Thermal inkjet dye sublimation inks

A printing method, comprising:

• selecting a dye sublimation ink, including:
• a disperse dye colorant dispersion present in an amount ranging from about 1 wt % actives to about 7 wt % actives based on a total weight of the ink;
• a primary solvent selected from the group consisting of glycerol, ethoxylated glycerol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, dipropylene glycol, and combinations thereof, the primary solvent being present in an amount ranging from about 10 wt % to about 22 wt % based on the 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 chelating agent present in an amount ranging from greater than 0 wt % actives to less than 0.1 wt % actives based on the total weight of the ink;
• oleth-3-phosphate present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 wt % to about 0.75 wt % based on the total weight of the ink;
• an additive selected from the group consisting of a buffer, a biocide, an other surfactant, and combinations thereof;
• and
• a balance of water;
• and
• 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 25% 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 method for improving thermal inkjet printing performance of a dye sublimation ink, comprising:

• selecting oleth-3-phosphate or a combination of a chelating agent and oleth-3-phosphate;
• and
• incorporating the combination into the dye sublimation ink, including:
• a disperse dye colorant dispersion present in an amount ranging from about 1 wt % actives to about 7 wt % actives based on a total weight of the ink;
• a primary solvent selected from the group consisting of glycerol, ethoxylated glycerol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, dipropylene glycol, and combinations thereof, the primary solvent being present in an amount ranging from about 10 wt % to about 22 wt % based on the 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;
• an additive selected from the group consisting of a buffer, a biocide, an other surfactant, and combinations thereof;
• and
• a balance of water;
• wherein the incorporating involves:
• adding the chelating agent in an amount ranging from greater than 0 wt % actives to less than 0.1 wt % actives based on the total weight of the ink;
• and
• adding the oleth-3-phosphate in an amount ranging from about 0.1 wt % to about 0.75 wt % based on the total weight of the ink.