Abstract: Weatherproof sheets, suitable for conventional printing, writing, photocopying, and laser printing, are prepared by impregnantly coating a cellulosic substrate on at least one side with a durable weatherproofing composition that is water-based. The composition that is used for general-purpose weatherproof sheets comprises a styrenic acrylic copolymer, a wax, a filler for blocking resistance, a filler for tooth, and a pigment. The preparation of all-purpose weatherproof sheets, usable in photocopiers and laser printers, is made possible by substantially omitting calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide from the composition. The weatherproof sheets resist falling apart, remain legible, and can be written upon when wet. They are also non-yellowing, biodegradable and recylclable. Also, disclosed are methods for making the weatherproof sheets, as well as weatherproof sheets made by those methods.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermal transfer recording medium having a solvent-resistant layer based on a polyester resin wherein an even ink layer is formed by coating on the solvent-resistant layer. A thermal transfer recording medium 10 of the present invention comprises a solvent-resistant layer 2 based on a polyester resin on a substrate 1 and an ink layer 3 based on a ketone resin on the solvent-resistant layer 2. The solvent-resistant layer 2 contains a polyethylene wax in the range from 10 to 80% by weight of on the basis of the solid content of the solvent-resistant layer.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention provides ink receptor compositions capable of receiving and fixing a water resistant image on a substrate without bleeding, feathering, or smudging. The ink receptor compositions comprise colloidal alumina; multivalent metal ion; hydrophilic binder; hydrophobic latex; surfactant; and optionally an image transfer aid. In other aspects, the invention provides methods of imaging substrates, ink receptor media, and ink receptor kits.

Abstract: A support for an image recording material comprises base paper having a formation index at a restriction diameter of 1.0 mm equal to or greater than 80 and density equal to or greater than 0.95 g/m3, changes of said formation index and density of said base paper before and after contact of a front surface of said base paper at a side on which an image recording layer of said imager recording material is formed with water at 20° C. for 30 seconds being equal to or less than 10 and 0.05 g/m3, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a recording material in which an ink receiving layer containing at least a resin and a pigment is provided on a substrate, the recording material being characterized in that the ink receiving layer is porous, apparent density thereof is 0.2 to 0.8 g/cm3 and heat conductivity of the ink receiving layer and the substrate is 0.1 to 0.25 W/m·K. The recording material can produce highly precise image even if the amount of heat generated at the head is small and the printing pressure is low, i.e., the recording material has excellent dot reproduction and excellent dot transfer of highlighted portions.

Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material which comprises an image-receiving sheet comprising a support having thereon a coating layer including at least an image-receiving layer, and a plurality of heat transfer sheets each comprising a support having coating layers including at least a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, wherein the ratio of the optical density (OD) of the image-forming layer in each heat transfer sheet to the layer thickness, OD/layer thickness (&mgr;m unit), is 1.50 or more, the recording area of a multicolor image of the heat transfer sheet is 515 mm or more multiplying 728 mm or more, the definition of a transferred image is 2,400 dpi or more, the coating layer in the image-receiving sheet and/or the coating layers in each heat transfer sheet has at least one layer containing a dispersant and a matting layer having an average particle size of from 0.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging element comprising an imaging layer and a support, wherein the support comprises a base material having thereon at least two polyolefin layers, wherein the uppermost layer of the at least two polyolefin layers comprises a mixture of optical brighteners comprising a Compound A having the following formula: a Compound B having the following formula: and a Compound C having the following formula: wherein the layers below the uppermost layer of the at least two polyolefin layers comprise migratory optical brightener; and wherein the imaging layer is on the same side of the base material as the at least two polyolefin layers. The inventive support unexpectedly minimizes exudation of the brightener at the polyolefin surface and provides excellent absorption/emission characteristics, brightening power and heat to meet the critical requirements of the photographic field.

Abstract: There is provided a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet which has none of the offset of an antistatic agent, the transfer of the antistatic agent onto a carrier roll of a thermal printer or the like, a lowering in whiteness, glossiness, and sensitivity in printing of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, and a remarkable lowering in coating strength under high-humidity environmental conditions and thus can realize stable and excellent antistatic properties. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprises a substrate sheet and a dye-receptive layer provided on at least one side of the substrate sheet. An electrically conductive layer is provided as at least one layer between the substrate sheet and the receptive layer, or as at least one layer on the substrate sheet in its side remote from the receptive layer. The electrically conductive layer comprises electrically conductive synthetic phyllosilicate.

Abstract: A print media having a first sheet that is elastic about a plane of its printable surface is adhered to a second sheet that is rigid about the plane of the printable surface. The two sheets are separable such that the first sheet may be separated from the second sheet after transferring a desired image to the printable surface. By transferring an image to the printable surface of the first sheet, and by subsequently removing the second sheet, a stretchable image is produced on the first sheet.

Abstract: An image-forming material comprising: an image-receiving sheet comprising a support and an image-receiving layer and; a thermal transfer sheet comprising a support, alight-to-heat conversion layer and an image-forming layer, wherein an outermost surface of the side of the thermal transfer sheet in which the image-forming layer is provided has a scratch resistance of from 50 g to 200 g at the time that the surface is scratched with a stylus having a radius of curvature of 0.25 mm at a velocity of 1 cm/sec and a method using the image-forming material.

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: The invention is directed to a method for preparing a recoatable surface on a substrate. The substrate is coated with a base coat composition comprising a polyol acrylate monomer and an epoxy acrylate monomer which is subsequently cured with UV radiation. After curing, the base coat is imaged with a sublimation dye design, typically by contact with a transfer sheet. Advantageously, the imaged base coat can subsequently be coated with a top coat or stain to modify or enhance the properties or appearance of the design.

Abstract: There is provided a hot-melt transfer ink image-receiving sheet which is excellent in abrasion resistance as well as image density and halftone dot reproducibility of a recorded image and useful as a contact printing film in the photomechanical process. In this hot-melt transfer ink image-receiving sheet 4 having an image-receiving surface 3 on a support 1, the image-receiving surface 3 has surface roughness (JIS-B0601) of 0.15-0.60 &mgr;m in terms of arithmetic mean deviation Ra and 1.0-3.0 &mgr;m in terms of 10-point height of irregularities Rz.

Abstract: There is described a nanoporous receiver element for use in thermal mass transfer imaging applications. The receiver element comprises a substrate carrying an image-receiving layer comprising particulate material and a binder material. The substrate may comprise a material having a compressibility of at least 1% under a pressure of 1 Newton per mm2 (1 MPa). Optionally, there may be provided, between the substrate and the nanoporous receiving layer, a layer having a thickness of less than about 50 &mgr;m which is comprised entirely of a material having a compressibility of less than about 1% under a pressure of 1 MPa. Alternatively, the substrate may comprise only the material having a compressibility of less than about 1% under a pressure of 1 MPa, provided that the thickness of the substrate does not exceed about 50 &mgr;m.

Abstract: To provide an image recording method and apparatus that can record and display an image of free pattern without forming the complex wirings in an electrochromic material, and to reduce the manufacturing costs of the image recording apparatus employing the EC material.

Abstract: A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is provided which can realize composite recording on both sides of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet by image formation respectively by means of a sublimation dye thermal transfer method and, in addition, by printing means different from the sublimation dye thermal transfer method. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprises: a substrate; a first recording layer provided on one side of the substrate, an image being formable on the first recording layer by a sublimation dye thermal transfer method; and a second recording layer provided on the other side of the substrate and comprising a combination of two or more layers, the second recording layer permitting recording to be made by printing means other than the sublimation dye thermal transfer method, whereby composite recording can be made on both sides of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet respectively by a plurality of types of image forming means.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a release sheet and an adhesive tape which display excellent releasability from an adhesive layer, excellent printing and print recordability for thermal transfer systems using an ink ribbon or the like, little susceptibility to slipping when release agent layers are placed together, little susceptibility to blocking, and no ink soiling.

Abstract: A process for adjusting the energy of an imaging laser for imaging of a thermally imageable element including the steps of: (a) providing an imaging unit having a non-imaging laser and an imaging laser, the non-imaging laser having a light detector which is in communication with the imaging laser, (b) contacting a receiver element with the thermally imageable element in the imaging unit, wherein the receiver element comprises a light attenuating layer having a front surface and a back surface; (c) actuating the non-imaging laser to expose the thermally imageable element and the receiver element to an amount of light energy sufficient for the light detector to detect the amount of light reflected from the thermally imageable element and light attenuating layer of the receiver element; and (d) actuating the imaging laser to focus the imaging laser in order to expose the thermally imageable element to an amount of light energy sufficient for imaging the thermally imageable element

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording sheet having a high resistance to denting due to the nipping pressure and/or thermal printing pressure has a substrate sheet including a core sheet and polyester films laminated on the two surfaces of the core sheet and an image receiving layer formed on a surface of the substrate sheet and containing a dyeable polymeric material, and exhibits a compression modulus of 50 MPa or less.

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: An image receiver material which, even when wound on a roll of a smaller diameter in a printer, an image receiver sheet is not peeled, such that the image receiver material is not susceptible to running troubles in a printer. To this end, there is provided a seal type image receiver material in which the image receiver material includes a separator including a release sheet base material and a release agent layer provided on its one surface and an image receiver sheet including a receiver sheet base material and an adhesive layer provided on its one surface. The separator and the image receiver sheet are layered together so that the separator and the image receiver sheet may be released from each other and so that the release agent layer of the separator faces the adhesive layer of the image receiver sheet. A half-cut is provided in the image receiver sheet.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image receiving layer (3) which alliveates or substantially dissolves at least one problem selected from a low quality of the image such as glossiness and sharpness, a low preservative property of the image such as heat resistance, and a high running cost. Moreover, an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer recording image receiver (1) having such image receiving layer (3). To achieve the objects, the present invention provides a image receiving layer (3) for a thermal transfer recording image receiver (1) having a substrate (2) and the image receiving layer (3) characterized in that the image receiving layer (3) is formed from a composition comprising an acrylic polyol resin and other thermoplastic resin. Further, the present invention provides such thermal transfer recording receiver (1) having the image receiving layer as well as a thermal transfer recording method using the receiver.

Abstract: The display sheet comprises: a sheet-like member, which comprises a support, such as a sheet of paper and a plastic film, and a 30 to 500 micron thick flexible microporous suction sheet which is disposed on a back surface side of the support and in which an infinite number of fine and flexible depression pores 5 to 300 microns in diameter are formed; and a release film, which releasably covers a surface of the microporous suction sheet to protect the microporous suction sheet, is 10 to 100 micron thick and has a smooth surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal transfer image receiving sheet comprising a substrate sheet, an intermediate layer provided on at least one surface side of the substrate sheet and a dye receptor layer provided on the surface of the intermediate layer, wherein the substrate sheet is a pulp paper, the intermediate layer is formed from an organic solvent solution of a resin, and the dye receptor layer is formed from an aqueous resin liquid. By virtue of this structure, the thermal transfer image receiving sheet can be prevented from occurrence of curling caused by temperature change. Also disclosed is a thermal transfer image receiving sheet comprising a substrate sheet, an intermediate layer provided on at least one surface side of the substrate sheet and a dye receptor layer provided on the surface of the intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from either an acrylic resin or a resin at least a part of which is crosslinked.

Abstract: A thermal transfer image recording composite sheet has a lamination structure: (2) image receiving sheet section (including image receiving layer (D), image recording sheet substrate (C) and adhesive layer (E)) and (1) release sheet section (including release layer (B) and release sheet substrate (A)), and exhibits, as a whole, a compressive modulus of 50 MPa or less, wherein, the substrate (C) is constituted from (a) an upper oriented porous polyester film layer bonded to the image receiving layer (D) and (b) a lower oriented porous polymer film layer, the polymer of which is different from polyester of the layer (a), laminated on the upper film layer (a) and bonded to the adhesive layer (E), or the adhesive layer (E) comprises, together with an adhesive agent, a plurality of hollow particles each formed from a hollow core portion and a shell portion and has an average particle size of 0.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the provision of a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet which, even when used with various printers, can be carried with improved accuracy, can form color images without misregistration, and does not permit traces of spikes to reach an image-receiving face and, thus, can minimize the influence of spikes on the quality of images. In a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 10 comprising a colorant-receptive layer 2 provided on a substrate 1, the substrate 1 is formed of a laminate comprising a plastic film 3 having in its inside microvoids, a support 4, and a backside film 5 provided in that order from the colorant-receptive layer 2 side and the backside film 5 is an unstretched polyolefin film.

Abstract: A thermal transfer ink is provided, which includes:

Abstract: A donor element is described for use in a thermal imaging process. The donor element includes a support: a heating layer; a colorant containing transfer layer; and in overcoat layer comprising a wax having a melting point ranging from about 30° C. to about 350° C. Typically the wax is a natural vegetable wax, a mineral wax or a synthetic wax.