Abstract: An underbanked and unbanked method and module associated with a financial institution to effect generating cash funds from a check, loading these cash funds onto a general purpose reloadable prepaid card, and using these cash funds to facilitate cash to cash money transfers and bill payments for banking customers regardless of whether the customer is a deposit or non-deposit customer of the financial institution. The underbanked and unbanked module can include a check cashing module, a reloadable debit card system, a money remittance system and a bill payment system that are integrated with each other. The customer may use the funds dispensed from the underbanked and unbanked module to obtain cash, load a reloadable debit card, pay for purchases, pay bills, obtain a money order and/or to facilitate cash to cash money transfers.

Abstract: A method of providing an image on a media having a image-receiving layer and a protective overlayer, comprising the steps of providing an image on the image-receiving and providing machine-readable indicia on said protective overlayer by varying the temperature of a thermal head used to apply the protective overlayer.

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: A thermal printing ribbon that has reduced or no wrinkling during printing includes inorganic particles in a polymeric host material in at least one layer of the ribbon. The ribbon has improved mechanical and thermal properties as compared to ribbons not incorporating the inorganic particles. The ribbon can be used to form images on a dye-receiver element wherein the images have few or no artifacts caused by wrinkling of the thermal printing ribbon. The ribbon can be used in high speed printing.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for transferring a protective overcoat for a thermal print wherein the protective overcoat is applied to a dye-donor element under predesigned conditions after thermal dye transfer, the dye-donor element comprising patches of dye for transfer to a thermal print to provide a protective layer thereon. In particular, the invention improves the process of providing an improved level of gloss to the transferred protective overcoat. The method involves a preselected duration between printing and peeling the transferable laminate patch, respectively, to and from the donor. The invention is particularly advantageous at lower line times, faster printing, for thermal prints with high gloss.

Abstract: A process of transferring a protection layer from a dye-donor receiver after thermal dye transfer. In one embodiment, the transferable protection layer contains inorganic particles, a polymeric binder, organic particles and an organic gloss-enhancing agent that enhances the gloss of the final print. The transferred protection layer that provides a higher gloss to an image after transfer. A laminate containing such a gloss-enhancing agent has been found to enable printing at lower line times, faster printing, for thermal prints withwhile maintaining high gloss.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat transferable protective overcoat comprising a hydroxyphenyl triazine compound in a polymeric binder. Such an overcoat provides UV protection without degrading sunlight protection.

Abstract: A method of providing an image on a media having a image-receiving layer and a protective overlayer, comprising the steps of providing an image on said image-receiving and providing machine-readable indicia on said protective overlayer by varying the temperature of a thermal head used to apply said protective overlayer.

Abstract: A method of providing an image on a media having a image-receiving layer and a protective overlayer, comprising the steps of providing an image on said image-receiving and providing machine-readable indicia on said protective overlayer by varying the temperature of a thermal head used to apply said protective overlayer.

Abstract: A method of providing an image on a media having a image-receiving layer and a protective overlayer, comprising the steps of providing an image on said image-receiving and providing machine-readable indicia on said protective overlayer by varying the temperature of a thermal head used to apply said protective overlayer.

Abstract: A method of providing an image on a media having a image-receiving layer and a protective overlayer, comprising the steps of providing an image on said image-receiving and providing machine-readable indicia on said protective overlayer by varying the temperature of a thermal head used to apply said protective overlayer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal dye transfer print bearing a protective overlayer comprising a polymeric binder containing dispersed heat expandable microspheres wherein the expandable microspheres have been selectively expanded in a predetermined pattern and a process for making same. The resulting prints bear a predetermined texture pattern in the protective overlayer.

Abstract: A method of providing an image on a media having a image-receiving layer and a protective overlayer, comprising the steps of providing an image on said image-receiving and providing machine-readable indicia on said protective overlayer by varying the temperature of a thermal head used to apply said protective overlayer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal dye transfer print bearing a protective overlayer comprising a polymeric binder containing dispersed heat expandable microspheres wherein the expandable microspheres have been selectively expanded in a predetermined pattern and a process for making same. The resulting prints bear a predetermined texture pattern in the protective overlayer.

Abstract: Disclosed is protective laminate for a thermal dye sublimation print containing a binder and dispersed thermally expandable microspheres having on the surface of the microspheres less than 1.8 wt % of inorganic particulates and a process for forming such a laminate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat transferable protective overcoat comprising a hydroxyphenyl triazine compound in a polymeric binder. Such an overcoat provides UV protection without degrading sunlight protection.

Abstract: A transparent image producing display or receiver which uses a suspension fluid for producing pixels of an image includes at least one image-forming layer having a structure which defines a plurality of pixels, with the structure receiving a suspension fluid having field-driven particles, which move in response to an externally applied field, where, in a first condition, the field-driven particles produce a first level of transmitted incident light and, in an second condition, produce a second level of transmitted incident light.

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 contains inorganic particles, a polymeric binder and unexpanded synthetic thermoplastic polymeric microspheres, the microspheres having a particle size in the unexpanded condition of from about 5 to about 20 &mgr;m, and which expand to about 20 to about 120 &mgr;m upon application of heat during transfer of the protection layer to an image-receiving layer to provide a matte surface thereon, the microspheres comprising a mixture of low softening point microspheres and high softening point microspheres, the low softening point microspheres having a softening point less than about 105° C.

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 contains inorganic particles, a polymeric binder and unexpanded synthetic thermoplastic polymeric microspheres, the microspheres having a particle size in the unexpanded condition of from about 5 to about 20 &mgr;m, and which expand to about 20 to about 120 &mgr;m upon application of heat during transfer of the protection layer to an image-receiving layer to provide a matte surface thereon, the transferable protection layer being less than about 1 &mgr;m thick.

Abstract: A display includes a substrate, a matrix formed over the substrate, and thermomeltable material disposed in the matrix, having a transition temperature range above room temperature wherein the viscosity of the thermomeltable material decreases substantially from below to above the transition temperature range. The display also includes field-driven particles, immersed in the thermomeltable material, so that the field-driven particles change reflective densities in response to an applied electric field when the material is above the transition temperature range and is stable at temperatures below its transition temperature range, and heater(s) disposed in the display associated with the matrix for controlling the temperature of at least a portion of the matrix to control the response of the field-driven particles in the matrix.