Abstract: A thermal donor element having a dye layer on an extruded substrate, wherein the extruded substrate includes a polyester-containing material and a slip agent, but does not contain silica particles, is disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of forming a dye donor layer of a dye-donor element for a thermal dye transfer system are described. The methods include coating colored particles in a compressed carrier fluid on the substrate of the dye-donor element.

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 at least two waxes, a branched alpha-olefin polymer and another wax.

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 material comprising a maleic anhydride polyethylene graft copolymer and at least one other d hydrocarbon wax.

Abstract: A dye-donor element including a dye-donor layer is described, wherein the dye-donor element includes a stick preventative agent. The dye-donor element is capable of printing an image on a receiver element at a line speed of 2 ms/line or less while maintaining a print density of at least two, and a print to fail value of at least four. A print assembly including the dye-donor element and a receiver element is also described, as well as a method of printing using the dye-donor element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a donor for thermal imaging including a base and dye layer, wherein said dye layer includes yellow dye and binder in a ratio of about 0.63, and said base has a thickness of between 4 to 4.75 micrometers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of avoiding core set curl in thermal prints comprising providing thermal print material wound image receiving side toward the core, passing said print material from said core around a turning roll in a direction opposite to the core wind, passing said print material under tension in an arcuate path with image side out beneath at least three thermal print heads to form an image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a donor for thermal imaging comprising a base and dye layer, wherein said dye layer comprises yellow dye and binder in a ratio of 0.6 to 0.7, and said base has a thickness of between 3 and 5 micrometers.

Abstract: A dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon at least one dye layer area comprising an image dye in a binder and another area comprising a transferable protection layer, the transferable protection layer area being approximately equal in size to the dye layer area, wherein the transferable protection layer comprises a binder and a UV-absorber comprising an oxide of antimony.

Abstract: A process of controlling the gloss of a thermal dye transfer image comprising: (a) imagewise-heating a dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye in a binder, the dye-donor being in contact with a dye-receiving element, thereby transferring a dye image to an image-receiving layer of the dye-receiving element to form the dye transfer image; and (b) thermally transferring a protection layer on top of the transferred dye image, the protection layer being applied from an element which contains unexpanded synthetic thermoplastic polymeric microspheres, the microspheres having a particle size in the unexpanded condition of from about 5 to about 20 &mgr;m, the protection layer being transferred using a given energy level in order to expand the microspheres until a desired gloss level is obtained.

Abstract: A reusable thermal dye donor element for a dye transfer thermal printer comprising: a base support having a plurality of wells which preferentially adsorb and desorb dye; and an overcoat on the base support which has a thickness less than the depth of the plurality of wells.