A method and apparatus for thermal transfer printing onto selected regions of a substrate are disclosed. The method comprises: a) providing a transfer member having an imaging surface; b) coating the imaging surface with particles formed of, or coated with, a thermoplastic polymer; c) removing substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the imaging surface to leave a uniform monolayer particle coating on the imaging surface; d) applying energy to selected regions of the imaging surface to heat and render tacky particles of corresponding regions of the monolayer coating; and e) pressing at least portions of the imaging surface and the substrate surface against one another, either during and/or after application of energy, to cause transfer to the surface of the substrate of the particles of the corresponding regions that have been rendered tacky. The monolayer coating can be replenished with new particles and the cycle repeated.

Method and system for thermal transfer printing are disclosed. The system comprises a transfer member having an imaging surface on the front side, a coating station at which a monolayer of particles made of, or coated with, a thermoplastic polymer is applied to the imaging surface, an imaging station at which electromagnetic radiation (EM) is applied via the rear side of the transfer member to selected regions of the particles-coated imaging surface to render the particles thereon tacky within the selected regions, and a transfer station at which only the regions of the particles coating that have been rendered tacky are transferred to a substrate. The transfer member includes on its rear side a body transparent to EM radiation and on its front side an EM radiation absorbing layer, the imaging surface being formed on, or as part of, the absorbing layer.

There is disclosed a layered article that can be used in indirect printing, in analog or digital processes. The layered article, when configured as a transfer member, may serve to receive an ink in any form, allow the ink to be treated so as to form an ink image, and permit the application of the ink image on a substrate. The transfer member comprises a support layer and an imaging layer, which may be formed of a silicon matrix including dispersed carbon black particles. Methods for preparing the same are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method (400) for protecting printed data on a transfer film of a heat-transfer printer for a plastic card comprising a print head (112), the protection method (400) comprising: a first printing step (402) during which the transfer film and the plastic card advance simultaneously over a printing length L.sub.0 under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, a rewinding step (404) during which the transfer film is rewound over a rewinding length L.sub.0+/d different from the printing length L.sub.0, and during which the plastic card is brought upstream of the print head, a subsequent printing step (408) during which the transfer film and the plastic card (10) advance simultaneously over another printing length under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, and an ejection step (410) during which the plastic card is expelled from the printer.

Systems and methods are provided for thermal sublimation imaging and more generally thermal pressing through a continuous or intermittent feed-through thermal pressing system. Cutting assemblies may be configured to cut, connect, advance, and/or align transfer media. The transfer media may have images created using inks, dyes, or the like that are configured to be sublimated into a substrate material within a sublimation assembly. The substrate may be interposed between upper and lower transfer media to allow for dual-side imaging via thermal sublimation. A thermal sublimation chamber may include a pre-confinement zone to reduce ghosting, a preheat zone, a thermal saturation zone to effectuate sublimation and image transfer, and/or a post-sublimation cooling zone to reduce ghosting. A post-sublimation collection system may separate transfer media from substrate(s).

There are disclosed curable elastomeric compositions comprising at least one reactive curable silicone pre-polymer capable of forming a silicone elastomer upon curing thereof, and a plurality of hydrophilic carbon black particles dispersed therein, as well as their corresponding cured products. Such compositions, once cured, can be used for the preparation of numerous articles of wide industrial applicability.

In a thermal transfer sheet in which a transfer layer is provided on a substrate, the transfer layer has a layered structure in which a receiving layer, an intermediate layer, and a masking layer are layered in this order from the side of the substrate, the receiving layer is a solvent-based receiving layer containing a solvent-based resin and a silicone oil, the intermediate layer is a water-based intermediate layer containing a water-based resin, and the masking layer is a solvent-based masking layer containing a solvent-based resin and a colorant.

The invention relates to a method (400) for protecting printed data on a transfer film of a heat-transfer printer for a plastic card comprising a print head (112), the protection method (400) comprising: a first printing step (402) during which the transfer film and the plastic card advance simultaneously over a printing length L.sub.0 under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, a rewinding step (404) during which the transfer film is rewound over a rewinding length L.sub.0+/d different from the printing length L.sub.0, and during which the plastic card is brought upstream of the print head, a subsequent printing step (408) during which the transfer film and the plastic card (10) advance simultaneously over another printing length under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, and an ejection step (410) during which the plastic card is expelled from the printer.

Method for protecting printed data on a varnish area of a transfer film of a heat-transfer machine, including: a varnishing step during which the varnish area and a plastic card advance simultaneously under the thermal head and during which the thermal head heats in order to deposit the varnish on the plastic card, generating a deformation of the transfer film at a text printed on the plastic card; a rewinding step during which the transfer film is rewound in order to position the varnish area upstream of the thermal head, and the plastic card is repositioned upstream of the thermal head; and a defacing step during which the varnish area and the plastic card advance simultaneously under the thermal head and during which the thermal head heats at the level of the text and at the deformation in accordance with a sign scheme making the deformation illegible.

A device for laser-induced marking of an article having a marking surface comprising a non-flat portion to be marked, the device comprising: a first laser unit for emitting and scanning first laser light over a first transfer area; a first foil unit for providing a first laser transfer foil at the first transfer area; a carrier for providing the article at the first transfer area, the article having a marking surface comprising a non-flat surface area; a first hard adaptor that is transparent for the first laser light, the first hard adapter having a first contacting surface that is essentially a negative of the non-flat surface area of the marking surface; and a contacting unit for bringing the first laser transfer foil in contact with the marking surface by causing the first contacting surface to move one of the first laser transfer foil and the marking surface towards one another.