JPH0780362B2 - Metal luster thermal transfer recording medium - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording medium used in a thermal printing apparatus using a thermal head, and particularly to a colored character or a metallic character having a metallic luster of a desired color including gold and silver. The present invention relates to a metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium capable of easily forming a pattern using a conventional color printer system and obtaining a printed matter having metallic luster with high transparency and brightness.

(Prior Art) In recent years, a thermal transfer recording method using a thermal head is rapidly spreading because of its advantages such as low noise, color printing, and relatively inexpensive and compact apparatus. However, it is difficult to express gold or silver with high brightness by printing using a conventional thermal transfer recording medium, and it is also impossible to express metallic luster of a desired color.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is capable of easily obtaining high-intensity metallic luster printing and capable of metallic luster printing of a desired hue. It is to provide a glossy thermal transfer recording medium.

Another object of the present invention is to use three primary colors or four ink colors.
A metallic luster thermal transfer recording that can achieve the above-mentioned object without changing the mechanism of a conventional color printer that prints a pattern of any color by superposing colors by using a transfer recording medium composed of different colors. To provide the medium.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium which is easy to manufacture in order to provide the medium at a low price because it is a disposable medium.

(Means for Solving Problems) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention comprises a substrate (1) coated with an adhesive layer (3), a heat-meltable release layer (2) and a vapor deposition anchor layer. A metal vapor deposition layer (5), a heat-melting adhesive layer (6), and a heat transferable coloring layer (7) containing a sublimable dye are provided through an intermediate layer divided into an area (4). It is a composition.

The substrate (1) may be a film that is generally used as a support for a thermal transfer recording medium and has the necessary heat resistance and strength. As such a substrate, a stretched polyester film or a condenser paper is typical. Target. It is also common to provide a heat-resistant protective layer for preventing sticking on one surface of the substrate, if necessary.

The heat-meltable release layer (2) formed on the base material (1) is melted by the heat of the thermal head during printing, and the base material (1)
It is provided for the purpose of accelerating the transfer of the metal vapor deposition layer (5) from the transfer paper to the transfer paper, and its composition is natural or synthetic wax such as carnauba wax, rice wax, montan wax, candelilla wax, paraffin wax and the like. , A heat-melting low molecular weight resin, etc. are used as a main component. Considering print quality, speed, compatibility with the thermal head, and storage stability of the medium, the melting points of these compositions are
It is desirable that the temperature is 60 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower, and it is desirable that waxes having low strength and low viscosity at the time of heat melting are contained as components for easy peeling.

The vapor deposition anchor layer (4) formed on the release layer (2) protects the release layer (2) from heat during metal vapor deposition, and also improves the adhesion between the vapor deposited metal and the release layer (2). It is provided in. The resin used for the vapor deposition anchor layer (4) is a chlorinated rubber containing a linear saturated polyester resin, a chlorinated rubber, from the viewpoint of adhesiveness to waxes, film forming property, ease of coating, and fixability of sublimable dyes. A composition containing any of a polyolefin, a cellulose derivative, a polyamide resin, or a combination thereof as a main component is used.

The purpose of the adhesive layer (3) formed in another area on the base material (1) is to adhere the base material and the metal vapor deposition layer (5), and peeling at normal temperature and transfer of the metal vapor deposition layer during printing. It is to prevent transfer to paper. Therefore, the same material as the vapor deposition anchor layer (4) can be used as the material.

The metal vapor deposition layer (5) is a layer for expressing the metallic luster of the printed matter. Typically, aluminum having a film thickness of 100Å to 500Å can be used, but other metals are also possible.
In the case of aluminum vapor-deposited layer, if the film thickness is less than 100Å, there is little concealment of the underlayer of the printed matter and the metallic gloss is poor, and if the film thickness exceeds 500Å, the cut at the time of printing becomes poor and the resolution deteriorates. However, of course, it can be used depending on the purpose even if it is out of this range.

The heat-meltable adhesive layer (6) applied on the metal vapor deposition layer (5) in the coated area of the release layer (2) and the vapor deposition anchor layer (4) on the substrate is melted during printing. It adheres to the transfer paper and simultaneously fixes the metal vapor deposition layer (5) on the transfer paper, and the same components as the release layer (2) can be used as components. Further, the heat transferable coloring layer (7) containing a sublimable dye applied to the other area on the metal vapor deposition layer (5) is transferred onto the transfer paper or a pattern formed on the transfer paper by heating during printing. Is a colored layer for expressing a multicolored pattern.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, these coloring layers (7) include a yellow sublimation dye-containing coloring layer, a magenta sublimation dye-containing coloring layer (7M), and a cyan sublimation dye-containing coloring layer (7C). In the order of), it is possible to easily express the metallic luster pattern of a desired color by transferring the metal vapor deposition layer and then expressing the layers of the above three colors. In this case, compared to the case where a heat-melting wax layer containing a usual pigment or dye is used as a colorant, a printed matter having particularly excellent transparency and strong abrasion resistance can be obtained.

In order to perform metallic luster printing of a desired hue using the metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, printing is first performed using the area of the adhesive layer (6) shown in FIG. 1 of the medium, and then the coloring layer. By overlapping and printing the area of (7), it can be easily executed by using a printer that is mechanically the same as an ordinary thermal color printer. Of course, it is also possible to express the same color as metal by not printing the area of the colored layer (7), and to express normal color by not printing the area of the adhesive layer (6). Is.

(Effect of the Invention) According to the metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, in addition to the fact that a metallic luster print having excellent brightness and abrasion resistance of a desired hue can be easily obtained by an ordinary thermal color printer, When a metallic luster is not required, ordinary color prints can be obtained. Further, since the continuous metal vapor deposition layer is provided in the medium, it is not necessary to partially provide the vapor deposition layer or to partially remove the vapor deposition layer after the entire surface vapor deposition, and it is easy to manufacture and can be provided at a low cost. Not only that, but as an additional effect, the charging of the medium is significantly reduced, and it is possible to prevent problems such as dust adhesion and damage to the thermal head during use.

(Example) A polyester film having a thickness of 5.7 μm was partially coated with the following composition and dried to form a release layer having a thickness of 0.8 μm.

Rice wax 10 parts by weight Carnauba wax 10 parts by weight EVA 2 parts by weight Solvent 78 parts by weight On top of this, a vapor deposition anchor layer / adhesive layer made of an equal mixture of nitrocellulose and polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 0.5 μ is formed on the entire surface. Aluminum vapor deposition with a thickness of 200Å was performed on it. After that, an adhesive layer and a colored layer were formed on the vapor-deposited layer in the form as shown in FIG. 2 by using the same composition as the release layer and a composition containing sublimable dyes of yellow, cyan and magenta.

Using this medium, the area of the adhesive layer (6), the area (7Y) of the colored layer, and (7M) shown in FIG.
When the pattern of Mantohi Baboon was printed in the order of the area of (7C) and the area of (7C), a printed matter having an extremely metallic luster and excellent abrasion resistance was obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same. (1) …… Base material (2) …… Release layer (3) …… Adhesive layer (4) …… Deposition anchor layer (5) …… Metal deposition layer (6) …… Adhesion layer (7Y) …… Sublimation Colored layer containing a sublimable dye (7M) .... Colored layer containing a sublimable dye. (7C) .. Colored layer containing a sublimable dye.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A thermal transfer recording medium in which a metal vapor deposition layer, a heat-melting adhesive layer or a heat transferable coloring layer is provided in this order on one surface of a substrate through an intermediate layer, In the area where the layer is composed of the adhesive layer to the substrate and the area composed of the heat-fusible release layer and the vapor deposition anchor layer, the heat transferable coloring layer containing the sublimable dye corresponds through the metal vapor deposition layer, and the intermediate layer is heated. A metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium characterized in that a heat fusible adhesive layer is provided via a metal vapor deposition layer in an area consisting of the fusible release layer and the vapor deposition anchor layer. 2. The metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the heat-meltable release layer and the vapor deposition anchor layer of the intermediate layer are substantially non-colored and transparent. 3. A heat transferable coloring layer corresponding to an area in which an intermediate layer is composed of an adhesive layer to a substrate via a metal vapor deposition layer, and a plurality of sublimable dyes containing at least three colors of yellow, cyan and magenta. 3. The metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the medium is painted separately. 4. The heat-meltable release layer and the heat-meltable adhesive layer contain wax and are composed of a composition having a melting point of 60 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower. The metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium described. 5. The metallic luster thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition anchor layer comprises a composition containing saturated linear polyester.