JP2915017B2 - Color transfer method - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a halftone transfer foil for color transfer and a color transfer method for transferring an arbitrary hue to a substrate by using a plurality of the color transfer foils.

Conventional technology Conventionally, as a method of applying an arbitrary coloring on a predetermined base material,
The following can be mentioned.

<< Prior art 1 >> A color sample is decomposed into primary colors to prepare a plate, and a color ink corresponding to this is overprinted to express the color of the color sample.

<< Prior art 2 >> This is what is called a so-called hot stamping method.
Using a colored continuous coating foil of a desired color, a mold having a required shape is heated and pressed on a portion of the substrate to be colored to obtain a color print.

<< Prior Art 3 >> As a means for obtaining a small amount of color printed matter, a method of performing copying by an electrostatic copying machine using a color toner, which includes a method using a wet toner and a method using a dry toner. is there.

<< Prior art 4 >> Similarly, as a means for obtaining a small amount of color prints, a thermal transfer ribbon designed so that several tens of colors can be formed in one dot is used, and only a necessary part of the heat is pressed to be colored. A color print is produced by a thermal transfer ribbon type color printer.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above-mentioned prior art 1, it is necessary to perform plate making, and to perform printing with high accuracy using the plate, highly skilled and expensive printing machines and drying equipment are required. In addition to the necessity, it is not easy to cope with color matching to obtain a desired color, and it is impossible to obtain a small amount of color prints economically and easily.

Further, in the prior art 2, the plate making, the printing machine, the drying equipment, etc. are unnecessary, and a high level of skill is not required, and a color print can be easily obtained. When it is desired, it is necessary to prepare a transfer foil suitable for it, and a small amount of a color print having a special color cannot be obtained at low cost. In addition, when hot pressing with a mold, if the foil at the boundary with the non-pressed portion is not cut well, it is not possible to obtain a precise transfer shape, so that the surface strength of the foil cannot be sufficiently increased. ,
There is also a problem with the transfer foil itself.

Further, in the prior art 3, the method using a wet toner is not preferable in terms of fire danger and hygiene because an organic solvent is used for development, while the method using a dry toner causes a large defect in the fluidity and handleability of the toner. From that
The toner particles cannot be reduced in size, and an image with high resolution and color tone cannot be obtained. The developing unit of the copier has a very complicated structure, such as replacing toner easily for each color or incorporating four developing units. Maintenance is not easy and the desired color tone is developed. Nor is it easy.

In addition, the prior art 4 is not economical because the structure of the printing pressure head in the thermal transfer section is extremely complicated and expensive, and the ribbon used is expensive.

Further, in the above-mentioned prior arts 3 and 4, in forming an image by a color copying machine or a color printer, a desired color tone cannot be expressed while observing the state of coloring, so that the final finish may not be a desired color. Many,
In addition, there is a disadvantage that the finished printed matter cannot be modified.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem of the related art, and provides a transfer foil having a large strength of a colored surface and easily obtains a desired color tone without using a complicated machine. This makes it possible to produce even a small amount of color prints at low cost, and when reproducing colored images, it does not use organic solvents having flammable or unsanitary properties, and the resolution is reduced by an economical method. It is an object of the present invention to provide a color transfer method capable of obtaining a reproduced image excellent in color tone and color tone, and further enabling correction of the formed image as required.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the problems, in the color transfer method according to the present invention, each different hue, for example, red, indigo, yellow,
A plurality of the color transfer halftone transfer foils having transfer layers colored black and metal are used, and the color transfer transfer foils are sequentially identical from a primary color to an Nth color, for example, a quaternary color. It is preferable that the plurality of halftone transfer foils for color transfer are printed in different sizes and densities.

More specifically, N types of hot stamping plates are prepared by color separation, and the halftone transfer foils for color transfer of the hues corresponding to the first to Nth hues using the hot stamping plates. While obtaining a copy base material of a primary hue obtained by thermocompression bonding or copying a color coloring sample by an electrostatic copying machine, the color coloring sample is color-separated, and the color-separated hue is subjected to the Nth order. The halftone transfer foil for color transfer is thermocompressed to the copy base material, and the halftone density of the color sample is detected by color separation, and the halftone transfer for color transfer having a density corresponding to the halftone density is performed. It is configured to select a foil and thermocompression-bond sequentially.

In the above configuration, a transfer layer composed of halftone dots is formed by printing on the halftone dot transfer foil for color transfer, and the halftone dots are not continuous with each other but exist independently of each other. There is no need to consider the foil breakability at the boundary with the transfer portion, and the transferability is not impaired even if the surface strength is increased.

When performing color transfer using the color transfer halftone transfer foil, a plurality of color transfer halftone transfer foils each having a different hue are used, and the color transfer halftone transfer foil is used as a second color. If the primary color to, for example, the quaternary color are thermocompression-bonded on the same base material, the base material is colored in an arbitrary color. At this time, a desired color tone can be easily colored by selecting and using a plurality of halftone dots of the halftone transfer foil for color transfer printed with different sizes and densities.

The color sample is separated into N types of colors, and N types of hot stamping plates are created based on the color separation samples, and the hot stamping plates are transferred to a color transfer network of the hues corresponding to the first to Nth orders. By performing thermocompression bonding using a point transfer foil, even if the color of the color sample is a special color, without creating a transfer foil having the special color, the coloring corresponding to the color of the color sample is performed. Can be performed.

Further, when a halftone transfer foil for color transfer of a hue obtained by color separation of the color coloring sample is thermocompression-bonded to a copy substrate of a primary hue obtained by copying a color coloring sample by an electrostatic copying machine,
The toner on the copy base material is melted, and the transfer layer of the color transfer halftone transfer foil is transferred to the base material side.Thus, by performing thermocompression bonding to the Nth order using the color transfer halftone transfer foil, The copy substrate is colored to the desired color swatch hue.

Furthermore, the halftone dot density of the color sample is detected, and the thermocompression bonding is sequentially performed using a color transfer halftone transfer foil having a density corresponding to the halftone dot density, thereby accurately coping with the color sample. Coloring is done.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the dot transfer foil 1 for color transfer is obtained by printing a transfer layer 5 composed of dots 4 on the surface 3 of the base film 2 in a single color. The processing is performed at a resolution of 30 to 450 lines and a dot area ratio of 5 to 100%. The base film 2 may be colored, but is desirably colorless and transparent, and excellent in storage stability, in consideration of the convenience of performing color matching before transfer as described later. A material that can withstand transfer conditions that does not break or undergo large deformation during printing or stamping is selected and used. Specifically, films made of polyester, polyolefin, polyamide, polyacetal, polyvinyl alcohol, halogenated olefin, polysilicone, polyurethane, and copolymers thereof are used. If necessary, these films are irradiated with radiation, urea, melamine, or the like. It is chemically treated with a crosslinking agent such as an epoxy isocyanate chelating agent and used after crosslinking.

In addition, the base film 2 may be subjected to a surface treatment for bonding the halftone dots 4 appropriately so that the halftone dots 4 do not peel off during normal handling and do not drop off, and are completely separated at the time of transfer. Desirably, examples of the surface treatment agent include a fluorine-based compound, a silicon-based compound, a polyolefin-based treatment agent, and a wax-based treatment agent. If necessary, the adhesion of the surface 3 is adjusted by an oxidizing agent or a corona discharge treatment. . These surface treatment agents may be transferred and transferred together with the transfer layer 5 at the time of transfer.
It is desirable to be fixed to.

From the above conditions, polyester, polypropylene, nylon, water-resistant popal, and cellulose-based films are used as the base film 2. In particular, when transferring at a high temperature of 200 ° C. or more, polyimide, polyfluorinated olefin, A silicone film is used. The base film 2 generally has a thickness of 8 to 50 µm, but a thickness of 12 to 25 µ is appropriate from the viewpoint of film strength and transferability.

The transfer layer 5 is formed by printing using a general printing method such as gravure, flexo, or screen printing, and printing is performed using a printing ink having flow characteristics according to each printing method.

The size of the halftone dot 4 is 1 μm to 10 mm, preferably 5 μm to 10 mm.
The dot density is 200μ, the dot density is 1 to 9,500 / cm, preferably 45 to 1,800 / cm, and the size and density may be non-uniform, but in this embodiment, they are provided uniformly. The smaller the size of the halftone dot 4, the easier it is to obtain a gradation.

On the surface of the transfer layer 5 formed by the halftone dots 4,
It is coated with a heat-sensitive adhesive layer 6 to increase resistance and transfer adhesion. The transfer layer 5 is composed of a resin and a pigment, and the resin is a thermoplastic polymer which is a polymer of an unsaturated hydrocarbon compound such as polyethylene, sulfonated polyethylene, polypropylene, chlorinated polypropylene, butadiene, polyisobutylene and porisoprene. Resin or synthetic rubber, natural rubber and its derivatives, polyvinyl chloride such as polyvinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral and its derivatives, poly (meth) acrylic resin, polystyrene resin, polyester resin, polyurethane resin, silicone resin, epoxy Resins, phenolic resins, xylene resins, polyamide resins, amino resins, polyvinyl ether resins, xuron indene resins, alkyd resins, cellulose derivatives such as nitrocellulose, ethylcellulose, etc. Copolymer resins and their mixtures such as styrene / vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymers, acrylic / styrene copolymers, as well as carboxyl groups, hydrogen groups, amino groups, glycidyl groups, etc. After the transfer layer 5 is transferred by adding a wax, a petroleum resin, rosin and its derivatives, oligomers or the like having a high thermal softening property as needed, a copolymer resin with a monomer having a functional group of
It can be hardened and reinforced.

The red pigments used include iron, lead, mercury, gadmium, antimony compounds, azo, lake, quinacridone, perylene, thioindico, and diansuraquinolinyl pigments. Is aluminum,
Iron, cobalt compounds, furocyanines, lakes,
Dioxazine-based and induslone-based pigments are used.

Yellow pigments include lead, zinc, chromium, cadmium, iron, titanium-based compounds, azo-based, perylene-based, and perinone-based pigments, as well as flavastrone, triachromanone, anthrapyridimine, inindolinone, acylamide, quinoctalone, and the like. Carbo black is used as the black pigment, and preferably azo, quinaclodone, and perylene pigments such as flavasuron, trichromanone, phthalocyanine blue, and carbon black are used as the black pigment. A processed pigment such as a microcis pigment (manufactured by Ciba Kaigi) is used.

As the metal color, aluminum powder, body powder, and body compound powder are used, and powder of nickel, silver, gold, platinum or the like is used as necessary. In addition, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, silicic acid and its salts, aluminum hydrate, calcium sulfate and the like are used as extenders.

The ratio of the resin and the pigment constituting the transfer layer 5 is 8: 1 to 1: 1.
It is in the range of 0, preferably in the range of 5: 1 to 1: 5. To print the transfer layer 5, a binder resin and a pigment and water or an organic liquid for dissolving or stably dispersing the binder resin and the pigment are used. The types and amounts of these liquids are
Depending on the printing method and the size and density of the halftone dots 4, the system under optimum conditions is selected. However, in order to enhance the dispersibility of the pigment, nonionic or ionic surfactants, aliphatic carboxylic acids, and long-chain polyaminoamides are used. Polyester consisting of high molecular acid or salt with phosphoric acid, etc., and silicone auxiliary, special vinyl polymer, polyethylene acetate and the above-mentioned interface to prevent color separation and defoaming, slip, leveling, drooling and sedimentation An activator is used.

In addition, to improve the printability, improve fluidity and thicken,
For the purpose of improving the wetting of the coated surface of the base film 2,
When using an organic solvent as a medium, a vegetable polymerization oil or a surfactant,
A hydrogenated castor oil, an amanoid-based additive, a varnish made into a gel or butter-like fluidity by adding an extender to a single or mixture of a soluble resin, water, and the like are added. When the medium is water, a cellulose derivative or poval is used. Or a derivative thereof, poly (meth) acrylic acid, maleic acid, icotanic acid, an alkali salt of a polymer or copolymer of fumaric acid, poly (meth) acrylamide or a copolymer thereof, a water-soluble alkyd resin, polyethylene oxide, Surfactants and the like are used. The total amount of these additives is 10% of the transfer layer weight
Or less, and preferably within 0.01% to 5%.

As the resin used as the adhesive layer 6, a resin that thermally adheres to the surface of the transfer-receiving layer during transfer is selected.
As the resin to be used, a resin having good adhesion to the transfer layer 5 is used from the same types as those used for the transfer layer 5 described above.

The thickness of the transfer layer 5 is 0.5 to 50 μm, preferably 2 to 20 μm, and the thickness of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer 6 is 0.5 to 50 μm.
５5μ, preferably 0.5-2μ. In this embodiment, only the heat-sensitive adhesive layer 6 is provided on the transfer layer 5, but a release layer or a reinforcing layer may be provided. In this case, the thickness of the release layer or the reinforcing layer is preferably 0.5 to 2 μm.

Next, the halftone dot transfer foil 1 for color transfer having a similar structure as described above.
A color transfer method using is described.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the color transfer method according to the present invention. In the first step, a color separation sample 8 is subjected to color separation A using a spectrophotometer or a microcomputer. When being degraded to 4 primary colors by the color separation A, in the next hot stamp creation step B, to create the four hot stamping plate H ₁ to H ₄ in accordance with the quaternary color.

Before the next foil pressing step C, the four color transfer halftone transfer foils 1 each having the transfer layer 5 of a color capable of reproducing the color of the color sample 8 by the fourth color by color matching. Select -1,1-2,1-3,1-4. Then the stamping step C, and then select the color transfer halftone transfer foil 1-1 having a transfer layer 5-1 which is colored in the first color on the transfer medium 7, performs the primary foil S ₁ .

The foil is vertically movable type or a cylinder type printing machine and subjected to metal or heat-resistant rubber engraved on the surface of the sensitive plate is used, plate for the hot stamping by the press H ₁
The primary foil S ₁ with performed. In the case where the foil is pressed manually, an iron or a hot roll may be pressed. At this time, the temperature of the foil pressing surface is 60 to 200 ° C., and the pressure and time are several gr to several tens ton / cm and 0.001 to several minutes.

After the primary foil S ₁ is completed, on a transfer medium 7 which said primary foil S ₁ is completed, the color transfer network having a transfer layer 5-2 which is colored in a second primary color Point transfer foil 1-
2 was subjected to secondary stamping S ₂ selects, after said second foil S ₂ has been completed, on a transfer medium 7 which said secondary foil S ₂ has been completed, is colored to a tertiary color select color transfer halftone transfer foil 1-3 having a transfer layer 5-3 are performed tertiary stamping S _3, continue after the third-order tooled S ₃ has ended, the third-order foil S _The dot transfer foil 1 for color transfer, having the transfer layer 5-4 colored in the quaternary color, on the transfer object 7 after the completion of ₃
The Fourth foil S ₄ selectively performed -4.

Therefore, the first to fourth foil stamping S _{1 is} thus performed.
When to S ₄ is completed, in the finished process D on the surface of the transfer material 7, the each transfer foil 1-1 to 1-4 each subsequent color transfer layer 5-1 to 5-4 transcribed from The transfer layers 5-1 to 5-4 are stacked, and the hue of the color sample 8 is reproduced.

Therefore, the hue of the color sample 8 can be developed without the need for a highly skilled and effective printing machine or the like, as in the above-described method of overprinting the coloring ink of the prior art 1. Regarding color matching, from primary to 4
Since the dot transfer foil 1 for color transfer may be selected according to the next hue, color matching is also facilitated.

Further, even when the color sample 8 is a special color, a plurality of transfer layers 5-1, 5-2, and 5-
Dot transfer foil 1-1 for color transfer having 3,5-4
If the color is appropriately adjusted, the special color can be developed. Therefore, unlike the prior art 2, there is no need to prepare a transfer foil that matches the special color in advance. Thus, a small amount of color prints can be obtained at low cost.

In the color separation (A), the halftone dot density of the color sample 8 is detected, and the first to fourth foil stamping S _{1 is performed.}
Each color transfer dot used in to S ₄ transfer foil 1
If 1-1 to 1-4 are selected and used having the same halftone dot density as that of the color coloring sample 8, the hue of the color coloring sample 8 can be accurately developed, and the color coloring sample 8 can be used. Even in the case of a special color, coloring can be easily performed.

FIGS. 3 to 6 show another embodiment of the color transfer method according to the present invention. The substrate 9 shown in FIG. 3 is paper or plastics, and is not shown on the surface thereof. The objects 10 are copied using an electrostatic copying machine, and the objects 10 are obtained by heat-fixing the melted toner and form desired character patterns and the like.

On the other hand, the halftone transfer foil 11 for color transfer is different from the above embodiment in that the heat-sensitive adhesive layer 6 is not provided and only the transfer layer 5 is provided.

When performing thermal transfer to the substrate 10 on which the image 9 is thermally fixed, the color separation sample 8 is subjected to color separation A as described in the above embodiment, and the color separation A is performed. If the primary color to the quaternary color are detected, first, the color transfer halftone transfer foil 11-1 having the primary color transfer layer is selected. And, as shown in FIG.
The halftone transfer foil 11-1 for color transfer is applied to the image fixing surface of the base material 9.
When the first thermocompression bonding is performed by heating and pressing at 120 ° C. for 30 seconds using, for example, an MPS-I iron transfer machine (manufactured by Daily Mark), the toner forming the image 10 melts. As shown in FIG. 5, the transfer layer 5 is transferred to the surface of the object 10.

Then, after the primary thermal compression P ₁ is completed, the embodiment similarly heat-sensitive adhesive layer 6 is a color transfer halftone transfer foil 11 having a transfer layer 5 is colored provided and secondary color -2
Select, to perform secondary heat bonding P ₂ as shown in FIG. 6, after the second primary heat bonding P ₂ has been completed, on the base material 9, which is colored in a third primary color third performs primary heat crimping P ₃ select color transfer halftone transfer foil 11-3 having a transfer layer 5, subsequently after the third-order thermal compression P ₃ has been finished, colored in a 4th color performing fourth thermocompression P ₄ select color transfer halftone transfer foil 11-4 having a transfer layer 5.

Therefore, the first to fourth thermocompression bonding P ₁ to P ₁
When P ₄ is completed, the surface of the transfer target 7, the transfer foil 11-
The transfer layers 5 of the respective colors transferred from 1 to 11-4 are laminated, and the hue of the color sample 8 can be easily reproduced by the lamination of the transfer layers 5.

That is, since each transfer layer 5 is laminated on the toner forming the image 10 in this manner, an image with high resolution and color tone can be obtained regardless of the size of the toner particles. Can be obtained. Further, since the copying machine is not limited to a color copying machine, it is only necessary to be able to perform single-color copying. Therefore, in the developing unit of the copying machine used in the present invention, a toner container is replaced for each color or four developing units are incorporated. There is no complicated structure, and the maintenance is easy. In addition, if the fifth thermocompression bonding is performed after the _fourth thermocompression bonding P4 is completed, the reproduced color can be changed, so that the color can be easily changed.
Color adjustments can also be made.

The transferred material 7 (see FIG. 2) on which no copying has been performed is manually performed using a thermal head and a hot pen of a printer, and thermocompression bonding P ₁ shown in FIG. by performing the to P ₄ which by the respective transfer layer 5-1 to 5-4
Is transferred, and a desired color can be expressed, so that color transfer can be performed economically without using an effective head or ribbon as in the above-described prior art 4.

Effects of the Invention As described above, in the color transfer method according to the present invention, using a plurality of the color transfer halftone transfer foil,
Since the transfer foil for color transfer is successively thermocompression-bonded on the same base material from the primary color to the N-th color, a high degree of skill and The color hue of the color sample can be developed without the need for an effective printing machine or the like, and for color matching, if a dot transfer foil for color transfer is selected according to the primary to Nth hue. Because it is good, color matching becomes easy.

In addition, since N types of hot stamping plates were prepared by color separation and the halftone transfer foil for color transfer was thermocompression-bonded, even if the color sample was a special color, If the halftone transfer foil for color transfer having transfer layers of different hues is appropriately matched in color, the special color can be developed, so it is necessary to prepare a transfer foil suitable for the special color in advance. Without, a small amount of color printed matter having a special color can be obtained at low cost, and by using a plurality of color transfer dot transfer foils each of which is printed in a different size and density, Even a special color can be easily developed.

In addition, the first copy of a color coloring sample by an electrostatic copying machine
After obtaining the copy base material of the next hue, the halftone transfer foil for color transfer of the color separation of the color sample was thermocompressed to the copy base material to the Nth order. The desired color development can be performed by successively laminating the transfer layers on the toner that has been fixed in the toner, and therefore, high-precision resolution and color tone can be obtained regardless of the size of the toner particles. Images can be obtained. In addition, since the color can be checked each time the next thermocompression bonding is performed, the final finish can be surely obtained in a desired color, and the finished printed matter can be easily corrected in color. Further, since the copying machine is not limited to a color copying machine, it is only necessary to be able to perform single-color copying. Therefore, in the developing unit of the copying machine used in the present invention, a toner container is replaced for each color or four developing units are incorporated. There is no complicated structure, and the maintenance is easy.

Further, by detecting the halftone dot density of the color sample by color separation, selecting the halftone transfer foil for color transfer having a density corresponding to the halftone dot density, by sequentially thermocompression bonding, effective head and It is possible to accurately and economically express a desired color without using a ribbon.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a dot transfer foil for color transfer used in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of a color transfer method according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a step of another embodiment of the color transfer method according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a thermocompression bonding step of the embodiment. 1, 11 ... halftone transfer foil for color transfer, 2 ... base film, 4 ... halftone dot, 5 ... transfer layer, 7 ... object to be transferred, 8 ...
… Color coloring sample.

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Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of halftone transfer foils for color transfer each having a transfer layer colored in different hues, and the transfer foils for color transfer are sequentially transferred from the primary color to the Nth color in the same base material. A color transfer method characterized by thermocompression bonding. 2. The color transfer method according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of halftone transfer foils for color transfer is printed in a different size and density. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein N types of hot stamping plates are prepared by color separation, and the transfer layers of the hues corresponding to the first to Nth colors are thermocompression-bonded using the hot stamping plates. The color transfer method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 4. A copying base material of a primary hue obtained by copying a color coloring sample by an electrostatic copying machine, the color coloring sample is color-separated, and the color-separated color transfer layer is transferred to the copy layer. 3. The color transfer method according to claim 1, wherein the color transfer is performed by thermocompression bonding to a substrate. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a halftone dot density of a color sample is detected by color separation, and the halftone transfer foil for color transfer having a density corresponding to the halftone dot density is selected and sequentially thermocompression-bonded. The color transfer method according to claim 2, 3 or 4. (However, N is a natural number of 2 or more.)