GB2362852A

GB2362852A - Photo-media printing using an opaque backing layer

Info

Publication number: GB2362852A
Application number: GB0105879A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Greg S Smith; Jason Quintana; Richard V Zampell; Bret K Taylor; Marc A Yousey; Jefferson P Ward
Original assignee: Hewlett Packard Co
Current assignee: HP Inc
Priority date: 2000-03-27
Filing date: 2001-03-09
Publication date: 2001-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 2021-03-09
Also published as: JP2001315434A; GB0105879D0; GB2362852B

Abstract

A photographic quality print medium construct for ink-jet printing comprises a transparency construct having a transparent base layer (22) and an ink-receiving coating layer (24) on one surface of the base layer and a backing construct having a white substrate layer (26) and a relatively low melting point adhesive layer (25) on one surface of the white substrate layer wherein the backing construct can be laminated to the ink-receiving coating layer following deposition of an image by ink-jet printing. An ink sealing material layer (227)-figure 2(not shown) may be between the ink-receiving coating layer and the transparent base (222) which in turn may be releasably attached to the ink sealing layer. The adhesive may be pressure sensitive or may contain an electric field. An apparatus for carrying out the process comprises a print zone (70), an ink-jet writing instrument (60, 68), a controller (80), a first supply of first print media (30), a second supply of second print media (305), a first transport means (34, 54) for selectively delivering sheets of the first print media through the print zone, a second transport means (301, 309) for selectively transporting sheets of the second print media such that a sheet of the second print media is sandwiched with a sheet of the first print media such that the adhesive layer is adjacent the ink-receiving layer having an image thereon and a means (311, 312) for forming a substantially permanent bond between the adhesive layer and the ink-receiving layer.

Description

1 2362852 PHOTO-MEDIA PRINTING USING A WHITE BACKING LAYER

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. Appl. Ser. No. 09/291,852.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to techniques for producing a photographic quality, image using an ink-jet printer.

2. Description of Related Art

The art of ink-jet technology is relatively well developed. Commercial products such as computer printers, graphics plotters, and facsimile machines employ ink-jet technology for producing hard copy. The basics of this technology are disclosed, for example, in various articles in the Hewlett-Packard Journal, Vol. 3 6, No. 5 (May 19 8 5), Vol. 39, No. 4 (August 1988), Vol. 39, No. 5 (October 1988), Vol. 43, No. 4 (August 1992), Vol. 43, No. 6 (December 1992) and Vol. 45, No. I (February 1994) editions. Ink-j et devices are also described by W.J. Lloyd and H.T. Taub in Output Hardcopy [sic] Devices, chapter 13 (Ed. R.C. Durbeck and S. Sherr, Academic Press, San Diego, 1988). [For convenience of describing the ink-jet technology and the present invention, all compositions of colorants are referred to simply as "ink," and all types of hard copy apparatus are referred to simply as a "printer. " No limitation on the scope of invention is intended nor should any be implied.] The quality of color prints made by ink-jet type printers has advanced to a level such that ink-jet prints of photographic images (or digitally-scanned works of art) can be faithfully produced. To this end, special print media, hereafter collectively referred to as "photo-media," have been developed. A typical photo- medium comprises a base of a white plastic film or bonded layers of plastic and paper, also referred to in the art as "photobase." One or both sides of the base is coated with a thin, ink- receiving coating. This ink-receiving coating provides the comparable photographic attributes as would be found in a photography darkroom print.

The coating must be uniformly glossy so that the same gloss level occurs in printed and non-printed portions of the image. The ink-receiving coating also must be durable so as 1 to be handled as a photograph. This requires resistance to scuffing, scratching, and In 0 smearing. The coating should be water-fast and, preferably, designed to isolate the ink from free oxygen, to ensure the light-fastness of the image.

The conventional silver halide photo-lab processes, by use of a layer of cross-linked gelatin on the surface, provide some degree of water-fastness, wet abrasion resistance, smudge-fastriess, scratch resistance, and allow general handling. The present invention uses a much more durable construct than such photo-lab processes and prior ink- jet high quality graphic image production.

The foregoing design demands for ink-jet photo-media in general and the need for improvements for ink-jet produced photographic images in particular can be met with an alternative approach, which is the subject of the present application. In particular, the present invention provides a new method and apparatus for ink-jet printing of photo-quality images.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In its basic aspects, the present invention provides a photographic quality print medium construct for ink-jet printing including: a transparency construct having a transparent base layer and an inkreceiving coating layer on one surface of the base layer; a backing construct having a white substrate layer and a relatively low melting point adhesive layer on one surface of the white substrate layer wherein the backing construct can be laminated to the ink-receiving coating following deposition of an image thereon using a known manner ink-jet printing process.

In another basic aspect, the present invention provides a method of producing a photo-quality print, including the steps of. printing an image onto a first prefabricated print media construct including an ink-receiving coating layer on a transparent base material such that the image is reversed on the coating layer; and laminating the first prefabricated print media construct to a second prefabricated print media construct having an adhering layer and a white backing substrate wherein the coating layer having the image is against the adhering layer such that the image is in original orientation when viewed through said transparent base material.

In another basic aspect, the present invention provides a method for printing a photoquality ink-jet print, including the steps of. printing an image onto a first prefabricated print media construct, including an ink-receiving coating layer on a transparent base material, 2 having a first dipole electric field embedded therein, such that the image is reversed on the coating layer; and aligning the first prefabricated print media construct to a white backing material having a second dipole electric field embedded therein complementary to said first dipole electric field. In still another basic aspect, the present invention provides for a ink-jet hard copy apparatus, including: a print zone; an ink-jet writing instrument for forming images in the print zone; a controller, coupled to the writing instrument, for providing print data thereto; a first supply of first print media having a transparent layer and an ink-receiving, layer on one surface thereof; a second supply of second print media having an adhesive layer and an opaque substrate layer; first transport mechanisms for selectively delivering sheets of the first print media through the print zone; second transport mechanisms for selectively transporting sheets of the second print media to a position such that post-printing of an image on a sheet of the ink-receiving layer, a sheet of the second print media is sandwiched with the first print media such that the adhesive layer is adjacent the ink-receiving layer; and mechanisms for forming a substantially permanent bond between the adhesive layer and ink-receiving layer. Some of the advantage of the present invention are: prints exhibit excellent image quality, prints exhibit substantially perfect gloss uniformity, prints exhibit improved durability, print fade resistance is improved, with light-fastness improved by as much as fifty percent over plain, coated photobase media, masking of ink-jet print artifacts is improved, conventional ink-jet printing and drying characteristic requirements are mitigated by use of a plastic type transparent base member with respect to the final image, environmentally caused print curl is greatly reduced since the image layer is sandwiched between two substantially impermeable outer layers, a plastic-covered image is waterfast and substantially smear proof, and pigment-based inks can be employed and given a glossy appearance.

The foregoing summary and list of advantages is not intended by the inventors to be an inclusive list of all the aspects, objects, advantages and features of the present invention nor should any limitation on the scope of the invention be implied therefrom. This Summary is provided in accordance with the mandate of 37 C.F.R. 1.73 and M.P.E.P.

3 608.01 (d) merely to apprise the public, and more especially those interested in the particular art to which the invention relates, of the nature of the invention in order to be of assistance in aiding ready understanding of the patent in future searches. Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following explanation and the accompanying drawings, in which like reference designations represent like features throughout the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURES 1 and 1A are schematic illustrations in elevation view of a first embodiment of the print medium construction in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURES 2 and 2A are schematic illustrations in elevation view of a second embodiment of the print medium construction in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional, elevation view of a first embodiment of a hard copy apparatus of the present invention employed with the print media constructs as shown in FIGURES 1 through 2A.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional, elevation view of a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention as shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURES 5A through 5C are cross-sectional, elevation views of a third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

FIGURE 6 is a schematic illustration with respect to another alternative embodiment of the print media construct to those shown in FIGURES 1 through 2A.

The drawings referred to in this specification should be understood as not being drawn to scale except if specifically annotated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference is made now in detail to a specific embodiment of the present invention, which illustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the inventors for practicing the invention. Alternative embodiments are also briefly described as applicable.

F'IGURES 1 and 1 A illustrate a print medium construct in accordance with the present invention. A photo-quality print 20 produced in accordance with the present invention has four layers:

(1) a transparent base 22, (2) the ink-receiving coating 24, 4 (3) a relatively low meltinl. point adhesive substance 25 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "adhesive") and (4) a white substrate 26, The coated transparent base 22 is preferably a polyethylene terephtalate ("PET") film of the type commonly used as transparencies for overhead projectors and the like.

The ink-receiving coating is any ink-receptive layer, preferable a transparent, colorless, gelatin that is applied by any of the known in the art techniques such as spinning, spraying, dipping, or flowing to form a coating that is dried and cured. Also, hydrogels, alumina sol-gel, or a silica sol-gel will suffice as the ink-receiving coating 24. An exemplary one of the many suitable, commercially available coated, base layers is the Hewlett-Packard' Premium InkJet Transparency Film, product number C3828A.

The adhesive 25 is preferably a reactive hot melt type. Polyurethane or a wax, a methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and polyamides can be employed. The adhesive 25 should have a melting point in the range of 70'C to 232'C.

The white backing substrate 26 is a white sheet such as of paper, a plastic film, or the like. White, bright, opaque backing substrate materials are preferred.

The combination pair comprising the base 22 and coating 24 is referred to as the "transparency construct" while combination pair comprising the adhesive 25 and white substrate 26 is referred to as the "backing construct."

The process for creating the finished print construct begins with the printing of a photographic (or digitized, high definition art) image in reversal mode (i.e., mirrored about a vertical axis) onto the inkreceiving coating 24, labeled in FIGURE I as the"Printed Image Layer." The printed transparency construct 22, 24 is then placed image side up onto a platen surface. Onto the ink-receiving coating 24 side of the transparency construct 22, 24, the backing construct 25, 26 is placed such that the adhesive 25 is in contact with the inked coating 24. Heat is applied to the substrate 26 such that the adhesive 25 flows together with the ink-receiving coating 24 without affecting the ink therein to laminate the transparency construct 22, 24 to the backing construct 25, 26. As shown in FIGURE 2A, the image is viewed through the transparent PET 22. Thus, to the viewer, the image is arranged in the original orientation.

A variety of orientations for forming the laminate can be employed. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that heating orientation choice should be made based on the empirically determined, relative, melting/charring point of the two sandwiching constructs.

FIGURES 2 and 2A illustrate an alternative embodiment in which the same basic technique is used for an iron-on, peel-off, print media construct 200. The process is identical except that after the transparency construct 222, 224 and backing construct 225, 226 are heat laminated, the transparent base 222 is peeled off as a "sacrificial base," leaving lt the inked image on the backing 225, 226. The ink-receivIng layer 224 is an improved composite incorporating an aniti-oxidation sealing layer 227 to prevent degradation of the ink dyes and image after the transparent base 222 is peeled away. This alternative implies that the materials are such that the ink-receiving layer 224 onto which the image has been inked has better adhesion to the substrate 226 via the adhesive coating 225 than to the base 222. This has been found to be the case where the transparent base 222 has a low surface energy such as PET compounds, the ink-receiving layer 224 is alumina sol-gel, and the adhesive coating 225 is having a melting point of about 100'C. A thin, cost-efficient, sacrificial transparent base 222 material is preferred.

FIGURE 3 is a first embodiment of the primary components of an ink-jet printer 300 that, in addition to printing the image, is adapted for apply the backing construct 25, 26/225, 226 to the transparency construct 22, 24/222, 224 as described above. The printer 300 includes an input tray 32 into which is stacked individual sheets 30 of the transparency construct 22, 24/222, 224 (FIGS. 1, 1 A, 2 and 2A).

As a printing operational cycle commences, a sheet 30 is pulled by at least one pick roller 34 and directed (as indicted by directional arrow 36) through a media path (as indicated by directional arrows 38) between the pick roller 34 and two guide members, a lower guide member 42 and an upper guide member 40. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the media pick and transport means shown in the embodiments herein are exemplary and any specific known manner may be employed to achieve the goal of forming the finished photo print media with white backing construct in accordance with the present invention; labeled boxes are used to represent hard copy apparatus, known manner, microprocessor based (or application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC") based) printer controller 80, drive motor 82, and drive distributing transmission 84, and phantom-lines 30 used to represent clectro-mechanical couplings and signals.

The sheet 30 is transported along the initial segment of the path 38, following its leading edge 44 through the nip of an idler wheel 46 and the pick roller 34. The sheet 30 is directed beneath an edge-detect roller 50, which moves slightly away from the pick roller 34 6 to accommodate the thickness of the sheet. The edge-detect roller carries a transducer that provides a signal to a printer controller 80 in response to the movement of the rollertransducer combination away from the pick roller 34. This edge information is saved in controller 80 memory. The sheet 30 is guided into the nip of a second pinch roller 52 and a feed roller 54. The feed roller 54 includes a position encoder that provides metering signals to the controller 80 which correlate to the length of the sheet 30. Near the pinch roller 52 there is mounted at least one ink-jet writing instrument, or "pen," 60 for printing an image onto the ink-receiving layer 24, 224 (FIGS. 1-2A). The pen 60 is generally removably mounted in a carriage 62. The carriage 62 is slidable along a supports 61, 64 housed with the printer 300. The supports 61, 64 are oriented perpendicularly to the direction the sheet is advanced through the printer 300. In the exemplary pen 60, a body portion includes an ink reservoir having a downwardly depending snout 66. A printhead 68 is attached to the snout in an orientation such that a small gap exists between the printhead 68 and sheet 30 in the print zone 70 of the printer 300. The present invention may employ any one or more pen - carriage subsystems as would be known in the art.

Inasmuch as the present invention calls for printing of one side of the sheet 30 for viewing from an opposite side, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that the image data provided by the printer control 80 to the pen 60 will be ordered to print a reversal image.

After the image is completed, a feed roller 54 pause can be provided to permit passive drying of the inked image; the use of active drying mechanisms are also known in the art.

When the inked image is suitably dry, the feed roller 54 again drives the sheet 30 such that the leading edge 44 is captured between an upper drive roller 301 and a lower drive roller 302 downstream of the print zone 70. A supply tray 303 is provided having a supply of backing construct 25, 26/225, 226 sheets 305. A pick wheel 307 captures a backing sheet 305 against the upper driver roller 301, passing the sheet between the upper driver roller and several idler wheels 309 until the backing sheet leading edge 344 is captured in a nip between the upper driver roller 301 and lower drive roller 302 such that the leading edge 344 of the backing sheet is aligned with the leading edge 44 of the printed transparency construct sheet 30 and the ink-receiving layer 24/224 is mated to the adhesive coating 25/225 as described in detail with respect to FIGURES 1 through 2A. The upper and lower drive rollers 301, 302 deliver the mated printed transparency construct sheet 30 and backing sheet 305 to a nip between a pair of heated laminating rollers 311, 312 to complete the bonding process and deliver the finished print along the transport path 38 to 7 the end-user, e.g., via an output tray (not shown).

Another alternative embodiment is shown in FIGURE 4. The printer 300'is provided with controls and gate mechanisms 48, 49 for reversing the feed of the sheet 30 (known and sometimes referred to in the art as a duplexer 400). In the main, the sheet 30 carrying the printed image is retracted by a retraction roller 94 (along the direction indicated by arrow 95) by an amount such that an edge 56 of the sheet 30 is engaged in a nip between a pressure roller 102 and a roll of backing material 100. The backing material 100 comprises a white plastic film that is coated with a transparent, pressure-sensitive adhesive, which adhesive faces outwardly to contact the ink-receiving coating 24/224 of the sheet 30.

The adhesive-coated filin 100 can, for example, be a pressure-sensitive tape. A geared drive motor 82 drives the pressure roller 102 such that the backing tape is appropriately bonded to the sheet 30 as the sheet advances through the duplexer 400 between the roller 102 and roll of backing material 100. As the edge 56 of the sheet 30 is directed to the pick roller 34 in the direction of arrow 108 it encounter upper gate 49. The upper gate 49 is 15 pivotally attached at one end to the printer chassis and is weighted so that it normally moves under the force of gravity into a position where its free end prevents any sheet 30 from moving toward the roller in a direction opposite arrow 108 (shown in phantom line). The contact by the edge 56 of the media sheet 30 causes the gate 49 to swing open (clockwise in the FIGURE) to permit the sheet to continue in the direction of arrow 108 and 38 to the pick 20 roller 34. After the edge detect roller 50 contacts the edge 56 of the advancing, now backed sheet 30, the printer control 80 (FIG. 3) controls the pick roller 34 and pressure roller 102 so that the edge 44 of the sheet is stopped at a location (indicated by dashed line 104) just downstream of the nip of the pressure roller 102 and the roll of backing material 100. The backing material 100 can then be manually (by opening a rear cover 106) or automatically severed in a known manner to match the edge 44 of the sheet 30. Once the backing material 100 is severed, the finished print is advanced along path 3 8 to an output tray 401.

FIGURES SA, 511 and SC illustrate another embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention. The arrangement of components and the duplexer mechanism 400'have been altered in order to provide a smaller workspace footprint for the 30 printer 300".

FIGURE 5A depicts the stage of operation where the sheet 30 of transparency construct 22, 24/ 222, 224 has been picked and ink is being deposited by the pen 60 onto the ink-receiving coating 24. FIGURE 5B depicts the stage of operation where, after the image 8 has been printed and, if necessary, dried, the duplexing mechanism 400' is employed to I reverse the path of the sheet 30 (as indicated by the reversed direction of arrow 36). The backing construct sheet 3 05 is picked and delivered to the duplexing mechanism 400' such that it is received in alignment with the sheet 30 in the nip between a heated roller 31 l' and duplexer driver roller 503. The printed sheet 30 and backing construct sheet 305 are laminated by the rollers 31 V, 503 to forrn the finished print as explained in detail with respect to FIGURES 1 - 2A. As continued in FIGURE 5C, once the sheet 30 edge 44 is into the duplexing mechanism 400'and out of initial path 38, the driven pick roller 34 and feed roller 54 can be reversed so that the sandwiched print construct can be delivered along the path 38 to an output tray (not shown).

In addition to the use of adhesive materials to sandwich the separate constructs of the print media into a single finished print, it is also contemplated that an inexpensive embodiment of the present invention can be developed using electrostatic adhesion principles. Taking advantage of the relative smoothness of the surfaces to be adhered to each other, the transparency, or the paper if manufactured having a charge-holding, plastic component, or both, can be fabricated to exert a substantial electrostatic force on the adjoining surface. It is known in the art to use a rapidly alternating electric field, corona discharge, and the like (sometimes with a thermally softened media), to cause molecules of a material to orient themselves and remain such. As shown in FIGURE 6A, a transparency 601 and a white backing paper material 603 are fabricated to have distributed alternating inherent charges (indicated by 'Y' and "-" symbols). By having alternating rows of charges on both contacting sides of a media pair set, the sheets are self- aligning.

The disadvantages of the electrostatic charge adhesion embodiment is the natural tendency to attract charged dust particles. Moreover, in passing the hard copy apparatus, the charge may deflect charge ink droplets, affecting the trajectory and creating print artifacts and, possibly, deflecting droplets back onto the printhead. Careful empirical design criteria must therefore be employed. Alternatively, FIGURE 611 illustrates how only the backing material 603 needs to carry a charge for adhesion to occur; if the distance between charges "r" is properly arranged compared to the transparent layer 601, then the electric field at the transparency surface will be small and dust collection will be reduced. Thus, printing on the uncharged sheet 601 avoids electrostatic effects on ink-jet printing operations in the print zone.

In addition to providing a lower cost of manufacture, it should be noted that the 9 charged backing would be selectively removable such that the printed transparency could be used in conjunction with a projector.

In summary, the present invention provides a method and ink-jet apparatus 300/33007300" for producing a photo-grade glossy print. The print consists of a permanently sandwich construct from an ink-receiving material 24 coated transparency 22 sheet 30 and a white backing construct 305 which includes a substrate 26 and a layer of adhesive material 25/225. Image data is printed in a reversal mode onto the ink-receiving material 24. Thereafter, the opaque backing is applied to cover the printed image which is then viewed from the opposite side.

It should be noted that the laminating of the backing to the printed transparency construct also can be done completely outside the hard copy apparatus. This would allow the use of significantly thicker backing material, e.g., greater than a medium having a thickness of about 9 mils that is capable of being transported through a curvilinear paper path.

A base layer 22/222 can also be formed of a semi-transparent material to produce a matte photo-finish image.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form or to exemplary embodiments disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. Similarly, any process steps described might be interchangeable with other steps in order to achieve the same result. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its best mode practical application, thereby to enable others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use or implementation contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one" unless explicitly so stated, but rather means "one or more." Moreover, no element, component, nor method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the following claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 3 5 U. S. C. See. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for...."

Claims

1. A photographic quality print medium construct for ink-jet printing characterized 1 by:

a transparency construct having a transparent base layer 22 and an inkreceivino, coating layer 24 on one surface of the base layer; and a backing construct having a white substrate layer 26 and a relatively low melting point adhesive layer 25 on one surface of the white substrate layer wherein the backing construct can be laminated to the ink-receiving coating following deposition of an image thereon using a known manner ink-jet printing process.

2. The construct as set forth in claim 1, the ink-receiving coating layer further characterized by: a composite 224 of an ink-receiving printed image layer adjacent an ink sealing material layer wherein the ink sealing material layer is adjacent the transparent base layer 222.

3. The construct as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized by: the transparent base layer 222 is releasably attached to the ink sealing material layer.

4. The construct as set forth in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized by:

the adhesive layer is a layer of material having a melting point less than a temperature that would therinally affect the transparency base layer 22/222, the ink receiving coating layer 24/224 and the substrate layer 26/226.

5. A method of producing a photo-quality print, characterized by the steps of printing 60-68 an image onto a first prefabricated print media construct including an ink-receiving coating layer 24/224 on a transparent base material 22/222 such that the image is reversed on the coating layer; and laminating the first prefabricated print media construct to a second prefabricated print media construct having an adhering layer 25/225 and a white backing substrate 26/226 wherein the coating layer having the image is against the adhering layer such that the image is in original orientation when viewed through said transparent base material.

1 1

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, further characterized by the steps of.. 'd adhe ing layer is an adhesive layer, and sai n,, the step of laminating includes heating a sandwich of said first prefabricated print 1 media construct to said second prefabricated print media construct wherein the heating activates the adhesive layer for bonding with the inkreceiving coating layer.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5, characterized by the steps of. the adhering layer as a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the step of laminating includes pressing said pressure-sensitive adhesive against said ink-receiving coating layer.

8. The method as set forth in claim 5, the step of laminating further characterized by:

the adhering layer contains an embedded electric field.

9. An ink-jet hard copy apparatus, having a print zone 70, an ink-jet writing instrument 60-68 for forming images in the print zone, and a controller 80, coupled to the writing instrument, for providing print data thereto, the apparatus characterized by: a first supply of first print media 30 having a transparent layer 22/222 and an inkreceiving layer 24/224 on one surface thereof; a second supply of second print media 305/100 having an adhesive layer 25/225 and an opaque substrate layer 26/226; a first transport means 34 - 54 for selectively delivering sheets of the first print 25 media through the print zone; a second transport means 301 - 309 for selectively transporting sheets of the second print media 305 to a position such that post-printing of an image on a sheet of the inkreceiving layer, a sheet of the second print media is sandwiched with the first print media such that the adhesive layer is adjacent the ink-receiving layer; and means 311,312/ 31 P/503, 100/102 for forming a substantially permanent bond between the adhesive layer and ink-receiving layer.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, said first print media characterized by:

12 said transparent material is a sheet of a glossy, plastic material, and said ink-receiving layer includes a layer of material selected from the group I consisting of a transparent, colorless, alumina sol-gel, or a silica sol- gel, or a hydro-gel.

13