Abstract: Ink jet apparatus including a print head having at least one chamber, an inlet opening to the chamber, and a droplet ejection orifice from the chamber, a transducer coupled to the chamber for ejecting droplets of ink in liquid form therefrom through the orifice, a manifold for supplying ink in its liquid form to the at least one chamber, and a cartridge, coupled to the manifold, for containing a supply of ink in solid form. The ink includes a wax-based vehicle to provide it with a hot melt capability, and a conductive pigment substantially dispersed throughout the wax-based vehicle to adapt it for self-melting. Accordingly, the cartridge includes a source of electrical current for energizing the conductive pigment on demand, wherein such supply of ink in solid form can be melted to a jettable liquid form upon energization of the conductive pigment by the source.

Abstract: A method of making a color transparency with jetted color ink jet apparatus includes the steps of heating hot melt ink including an ink vehicle and a substantially translucent dye to a temperature above the melting point to attain the liquid state, ejecting small volumes of the hot melt ink from the ink jet apparatus toward a substantially transparent resinous support, cooling the small volumes of ink on the support so as to attain the solid state, and flattening the small volumes on the support to produce a substantially planar surface which minimizes refraction and scattering of light projected thereon or therethrough.