Radiation curable inks containing curable gelator additives

An ink comprising an ink vehicle that includes at least one curable monomer, at least one polymerizable organic gelator, at least one photoinitiator, and at least one colorant;

• wherein the polymerizabie organic gelator is selected from among the following compounds, each modified to include at least one curable group:
• ureidopyrimidone,
• wherein X is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, an alkoxy group of the formula —OR50, or an amino group of the formula —NR91R92, and wherein R38, R39, R50, R91, and R92 each, independently of the other, is hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group;
• wherein, provided that at least one of R52, R56, R97, and R58 is a hydrogen atom, R51, R52, R55, R56, R57, and R58 each, independently of the other, is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, R53 is an alkylene group, an arylene group, an arylalkylene group, an alkylarylene group, an alkyleneoxy group, an aryleneoxy group, an arylalkyleneoxy group, an alkylaryleneoxy group, a polyalkyleneoxy group, a polyaryleneoxy group, a polyarylalkyleneoxy group, or a polyalkylaryleneoxy group, and R54 is an alkyl or alkylene group, an aryl or arylene group, an arylalkyl or arylalkylene group, an alkylaryl or alkylarylene group, an alkoxy or alkyleneoxy group, an aryloxy or aryleneoxy group, an arylalkyloxy or arylalkyleneoxy group, an alkylaryloxy or alkylaryleneoxy group, a polyalkyleneoxy group, a polyaryleneoxy group, a polyarylalkyleneoxy group, a polyalkylaryleneoxy group, a silyl or silylene group, a siloxane group, a polysilylene group, or a polysiloxane group;
• wherein VORANOL™ 370
• wherein a, b, c, d, e, f, and g are each integers representing the number of ethylene oxide repeat units and the molecular weight of the starting material (wherein all end groups are terminated by hydroxy groups) is about 1,040;
• wherein R1 and R2 each, independently of the other, is an alkyl group with from 1 to about 18 carbon atoms.

A method of forming an image, comprising

• heating an ink to a first temperature, wherein the ink comprises an ink vehicle that includes at least one curable monomer, at least one polymerizable organic gelator, at least one initiator, at least one colorant, and optionally at least one heat solvent and wherein the first temperature is above the gel point of the ink;
• jetting the heated ink onto an intermediate transfer member surface, wherein the intermediate transfer member surface is maintained at a second temperature at which the ink forms a gel state;
• subsequently transferring the ink from the intermediate transfer member surface to an image receiving substrate;
• and
• exposing the ink on the image receiving substrate to radiation energy to initiate polymerization of the polymerizable components of the ink.

A method of forming an image, comprising

• heating an ink to a first temperature, wherein the ink comprises an ink vehicle that includes at least one curable monomer, at least one polymerizable organic gelator, at least one initiator, at least one colorant, and optionally at least one heat solvent and wherein the first temperature is above the gel point of the ink;
• jetting the heated ink directly onto an image receiving substrate in which at least the surface is maintained at a second temperature at which the ink forms a gel state;
• and
• exposing the ink on the image receiving substrate to radiation energy to initiate polymerization of the polymerizable components of the ink.