JPH0229394A - Thermal transfer recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form a color image which is clear and glossy by transferring at least three color inks on a surface to be transferred, and then smoothly coating the surface with flatting ink. CONSTITUTION:A base 1 is coated repeatedly with color inks of yellow 1Y, magenta 1M and cyan 1C and flatting ink 1F as one unit. A thermal head 101 is heated to thermally fuse the ink 1F. Thus, the fused ink 1F is fused and transferred in advance onto, and then yellow 1Y, magenta 1M and cyan 1C are sequentially fused and transferred to coat the surface with the color image to provide a glossy image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording medium used in a thermal transfer recording device.

[Prior Art] In a conventionally known color image forming ink film using a thermal transfer method, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 138685/1985, a recording medium is used to continuously print yellow, magenta, and cyan colors on a base material. It was formed by arranging heat-sensitive transfer inks, or by continuously arranging black heat-sensitive transfer ink in addition to these heat-sensitive transfer inks.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, with the above-mentioned technology, when a color image is created by overlapping three or four color inks, the problem is that the surface becomes uneven, resulting in a rough image. was there.

The present invention attempts to solve this problem, and its purpose is to provide a thermal transfer recording medium that produces clear and glossy color images without any roughness.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an ink layer consisting of at least yellow, magenta, and cyan color inks and flattening ink, which is repeatedly coated on a substrate as one unit. At the same time, after the color ink is transferred to the transfer medium, the flattening ink is transferred to overlap the color ink transferred to the transfer medium.

[Function 1] According to the above configuration of the present invention, at least 3
By transferring the flattening ink after transferring the color ink, it is possible to create a clear and glossy color image by eliminating surface irregularities and making the surface smooth.

[Example] The recording medium of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are schematic plan views showing an embodiment of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic sectional views of the embodiment, and FIG.
Figure (a), Figure 5 (b), Figure 6 (a), Figure 6 (b)
1 is a diagram showing the principle of printing using the recording medium of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording medium of the present invention has yellow (IY), magenta (IM), and cyan (IC) on the base material.
As shown in Figure 2, yellow (IY), magenta (IM), and cyan (I
C), black (IB) color ink and flattening ink (lF) are repeatedly applied as one unit, but the color order of the color inks is not limited to this.

5(a) and 5(b) schematically show a method for creating a color image using the recording medium shown in FIG. 3. FIG. As shown in FIG. 5(a), in the recording medium of the present invention, the thermal head (lot) generates heat and the fluttering ink (IF) is thermally melted. As shown in FIG. 5(b), the flattening ink (IF) that has been thermally melted in this manner is applied to the transfer material (102) in advance to form a yellow (IY) ink.
), magenta (LM), and cyan (IC) are sequentially melt-transferred to create a color image, which is then coated to create a glossy image. 6(a) and 6(b) schematically show a printing method for creating a color image using the recording medium shown in FIG. 4. FIG. Figure 6(a), Figure 6(b)
As shown in FIG.
202) and applying a pulse voltage according to the pixel between the electrodes, a current is applied to the resistive layer and Joule heat is generated, causing yellow (IY), magenta (LM), and cyan (IC) flatting ink. (IF) is sequentially melt-transferred Next, the recording medium of the present invention will be described with reference to Examples.

[Example 1] Thermal meltability of yellow (IY), magenta (LM), and cyan (Ic) flatting inks (lF) having the compositions shown in Table 1 using polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 6 μm as the base material The ink was sequentially applied to a thickness of 3 μm by hot melt coating to obtain a recording medium as shown in FIG.

Comparative Example 1 A recording medium was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the floating ink (IF) in Example 1 was omitted.

[Example 2] Yellow (IY), magenta (LM), cyan (Ic), black (IB), and flattening ink (IF) heat-melting inks having the compositions shown in Table 1 were used in the same manner as in Example 1. A recording medium as shown in FIG. 2 was obtained.

Comparative Example 2 A recording medium was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the flattening ink in Example 2 was omitted.

[Example 3] Yellow (IY), magenta (LM), cyan (IC), and flattening ink (IF) hot-melt inks having the compositions shown in Table 1 using polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 4 μm as the base material. were sequentially applied to a film thickness of 3 μm by hot melt coating to obtain a recording medium.

Comparative Example 3 A recording medium was obtained in the same manner as in Example 3 except that the flattening ink in Example 3 was omitted.

[Example 41] A current-carrying resistance layer having the composition shown in Table 2 was applied to one side of polyethylene terephthalate having a thickness of 4 μm, the solvent was evaporated to form a coating film, and then the opposite side was coated in the same manner as in Example 3 as shown in Figure 4. A recording medium as shown was obtained.

Comparative Example 4 A recording medium similar to that of Example 3 was obtained except that the flattening and printing inks in Example 4 were omitted.

Using the thermal transfer films of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4, a heat application amount of 0.5 m was applied to plain paper at 140 DPI.
As a result of transferring with J/dot, all of the Examples had higher brightness and chroma than the Comparative Examples.

[Advantageous Effects of the Invention 1] As explained above, the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention has a clear and glossy appearance by transferring at least three color inks to the transfer surface and then coating the surface smoothly with flattening ink. Color images can be created.

Table 1 (Unit double placement) Table 2
(Unit double placement part) 1. Thermal head, transfer target, recording electrode, current carrying resistance layer, base material

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are schematic plan views showing an embodiment of a thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of FIG. 2. FIGS. 5(a) and 6(b), and FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams showing the principle of printing using the recording medium of the present invention. Applicant Seiko Epson Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Kizobe Suzuki (1 other person) 1 Y ・ IM ・ I C ・ I B ・ IF ・ Yellow ink Magenta ink Cyan ink Black ink Flatting ink Y 1M C F Y M C B Figure F (cl) Cb) Figure 5 Y 1M C Y M C Figure A/6

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a thermal transfer recording medium formed by forming an ink layer on a base material, the ink layer is repeatedly coated with a plurality of color inks and flattening inks as one unit, and the color ink is transferred to the transfer medium. A thermal transfer recording medium characterized in that the flattening ink is then transferred to overlap the color ink transferred to the transfer medium. (2) The thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the color ink layer consists of at least yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. (3) The thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the base material is made of polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 1 to 20 μm.