combinations thereof;
• an additive selected from the group consisting of a buffer, a biocide, a chelating agent, and combinations thereof;
• and
• a balance of water;
• applying to a heating resistor of a thermal inkjet printhead an operating energy that includes a margin over a turn-on energy (TOE) for the printhead, wherein the margin ranges from about 10% to about 20% over the TOE;
• and
• thermal inkjet printing, from the thermal inkjet printhead, the dye sublimation ink:
• i) directly onto a textile substrate;
• or
• ii) onto a transfer medium to form an image on the transfer medium;
• and
• transferring the image from the transfer medium onto the textile substrate.

A thermal inkjet printing system, comprising:

• a thermal inkjet printhead, including:
• a base substrate;
• an other substrate defined on the base substrate, the other substrate having defined therein at least one ink feed opening and at least one ink chamber, wherein the at least one ink feed opening is in operative and fluid communication with the at least one ink chamber and with an ink channel to supply ink thereto;
• a nozzle plate disposed on a portion of the other substrate, the nozzle plate having at least one orifice defined therein, the at least one orifice being in fluid communication with the at least one ink chamber;
• and
• a heating resistor operatively disposed on the base substrate and proximate to, and operatively associated with the at least one ink chamber and the at least one orifice;
• wherein the ink chamber contains a dye sublimation ink, including:
• a disperse dye colorant dispersion;
• a primary solvent selected from the group consisting of glycerol, ethoxylated glycerol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, dipropylene glycol, and combinations thereof;
• a surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and combinations thereof;
• an additive selected from the group consisting of a buffer, a biocide, a chelating agent, and combinations thereof;
• and
• a balance of water;
• and
• a printhead controller, operatively connected to the heating resistor, to activate an electrical current to pass the electrical current through the heating resistor to apply an operating energy that includes a margin over a turn-on energy (TOE) for the printhead, wherein the margin ranges from about 10% to about 25% over the TOE.