Abstract
A process is described comprising the steps of applying a pattern of toner to the surface of a substrate, and adhering a layer of substantially transparent transfer material to the toner to define a matching pattern of transfer material. The process can be used to create raised or textured effects over a colour image.
Claims
1. A process comprising the steps of: applying a pattern of toner to the surface of a substrate, adhering a substantially transparent transfer material to the toner, and releasing the adhered transfer material from a backing material to define a matching pattern of transfer material.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the pattern of toner is applied to the substrate surface by a printing process.
3. The process of claim 2, wherein the printing process uses a laser printer.
4. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of: printing a visual image on an upper surface of the transfer material.
5. The process of claim 4, wherein the visual image is printed using a laser printer.
6. The process of claim 1, wherein the pattern of toner defines a first visual image that is visible through the transfer material.
7. The process of claim 6, further comprising the step of: printing a second visual image on an upper surface of the transfer material.
8. The process of claim 7, wherein the second visual image is printed using a laser printer.
9. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: applying a second pattern of toner to the surface of the substrate, and adhering a substantially transparent transfer material to the second pattern of toner to define a matching pattern of transfer material.
10. The process of claim 9, wherein the transfer material that is adhered to the pattern of toner is different to the transfer material adhered to the second pattern of toner.
11. The process of claim 1, wherein the transfer material is adhered to the toner using a heated roller.
12. A process comprising the steps of: laser printing a pattern of toner on the surface of a substrate to define a visual image, adhering a substantially transparent transfer material to the toner, and releasing the adhered transfer material from a backing material to define a matching pattern of transfer material, wherein the visual image is visible through the adhered transfer material.
13. A substantially transparent transfer material releasably adhered to a backing material and specifically adapted for use with the process according to claim 1.
14. A substantially transparent transfer material having a first planar surface adherable to toner applied to the surface of a substrate, and a second planar surface, opposite the first planar surface, that is printable and is releasably adhered to a backing material.
Description
DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 is top view of a substrate to which a pattern of toner has been applied;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a top view of the substrate of FIG. 1 where a matching pattern of transfer material has been adhered to the toner;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a top view of the substrate of FIG. 2 where a second pattern of toner has been applied to the layer of transfer material;
[0036] FIG. 4 is a top view of the substrate of FIG. 2 where a second pattern of toner has been applied to the layer of transfer material and the substrate;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a top view of the substrate of FIG. 3 where a matching pattern of transfer material has been adhered to the second pattern of toner to form a second layer of transfer material;
[0038] FIG. 6 is a side view of the substrate of FIG. 5;
[0039] FIG. 7 is a top view of the substrate of FIG. 2 where a second pattern of toner has been applied to the substrate and a matching pattern of transfer material has been applied to the second pattern of toner;
[0040] FIG. 8 is a side view of the substrate of FIG. 7;
[0041] FIG. 9 is a side view of transfer material and backing material; and
[0042] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing how the transfer material is adhered to the toner.
[0043] In an example of the process according to the present invention, a pattern of toner defining a first colour image 2 is applied to the surface 4 of a substrate 6 using a laser printer (FIG. 1). A layer 8 of transfer material is adhered to the toner to define a matching pattern of transfer material (FIG. 2). The transfer material is substantially transparent so that the first colour image 2 is visible through the layer 8 of transfer material.
[0044] In another example of the process according to the present invention, a pattern of toner defining a second colour image 10 is printed on top of the layer 8 of transfer material using a laser printer (FIG. 3). The second colour image 10 may also extend onto the surface 4 of the substrate (FIG. 4).
[0045] In another example of the process according to the present invention, a second layer 12 of transfer material is adhered to the toner on top of the first layer 8 of transfer material (FIGS. 5 and 6), i.e., the toner defining the second colour image 10. The transfer material is substantially transparent so that the second colour image 10 is visible through the second layer 12 of transfer material. It will be understood that by applying layers of transfer material on top of each other, textured effects can be created where the transfer material has a contoured surface. The transfer materials in each layer may be the same or different.
[0046] In another example of the process according to the present invention, a pattern of toner defining a second colour image 14 is applied to the surface 4 of the substrate 6 shown in FIG. 2 using a laser printer (FIGS. 7 and 8). A second layer 16 of transfer material is adhered to the toner. The transfer material is substantially transparent so that the second colour image 14 is visible through the second layer 16 of transfer material. The transfer materials may be the same or different. In this example, the transfer materials in the first and second layers have different thicknesses as shown in FIG. 9. It will be understood that if the layers of transfer material are contiguous, textured effects can be created where the transfer material has a contoured surface.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 9, the transfer material 20 is releasable from a suitable backing material 22 and the process of adhering the transfer material to the toner will typically comprise releasing the adhered transfer material from the backing material. Any transfer material that is not adhered to the toner will remain adhered to the backing material and is removed with it. The transfer material 20 has a first planar surface 20a specifically adapted to be adhered to toner applied to the surface of a substrate, and a second planar surface 20b, opposite the first planar surface, specifically adapted to be printed, i.e., to which printing may be applied. The first planar surface 20a is specifically adapted to be adhered to the toner in the same way as conventional foils for toner foiling.
[0048] FIG. 10 shows how a layer of transfer material 20 can be adhered to the pattern of toner that defines a colour image. Two distinct areas of toner 30a, 30b are shown applied to a surface of a substrate 32. Although in FIG. 10 the toner is applied to the substrate surface, the same process can be used to adhere transfer material to toner that has been applied to the surface of an existing transfer material layer. The transfer material 20 is adhered to the toner using a heated roller 34 which heats the toner and makes it tacky and which applies pressure to the transfer material. There is relative lateral movement between the roller 34 and the substrate 32. The transfer material 20 only adheres to the toner and part of the transfer material that has not been adhered to the toner remains adhered to the backing material 22 as shown in FIG. 10.
