JPH0585065A - Method and apparatus for forming thermal transfer image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To well hold the permeability of a color dye to recording paper by making the transfer energy applied to the peripheral part of a receiving layer larger than that applied to the part other than the peripheral part thereof at the time of the transfer of the receiving layer. CONSTITUTION:From a data processing part 12 obtaining the image data of the original image, it is transmitted which color is selected from the pixels of the pixel line of a thermal head 16. A signal such that the transfer energy in the periphery of a receiving layer becomes larger than that of the internal part thereof is transmitted from a pulse control part 13 being an output control means. As the size of the peripheral part where the transfer heat energy in the receiving layer becomes large, about 1-3 pixels are pref. with respect to the number of pixels. Since the pulse control part 13 being the output control means is provided, the transfer of a dye stuff layer is certainly performed on the receiving layer without generating the protrusion of the dye stuff layer and the receiving layer is made sharp at the time of transfer and has no indentation in its peripheral part and not left on the side of a printing film.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a thermal head which forms a receptive layer for improving the adhesion of a sublimable or fusible dye at a predetermined position on a recording paper, and then forms an image information on the receptive layer. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer image forming method and apparatus for forming an image corresponding to the above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to form a transferred image by superposing a printing film carrying a sublimation dye layer on a recording paper on a platen and receiving a transfer heat of a heating element constituting a thermal head, a plain paper of each dye is used. In order to improve the adhesion to the recording paper, a transparent heat-meltable receiving layer is usually transferred onto the recording paper first, and then yellow, magenta, and cyan (hereinafter referred to as A dye such as Y, M, or C) is transferred to form a color image by a so-called subtractive color mixing method (also referred to as a subtractive color mixing method).

[0003]

However, when the receiving layer is transferred to a recording paper, if the heat energy for the transfer is increased, the ink can be easily melted even on a rough paper surface.
Although the peeling of the receptive layer is not seen even when the printing film is peeled off, the receptive layer deteriorates due to the high temperature, and the color dyes of Y, M, C, etc. to be transferred onto it are changed. There is a case where the ride becomes poor and a so-called missing print that cannot be transferred occurs.

On the other hand, when the transfer heat energy is reduced, the permeation of the color dye into the recording paper is improved, but the adhesive performance of the receiving layer onto the recording paper surface is poor and the recording paper is easily peeled off. The end of the transfer to the tape becomes poorly cut, and the edges become jagged as shown in Fig. 6,
In the extreme case, there was a problem that it was not transferred and remained on the film side.

Further, conventionally, the area occupied by the receiving layer and the area of the dye layer are the same, and depending on how the receiving layer is cut away from the printing film, the transfer of the dye layer at the edge may extend outside the receiving layer, and There was a problem that the color development was disturbed.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned conventional problems. The transfer of the dye layer is surely performed on the receiving layer, and the permeability of the color dye to the recording paper is improved. An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer image forming method and an apparatus for the thermal transfer image, which retains the image, has good cutting during transfer, has no jagged edges, and does not leave the receiving layer on the printing film side. .

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the transfer area of the receiving layer is set to be wider than the image forming area of the dye layer by a predetermined amount, and at the time of transferring the receiving layer, The transfer energy given to the margin is
The transfer energy is larger than the transfer energy applied to the portion other than the edge portion.

[0008]

EXAMPLE A thermal transfer printer as an example of a thermal transfer image forming apparatus to which the thermal transfer image forming method of the present invention is applied will be described.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the essential parts of a thermal transfer printer, in which a printing film (base film) F carrying a dye layer of a receiving layer A and each of Y, M and C in a predetermined width and plain paper. The recording paper P, which is to be described below, is brought into contact with and separated from the recording paper P at a suitable time, and is sandwiched between the thermal head 16 and the platen roller 19 so that the thermal head 16 outputs a printing pattern corresponding to the image information read from the original image. is there. The thermal head 16 and the platen roller 19 are configured to come into contact with and separate from each other in a timely manner, and the base film F and the recording paper P are individually fed by independent feeding means.

The thermal head 16 is a platen roller 19
For example, 1024 heat generating resistors are arranged as pixels along the cylinder generatrix direction to form a pixel line. Then, first, the base film F is sent to the position where the receiving layer A comes on the recording paper P, the thermal head 16 and the platen roller 19 are brought into pressure contact with each other, and the receiving layer A is placed on the one-side recording paper P while sending the recording paper P and the film F. Transcribe. Next, the recording paper P is returned, the film F moves to the section of the Y dye layer, and the Y dye is recorded on one side like the receiving layer P. By repeating this for M dye and C dye in the same manner, a color transfer image is formed.

The Y, M, and C dyes each have their own unique color tone, and as is well known by subtractive color mixing, M and Y are red, Y and C are green, and C and M are And blue to purple, and further to black by mixing Y, M, and C.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control system of the thermal transfer printer 10.

That is, the control system of the printer 10 includes a reading unit 11 that reads image information from an original image, a data processing unit 12 that processes and outputs the image information, and obtains pixel information from the reading unit 11 to obtain an applied energy level for each pixel. A pulse control unit 13 as an output control unit for determining and outputting, a print control unit 14 and a head for issuing a print control signal based on the pixel and color information from the data processing unit 12 and the pulse information from the pulse control unit 13. Drive unit 15, thermal head 16,
It is composed of a film drive unit 17, a recording paper drive unit 18, and the like.

The operation of the control system of the printer 10, particularly the data processing section 12 and the pulse control section 13, will now be described with reference to FIGS.

The data processing unit 12 which has obtained the image information of the original image.
From which the color of which pixel in the pixel line of the thermal head 16 is selected is transmitted. Then, the pixels of the first receiving layer A are selected so that the edge is wider outward by d1 or d2 as shown in FIG. 3 as compared with the respective dye layers superposed thereon.

The d1 and d2 are, for example, about 1 to 3 pixels.

On the other hand, the pulse control section 1 which is the output control means
A signal is emitted from 3 such that the transfer heat energy at the edge of the receiving layer A becomes larger than that at the inner portion thereof.

The size of the edge portion of the receiving layer A where the transfer heat energy is large is appropriately about 1 to 3 pixels, but this is merely an example.

The d1 and d2, which represent the difference in the spread between the receiving layer A and the dye layer, and the area for increasing the transfer heat energy do not necessarily have to match, but it is appropriate that both are about 1 to 3 pixels. As it seems, there will necessarily be a match. However, it is not preferable that the high-energy portion intersects the transfer area of the dye layer, and it is important that the high-energy area is outside the transfer area of the dye layer.
FIG. 4 shows a state in which the number of pixels is exactly the same as the spread difference d1 when the number of pixels is 3 in the high energy region. In the figure, large black circles indicate high energy, and small circles indicate low energy region.

FIG. 5 shows an example of how much the input energies of the high-energy portion and the low-energy portion differ from each other in terms of the number of pulses, corresponding to FIG.

That is, the number of pulses in the high energy region is 2
55 pulses, about 200 pulses in the low energy part. Of course, the difference between the input pulse numbers depends on the surface condition of the recording paper, the characteristics of the receiving layer of the printing film used, and the like, and FIG. 5 shows only an example. You should know.

In the present embodiment, the transfer energy by the output control means is set to the number of input pulses, but of course this may be set to the pulse width or the pulse height, that is, the pulse voltage.

[0023]

According to the method and apparatus for forming a thermal transfer image of the present invention, the transfer area of the receiving layer is set to be wider than the image forming area by a predetermined amount, and at the time of transferring the receiving layer, the edge area is formed. Equipped with an output control means for outputting the transfer heat energy to be provided in a larger amount than the transfer heat energy to be provided to the portion other than the edge portion, the transfer of the dye layer is surely carried out on the receiving layer and the recording paper is not overflowed. The penetrability of the color dye into the ink is well maintained, and the receiving layer is cut well during transfer, there is no jagged edge, and the receiving layer does not remain on the printing film side.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration and operation of main parts of a thermal transfer image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the thermal transfer image forming apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a relationship between transfer areas of a receiving layer and a dye layer transferred by the method according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state of supplied heat energy in an edge portion and an inner portion of the receiving layer.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a difference in heat energy supplied between an edge portion and an inner portion of the receiving layer as a difference in pulse number.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a state of an edge portion of a receiving layer transferred by a conventional method.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Thermal Transfer Printer (Thermal Transfer Image Forming Apparatus) 13 Pulse Control Unit (Output Control Unit) 16 Thermal Head 19 Platen Roller A Receptive Layer F Base Film (Printing Film) P Recording Paper d1, d2 Edge of Receptive Layer (Receptive Layer and Dye) (Difference in spread between layers)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location 8305-2H B41M 5/26 A

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A method for forming a thermal transfer image in which a receptive layer for improving the adhesion of a dye is formed at a predetermined position on a recording paper by a thermal head and then an image corresponding to image information is formed on the receptive layer. The transfer area of the receiving layer is set to be wider than the image forming area by a predetermined amount, and the transfer energy applied to the edge of the receiving layer is larger than the transfer energy applied to the area other than the edge. A method for forming a thermal transfer image, characterized in that 2. A thermal transfer image forming apparatus for forming a receiving layer for improving the adhesion of a dye at a predetermined position on a recording paper with a thermal head, and then forming an image corresponding to image information on the receiving layer. , The transfer area of the receiving layer is set to be wider than the image forming area by a predetermined amount, and when transferring the receiving layer, the transfer energy applied to the edge portion is larger than the transfer energy applied to the portion other than the edge portion. A thermal transfer image forming apparatus, comprising: 3. The number of pulses applied to each heating element of the thermal head is set so that the transfer energy applied to the edge of the receptive layer is greater than the transfer energy applied to the part other than the edge. 3. The thermal transfer image forming method and apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the edge portion of the receiving layer is different from the edge portion other than the edge portion. 4. The pulse width of the pulse applied to each heating element of the thermal head is set so that the transfer energy applied to the edge portion of the receptive layer is larger than the transfer energy applied to the portion other than the edge portion during transfer. 3. The method and apparatus for forming a thermal transfer image according to claim 1, wherein the edge portion of the receiving layer is different from the edge portion other than the edge portion. 5. The voltage of the pulse applied to each heating element of the thermal head is set so that the transfer energy applied to the edge portion of the receptive layer during transfer is larger than the transfer energy applied to the portion other than the edge portion. 3. The method and apparatus for forming a thermal transfer image according to claim 1, wherein the edge portion of the receiving layer is different from the edge portion other than the edge portion.