Thermal inkjet ink composition

A method for making a thermal inkjet ink composition, comprising:

• diluting a cellulose nanocrystal slurry with an amount of an aqueous ink vehicle sufficient to obtain a composition precursor having a cellulose nanocrystal concentration ranging from about 0.5 wt % to about 3.5 wt %, the aqueous ink vehicle including:
• a sugar alcohol present in an amount ranging from 3 wt % up to about 8 wt % based on the total weight of the thermal inkjet ink composition;
• an organic salt present in an amount ranging from about 0.05 wt % to about 0.5 wt % based on the total weight of the thermal inkjet ink composition;
• a polar solvent;
• and
• a balance of water;
• applying a shear force to the composition precursor to disperse cellulose nanocrystal aggregates present in the composition precursor;
• and
• adding a pigment to the composition precursor.

A printing method, comprising:

• introducing a plain paper into a thermal inkjet printer, the plain paper excluding an additive that produces a chemical interaction with a pigment in an ink composition that is printed thereon;
• and
• from the thermal inkjet printer, jetting the ink composition onto the plain paper to form an image, the ink composition including:
• cellulose nanocrystals present in an amount ranging from 0.5 wt % up to 3.5 wt %, based on a total weight of the thermal inkjet ink composition;
• a sugar alcohol present in an amount ranging from 3 wt % up to about 8 wt % based on the total weight of the thermal inkjet ink composition;
• an organic salt present in an amount ranging from about 0.05 wt % to about 0.5 wt % based on the total weight of the thermal inkjet ink composition;
• the pigment;
• a polar solvent;
• and
• a balance of water.