The present invention provide a multi-layered heat transfer sheet comprising a plurality of distinct pieces forming one or more consecutive patterns that form shapes or objects having discontinuous peripheries, as well as a method for producing and/or making said item. The method for forming the heat transfer decorations includes ablating one or more layers of a heat transfer sheet using a defocused laser to define at least one plurality of discrete pieces that together define a heat transfer decoration. A single pass of the defocused laser may ablate the one or more layers of the heat transfer sheet so as to define the discrete pieces.

The present invention provide a multi-layered heat transfer sheet comprising a plurality of distinct pieces forming one or more consecutive patterns that form shapes or objects having discontinuous peripheries, as well as a method for producing and/or making said item. The method for forming the heat transfer decorations includes ablating one or more layers of a heat transfer sheet using a defocused laser to define at least one plurality of discrete pieces that together define a heat transfer decoration. A single pass of the defocused laser may ablate the one or more layers of the heat transfer sheet so as to define the discrete pieces.

A method of indirect digital printing is disclosed herein. The method employs (i) first (e.g. transparent) and second aqueous ink components (comprising colorant particles) and (ii) a target surface (e.g. hydrophobic) of an intermediate transfer member (ITM). A quantity of first ink component is deposited (e.g. by ink-jetting) onto the target surface and partially dried to produce a partially-dried layer thereon. Droplets of the second ink component are deposited onto the partially-dried layer of first ink component to form a wet, colored ink-image. Upon deposition of the droplets of the second ink component, the colorant particles from the second component penetrate into the partially-dried layer of the first ink component. The wet, colored image is dried into a tacky ink-image-bearing residue film which is transferred to the substrate. Physical and/or chemical properties of the first and second ink components as provided by various embodiments are disclosed herein.

There are disclosed methods for producing curable elastomeric compositions comprising carbon black particles, as well as their corresponding cured products. Such compositions, once cured, can be used for the preparation of numerous articles of wide industrial applicability.

There are disclosed methods for producing curable elastomeric compositions comprising carbon black particles, as well as their corresponding cured products. Such compositions, once cured, can be used for the preparation of numerous articles of wide industrial applicability.

A printing process is disclosed which comprises directing droplets of an ink onto an intermediate transfer member to form an ink image, the ink including an organic polymeric resin and a coloring agent in an aqueous carrier, and the transfer member having a hydrophobic outer surface so that each ink droplet in the ink image spreads on impinging upon the intermediate transfer member to form an ink film. The ink is dried while the ink image is being transported by the intermediate transfer member by evaporating the aqueous carrier from the ink image to leave a residue film of resin and coloring agent. The residue film is then transferred to a substrate. The chemical compositions of the ink and of the surface of the intermediate transfer member are selected such that attractive intermolecular forces between molecules in the outer skin of each droplet and on the surface of the intermediate transfer member counteract the tendency of the ink film produced by each droplet to bead under the action of the surface tension of the aqueous carrier, without causing each droplet to spread by wetting the surface of the intermediate transfer member.

Pattern transfer sheets, methods of monitoring pattern transfer printing, and pattern transfer printing systems are provided, for monitoring and adjusting laser illumination used for transferring paste patterns from trenches on the sheets onto a substrate such as electronic circuitry and/or solar cell substrates. Pattern transfer sheets comprise, outside the pattern, (i) trace mark(s) configured to receive the printing paste, aligned to the trenches and are wider than the width of the illuminating laser beam—to detect misalignment of paste release from within the trace mark(s) and/or (ii) working window marks configured to receive the printing paste, set at specified offsets with respect to specific trenches, with different working window marks set at different offsets—to correct the effective working window by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

Pattern transfer sheets, methods of monitoring pattern transfer printing, and pattern transfer printing systems are provided, for monitoring and adjusting laser illumination used for transferring paste patterns from trenches on the sheets onto a substrate such as electronic circuitry and/or solar cell substrates. Pattern transfer sheets comprise, outside the pattern, (i) trace mark(s) configured to receive the printing paste, aligned to the trenches and are wider than the width of the illuminating laser beam—to detect misalignment of paste release from within the trace mark(s) and/or (ii) working window marks configured to receive the printing paste, set at specified offsets with respect to specific trenches, with different working window marks set at different offsets—to correct the effective working window by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

Systems and methods in which dot-like portions of a material (e.g., a viscous material such as a solder paste) are printed or otherwise transferred onto an intermediate substrate at a first printing unit, the intermediate substrate having the dot-like portions of material printed thereon is transferred to a second printing unit, and the dot-like portions of material are transferred from the intermediate substrate to a final substrate at the second printing unit. Optionally, the first printing unit includes a coating system that creates a uniform layer of the material on a donor substrate, and the material is transferred in the individual dot-like portions from the donor substrate onto the intermediate substrate at the first printing unit. Each of the first and second printing units may employ a variety of printing or other transfer technologies. The system may also include material curing and imaging units to aid in the overall process.

Methods, apparatus and system for decorating plastic articles having an uneven surface or hollow structure are disclosed. An assembly comprising a transfer pad and a flexible heat transfer die comprising a thermal interface material (TIM) replace the hard rubber die in a hot-stamping process to fuse indicia into the surface. The assembly modifies ordinary pad printing into a hot-stamping process that transfers indicia onto uneven surfaces. A pad printing machine or other robotics is used to move the assembly from a position of heating to a position of compressing the ink transfer to the surface of the article.