The present invention refers to a coated transfer paper for receiving digital printing inks, maintaining high tonal fidelity, the paper being treated to transfer the image when it contacts a receiving base, preventing transfer to surfaces that do not have the receiving base. In addition, the invention relates to a printing method that combines the techniques of screen printing and digital printing, using the transfer paper.

A system includes liquid ink jet inks having pigments and sublimation dyes, a liquid enhancer ink formulated to print by an ink jet printer having a crosslinking agent that reacts with hydroxyl groups, and a transfer media comprising an ink receptive layer formed of a hydrophilic polymeric material that becomes swollen and tacky when exposed to the ink jet ink or the enhancer ink. The system is used to form an image on the transfer media by ink jet printing of the liquid ink jet inks and the liquid enhancer ink, wherein the imaged portion the polymeric material becomes swollen and tacky by application of the liquid ink jet inks and the liquid enhancer ink, transferring substantially only the image from the transfer media due to final substrate upon application of heat to the image. The system is nearly universal in its ability to transfer image substrates having varying properties.

An article is comprised of a thermoset polymer having a dye sublimation image in a layer attached or integral to a surface of the thermoset polymer, wherein at least a portion of the thermoset polymer is a foam. The foam article may be made by pretreating a thermoset organic polymer foam to a temperature of 100 C. to about 250 C. for a time sufficient to stabilize the thermoset polymer and dye sublimating an image into a layer of the pretreated thermoset foam. The foam article having the dye sublimation image may be used for applications having aesthetic or structural requirements such as railing, decking or fences.

An article is comprised of a thermoset polymer having a dye sublimation image in a layer attached or integral to a surface of the thermoset polymer, wherein at least a portion of the thermoset polymer is a foam. The foam article may be made by pretreating a thermoset organic polymer foam to a temperature of 100 C. to about 250 C. for a time sufficient to stabilize the thermoset polymer and dye sublimating an image into a layer of the pretreated thermoset foam. The foam article having the dye sublimation image may be used for applications having aesthetic or structural requirements such as railing, decking or fences.