A novel digital printing technology, called Elcography~R, based on the electrocoagulation phenomenon, has been recently developed for commercial printing markets. The process consists of sending electric current into an electrolytic water-based polymeric pigmented ink. When subjected to such electric pulsations by a cathodic array, the polymer binder coagulates onto the anodic positive electrode forming three-dimensional dots, which are then revealed by a squeegee before being transferred on a non-photosensitive paper. Each printed dot can assume 256 different thickness layers as well as varying spot size, thus reproducing a wide tone gamut with four sequential color printing stations. Due to its continuous-tone image quality and low cost of processing, Elcography~R is also likely to play an important role in the future development of centralized digital photo finishing centers. This high-speed technology can print 210,000 continuous-tone pictures per hour directly from computer networks. Mega pixel digital pictures are printed with a resolution of 400 dpi with 256 gray levels per dot. Combined with increasing pixel density and the wide dynamic range of digital CCD cameras, Elcography~R photo printers will push digital photo quality to levels equivalent to the modular transfer function exhibited by conventional photo-sensitive reproduction methods. Furthermore, this system completely eliminates photochemical processing and silver recycling concerns for photo finishing firms with digital expansion plans.
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