Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus for printing continuous tone images on a receiver in response to a digital image, including a structure defining a plurality of colorant or colorant precursor receiving chambers, and another structure defining at least one mixing chamber for receiving a plurality of microdrops of colorants or colorant precursors from the colorant or colorant precursor receiving chambers to produce a desired colorant. The apparatus further includes a microdrop nozzle for each receiving chamber and in communication with the mixing chamber and a printing nozzle for each mixing chamber for causing a mixed drop to be delivered to the receiver.

Abstract: A cyan dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a mixture of cyan dyes dispersed in a polymeric binder, at least one of the cyan dyes having the formula: ##STR1## and at least one of the other of the dyes having the formula: ##STR2##

Abstract: A cyan dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a mixture of cyan dyes dispersed in a polymeric binder, at least one of the cyan dyes having the formula: ##STR1## and at least one of the other of the dyes having the formula: ##STR2##

Abstract: A magenta dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprises a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a mixture of magenta dyes dispersed in a polymeric binder, at least one of the magenta dyes having the formula: ##STR1## and at least another of the magenta dyes having the formula: ##STR2##

Abstract: A cyan dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a mixture of cyan dyes dispersed in a polymeric binder, at least one of the cyan dyes having the formula: ##STR1## and at least one of the other of the dyes having the formula: ##STR2##

Abstract: This invention relates to a dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye in a polymeric binder, and wherein the dye layer also contains at least 0.005 g/m.sup.2 of a siloxane block copolymer release agent.

Abstract: Imaging elements are prepared by a method in which an image is generated on a donor element and then transferred from the donor element to a receiver element by the steps of lamination and peeling. The donor element comprises a support, an image-forming layer and optional release and adhesive layers and the image is formed by imagewise laser-induced thermal ablation of the image-forming layer. The method is particularly useful for the preparation of lithographic printing plates as it avoids the need to employ alkaline developing solutions.

Abstract: A dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having on one side thereof a dye layer and on the other side a slipping layer comprising a polyvinyl-block-siloxane copolymer, the polysiloxane component comprising from about 2 to about 30 weight % of the copolymer, and the polysiloxane component having a molecular weight of at least about 3900.

Abstract: A laser dye-ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a yellow dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, the dye layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, the yellow dye comprising curcumin.

Abstract: A black laser dye-ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a mixture of at least one cyan, magenta and yellow dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, said dye layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, said cyan dye having the formula: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, X, Y, J and m are as defined.

Abstract: A dye-receiving element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having on one side thereof a dye image-receiving layer, wherein the dye image-receiving layer is overcoated with a layer consisting of a water-soluble poly(ethylene oxide) polymer.

Abstract: A process of forming a single color, dye ablation image having an improved D-min comprising imagewise-heating by means of a laser, a dye-ablative recording element comprising a transparent support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, the dye layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith to absorb at a given wavelength of the laser used to expose the element, the image dye being substantially transparent in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum and absorbs in the region of from about 300 to about 700 nm and does not have any substantial absorption at the wavelength of the laser used to expose the element, the laser exposure taking place through the dye side of the element, and removing the ablated image dye material to obtain the image in the dye-ablative recording element, wherein the element contains a substantially transparent, hydrophilic, organic or inorganic polymeric dye barrier layer between the support and the dye layer.

Abstract: A dye-ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon an interlayer containing an inorganic hydrate salt, the interlayer being overcoated with a dye layer comprising an image dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, and the dye layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith.

Abstract: A laser dye-ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon, in order, a dye layer comprising an image dye dispersed in a polymeric binder and a polymeric overcoat which does not contain any image dye, the dye layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith to absorb at a given wavelength of the laser used to expose the element, the image dye is substantially transparent in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum and absorbs in the region of from about 300 to about 700 nm and does not have substantial absorption at the wavelength of the laser used to expose the element.

Abstract: A dye-receiving element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having on one side thereof, in order, a cushion layer of an acrylic polymer, a subbing layer, and a polymeric dye image-receiving layer, wherein said subbing layer is a poly(vinyl acetal) and is present at a coverage of at least 0.17 g/m.sup.2.

Abstract: A process of forming a single color, dye ablation image having an improved D-min comprising imagewise-heating by means of a laser, in the absence of a separate receiving element, a dye-ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, the dye layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith to absorb at a given wavelength of the laser used to expose the element, the image dye being substantially transparent in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum and absorbs in the region of from about 300 to about 700 nm and does not have any substantial absorption at the wavelength of the laser used to expose the element, the laser exposure taking place through the dye side of the element, and removing the ablated image dye material to obtain an image in the dye-ablative recording element, wherein the infrared-absorbing material is a cyanine dye having a perfluorinated organic counterion.

Abstract: A process of forming a single color, dye ablation image having an improved D-min comprising imagewise-heating by means of a laser, a dye-ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye dispersed in a polymeric binder having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, the laser exposure taking place through the dye side of the element, and removing the ablated image dye material to obtain an image in the dye-ablative recording element, wherein the polymeric binder has a polystyrene equivalent molecular weight of at least 100,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography.

Abstract: A thermal dye transfer process, and intermediate receiver used therein, for obtaining a color image which is used to represent a printed color image obtained from a printing press comprising (a) forming a thermal dye transfer image in a polymeric dye image-receiving layer of an intermediate dye-receiving element comprising a support having thereon said dye image-receiving layer by imagewise-heating a dye-donor element and transferring a dye image to the dye image-receiving layer, (b) adhering the dye image-receiving layer to a surface of a final receiver element by heat laminating the intermediate dye receiving element to the final receiver element, and (c) stripping the intermediate dye receiving element support from the dye image-receiving layer, wherein the intermediate dye receiving element further comprises a cushion layer between the support and the dye image-receiving layer, the shear modulus of the cushion layer being less than the shear modulus of the support and less than ten times the shear modulus

Abstract: A thermal dye transfer process, and intermediate receiver used therein, for obtaining a color image which is used to represent a printed color image obtained from a printing press comprising (a) imagewise-heating by means of a laser a dye-donor element in contact with a polymeric dye image-receiving layer of an intermediate dye-receiving element, thereby transferring a dye image to the dye image-receiving layer, the intermediate dye-receiving element comprising the dye image-receiving layer and a layer substantially opaque to light at the wavelength the laser is operated at, (b) adhering the dyed polymeric dye image-receiving layer to a final receiver element, and (c) separating the opaque layer from the dyed image-receiving layer. Preferably, the opaque layer is reflective, and most preferably specularly reflective.

Abstract: A process for formation of a dye image in an arbitrarily shaped object includes the following steps: (a) forming a dye transfer image by thermal dye transfer in a dye image-receiving layer of an intermediate dye receiving element comprising the dye image-receiving layer and a support, (b) separating the imaged dye image-receiving layer from the support, (c) placing the separated, imaged, dye image-receiving layer in contact with an arbitrarily shaped final receiver, (d) transferring the dye image out of the dye image-receiving layer and into the final receiver by the action of heat, and (e) removing the dye image-receiving layer from the imaged final receiver resulting from step (d).