US Patent 7371456 - Nanoparticle ink with charged particle protective layer

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7371456.html

This patent from Kimberly-Clark Worldwide teaches an improved textile ink more resistant to fading and bleeding than prior inks and based on nanoparticulate materials. Claim 1 reads:

1. An ink composition for a printing process comprising:

a nanoparticle having a size less than about 1,000 nanometers comprising a particle template having more than one colorant layer disposed upon the particle template;

a liquid vehicle; and

a protective layer disposed upon the colorant layer; wherein the protective layer is a charged polymer.