High definition printing with waterborne inks on non-porous substrates

A method of producing images with water based ink on a surface with no bleeding comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an object having a surface;
• (b) coating at least part of the surface of the object with an aqueous solution comprising a silyl-containing copolymer;
• (c) evaporating off the volatile part of the mixture, thus depositing a solid hydrophobic layer on the surface of the object without causing the coating to cross-link;
• (d) providing ink comprising a colorant and aqueous carrier;
• and (e) applying the ink onto the surface of the coating on the object, the silyl-containing copolymer being comprised of a copolymer of a monomer system comprising:
• (A) a silyl-containing monomer having a structural formula I
• wherein n=1-20, o=1-5
• R=O or NH
• R′=H or CH3
• R″=C1-C12 alkyl
• R′″=CH2CH(OH) or —(CH2)—m wherein m-1-20;
• (B) a neutral, hydrophilic, ethylenically unsaturated monomer;
• and
• (C) a cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

A method for forming at least a portion of an electronic feature, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a first substrate having a first surface;
• (b) coating the first surface with an aqueous solution comprising a silyl-containing copolymer to form a modified surface;
• and (c) applying an ink to at least a portion of the modified surface, wherein the modified surface interacts with the ink to inhibit one or both lateral migration and/or longitudinal migration of the applied ink, and wherein the applied ink forms at least a portion of the electronic feature, the silyl-containing copolymer being comprised of a copolymer of a monomer system comprising:
• (A) a silyl-containing monomer having a structural formula I
• wherein n=1-20, o=1-5
• R=O or NH
• R′=H or CH3
• R″=C1-C12 alkyl
• R′″=CH2CH(OH) or —(CH2)—m wherein m-1-20;
• (B) a neutral, hydrophilic, ethylenically unsaturated monomer;
• and
• (C) a cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer.