JPH09150588A - Multicolor thermal transfer recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable execution of multicolor printing in a printing time equal to ordinary unicolor printing and by a simple operation by making a recording layer have a first coloring layer which is formed at least on the whole surface side of a base and a second coloring layer which has a different color from the first coloring layer and is formed in a prescribed shape on the first coloring layer. SOLUTION: A recording layer 3 has a first coloring layer 3a which is formed on the whole surface side of a base 2 and a second coloring layer 3b which has a color different from the first coloring layer 3a and is formed on the first coloring layer 3a. On the first coloring layer 3a, the second coloring layer 3b is formed in repetition 32a of a rectangle all sides of which is shorter in length than the width of a multicolor thermal transfer recording medium 1. Besides, the formation is made by providing this repetition unit 32a in a plurality so that one side thereof is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium 1. Moreover, a third coloring layer 3c having a different color from the first and second coloring layers 3a and 3b and being formed on the first coloring layer 3a may be provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multicolor thermal transfer recording medium capable of performing multicolor printing by a simple operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years,
Especially, due to the widespread use of personal computers and word processors that are connected to or equipped with a serial-type melting thermal transfer recording device, it has become possible to print a small number of copies easily and inexpensively, as represented by cards and letters. There is growing interest in personalized print. In order to meet such a demand for diversification of printing, in particular, in order to enable multicolor printing, a monochromatic color recording medium, a metallic tone recording medium, etc. are provided.

However, conventionally, in order to perform multicolor printing, multicolor image data created by a personal computer or word processor capable of color processing is printed by a printer having a printing function of four primary colors or four colors including black. However, there is a problem in that multi-color printing cannot be easily and inexpensively performed because advanced technology and expensive equipment must be used. Also, in such multicolor printing, the printing operation is performed in order to print the primary colors in an overlapping manner.
It has to be repeated 4 to 4 times, and the personal thermal transfer recording apparatus has a problem that a very long printing time is required.

Further, a plurality of recording layers having different colors are formed,
A thermal transfer recording medium has also been proposed, which is arranged continuously and regularly (irregularly) in the longitudinal direction of the recording medium and can perform multicolor printing by one printing similar to normal monochrome printing. However, such a recording medium has not yet achieved the multicolor printing which is still required, and since a high degree of phase matching is required in the production, a medium having a desired recording layer is formed. The problem is that it is difficult to obtain.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a multicolor thermal transfer recording medium which can easily carry out multicolor printing with a printing time equivalent to that of normal monochromatic printing and by a simple operation, and which is easy to manufacture. To provide.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies made by the present inventors to solve the above problems, a multicolor thermal transfer recording medium having two or more colored layers having different colors has the above-mentioned object. We have found that it can be achieved.

The present invention was made based on the above findings, and in a multicolor thermal transfer recording medium in which a recording layer capable of melt thermal transfer is provided on a substrate, at least the recording layer is the substrate. A first colored layer formed on the entire surface of the first colored layer, and a second colored layer having a color different from that of the first colored layer and formed in a predetermined shape on the first colored layer. The present invention provides a multicolor thermal transfer recording medium comprising:

In the present invention, the recording layer further has a color different from those of the first colored layer and the second colored layer, and the first colored layer and / or the above colored layer. The above-described multicolor thermal transfer recording medium having a third colored layer formed in a predetermined shape on the second colored layer. The present invention also provides the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium, wherein the recording layer is provided on a release layer provided on the base material.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention will be described in detail below. The multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention is characterized in that a specific recording layer is provided on a substrate.

As the above-mentioned substrate used in the present invention, a film or paper used in a usual thermal transfer recording medium can be used without particular limitation. In addition, the above-mentioned base material may be subjected to a usual back surface treatment which is applied to a usual thermal transfer recording medium.

In the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, the specific recording layer provided on the substrate is at least a first colored layer formed on the entire front surface side of the substrate, and The second colored layer has a color different from that of the first colored layer and is formed in a predetermined shape on the first colored layer.

The first colored layer is a layer containing a colorant and a heat-fusible binder, and a colored coating material containing the colorant and the heat-fusible binder is applied onto the base material. It is formed. Examples of the colorant include general dyes and pigments used in ordinary thermal transfer recording media. Examples of the heat-fusible binder include binders that are commonly used in ordinary thermal transfer recording media and are composed of ordinary resins, waxes, tackifiers, fillers and the like.

The blending ratio of the colorant and the heat-meltable binder in the first colored layer is 1 to 8:
It is preferably 9 to 2.

The colored coating material is obtained by dissolving the colorant and the heat-fusible binder in a solvent such as toluene or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). The amount of the solvent used is The amount is preferably 100 to 900 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the colorant.

The first colored layer may contain the colorant and the heat-fusible binder, but it may further contain a filler, a coating surface quality improver, an antiblocking agent, etc. Additives used in the medium can also be added.

The second colored layer provided in a predetermined shape on the first colored layer is a layer containing a colorant and a heat-melting binder, and the colorant and the heat-melting property. It is formed by applying a colored coating material containing a binder onto the first colored layer having a predetermined shape. That is, the second colored layer is a layer formed of the same composition as the first colored layer except that a colorant having a color different from that of the first colored layer is used. You can

Here, the "predetermined shape" is not particularly limited as long as a desired multicolor printing can be achieved, but it is preferably a shape as shown in FIG. 1 described later.

Further, the recording layer has a color different from those of the first colored layer and the second colored layer, and the first colored layer and / or the second colored layer. It is preferable to have a third colored layer formed in a predetermined shape on the colored layer.

The third colored layer also contains a colorant and a heat-fusible binder, and a colored coating material containing the colorant and the heat-fusible binder is formed on the first colored layer in a predetermined shape. Is a layer formed by applying the above-mentioned first colored layer except that a colorant having a color different from those of the above-mentioned first colored layer and the above-mentioned second colored layer is used. And a layer formed of the same composition as the above second colored layer).

The thickness of each of the first colored layer, the second colored layer, and the third colored layer provided as necessary is preferably 0.5 to 3 μm. . The colors of the first colored layer, the second colored layer, and the third colored layer, which are provided as necessary, are each selected from the group consisting of yellow, magenta, and cyan. It is preferably one color. That is,
For example, when the color of the first colored layer is yellow,
The color of the second colored layer is magenta or cyan,
Furthermore, when the color of the second colored layer is magenta, the color of the third colored layer is preferably cyan.

If desired, an adhesive layer provided on a conventional thermal transfer recording medium can be provided on the recording layer. Examples of the adhesive layer include commonly known adhesive layers composed of ordinary resins, waxes, tackifiers, fillers and the like.

The recording layer can also be provided on a release layer provided on the base material. That is, a peeling layer can be interposed between the base material and the recording layer, if necessary. The release layer is a layer that improves the releasability of the recording layer, and by providing the release layer, the thermal transfer performance of the recording layer can be further improved.

The release layer is preferably composed of a component having a lower melt viscosity than the recording layer, and specific examples thereof include a layer containing a low melting point component and a film quality improving material. It is formed by applying a release layer coating material containing components, the film quality improving material and a solvent to the surface of the base material.
Examples of the low melting point component include general waxes. Examples of the film quality improving material include resins such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA).

The mixing ratio of the low melting point component and the film quality improving material is such that the low melting point component: the film quality improving material = 99 to 5
It is preferably from 0: 1 to 50.

Further, examples of the solvent in the release layer coating material that forms the release include toluene and methyl ethyl ketone, and the amount thereof is 100 to 900 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the solid content. Preferably.

Next, the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing one form of the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1.

In the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium 1 of this embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a recording layer 3 capable of melt thermal transfer is provided on a substrate 2, and the recording layer 3 is the substrate 2. A first colored layer 3a formed on the entire surface of the first colored layer 3a and a second colored layer 3a having a different color from the first colored layer 3a and having a predetermined shape on the first colored layer 3a. And the colored layer 3b. Further, the recording layer 3 has a color different from those of the first colored layer 3a and the second colored layer 3b, and is formed in a predetermined shape on the first colored layer 3a. It has the 3rd coloring layer 3c. The recording layer 3 is provided on the peeling layer 4 provided on the base material 2.

More specifically, the second colored layer 3b is provided on the first colored layer 3a, and the rectangular repeating unit 32a in which both sides are shorter than the width of the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium 1 is used.
Are formed so that one side of the repeating unit 32a is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium 1. The third colored layer 3c described above is also provided in the same shape as the second colored layer 3b. Since each colored layer is provided in this manner, three colored portions 1 having different colors are provided.
0, 20, and 30 are formed. Although not shown in particular, the back surface of the base material 2 is subjected to a back surface treatment, and an adhesive layer is provided on the surface of the recording layer 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the example in which the second and third colored layers are formed on the first colored layer has been described. The third colored layer may be formed on the second colored layer described above.

Further, in the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, the above recording layer is coated with the above colored coating material by a method such as a gravure coating method or a screen coating method in the same manner as a general thermal transfer recording medium. It can be manufactured by forming it. Further, as in the method of manufacturing a recording medium for serial thermal transfer recording, a method of forming the recording layer or the like on a wide base material and then cutting it into a predetermined width can be used.

The multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention can be used as it is, in a commercially available printer for a word processor or a personal computer, equipped with a serial head type thermal transfer recording device. Further, the multicolor characters obtained by the multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention are not particularly limited, and characters formed by monochrome character data generated by the font data or the external character creation function on a word processor or personal computer. And so on.

[0032]

【Example】

[Example 1] A back surface of a base material made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film was back-treated with a silicon-based back surface treatment agent, and the surface thereof was used for a release layer composed of polyethylene wax and an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer The paint was applied to form a release layer. Next, the entire surface of the release layer is uniformly coated with an ink composed of a yellow pigment, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and a polyamide resin using a gravure coating machine equipped with a solid plate to obtain a first coloring. After forming the layer, an ink composed of a cyan pigment, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and a polyamide resin was formed into a 3.5 mm square, and each square of the area was overlapped with each other so that each of the squares overlaps each other. Apply using a gravure coater equipped with a plate engraved with a pattern that is repeatedly formed in a diagonal direction to form a second colored layer, and then locate between each second colored layer. An ink containing a magenta pigment, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and a polyamide resin was added to
A third colored layer is further formed by using a plate engraved with a pattern in which squares of mm square are overlapped with each other by 1/4 of their area in a diagonal direction of each square. The square was cut into a width of 12.7 mm along the continuous direction (longitudinal direction of the substrate) to obtain a multicolor thermal transfer recording medium shown in FIG.

[0033]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention is capable of easily performing multicolor printing in a printing time equivalent to that of ordinary monochromatic printing and by a simple operation, and is easy to manufacture. is there.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one form of a multicolor thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Multicolor Thermal Transfer Recording Medium 2 Base Material 3 Recording Layer 3a First Coloring Layer 3b Second Coloring Layer 3c Third Coloring Layer 4 Release Layer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A multicolor thermal transfer recording medium having a recording layer capable of melt heat transfer provided on a base material, wherein the recording layer is formed on at least the entire surface of the base material in the first coloring. A multicolor thermal transfer recording medium comprising a layer and a second colored layer having a color different from that of the first colored layer and formed in a predetermined shape on the first colored layer. . 2. The recording layer further has a color different from those of the first colored layer and the second colored layer, and the first colored layer and / or the second colored layer. The multicolor thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, further comprising a third colored layer formed in a predetermined shape on the colored layer. 3. The multicolor thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the recording layer is provided on a release layer provided on the base material.