Thermal transfer printers for deposition of thin ink layers including a carrier belt and rigid blade

A printing apparatus comprising:

• an ink band capable of holding hot melt ink thereon;
• an ink feed device configured to deposit hot melt ink on the ink band;
• ink band rollers configured and arranged to hold and transport the ink band with respect to a substrate;
• a printhead configured to thermally transfer a portion of hot melt ink from the ink band to the substrate to print on the substrate;
• a rigid blade configured to control a thickness of the hot melt ink deposited on the ink band;
• a carrier belt in contact with the ink band;
• and
• carrier rollers configured and arranged to hold and transport the carrier belt with respect to the ink feed device,
• wherein the carrier belt is formed of at least a first material component and a second material component, the first material component providing the carrier belt with compliance that controls the thickness of the hot melt ink deposited on the ink band in conjunction with the rigid blade, and the second material component prevents or reduces elongation of the carrier belt.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• an ink band capable of holding hot melt ink thereon;
• an ink feed device configured to deposit hot melt ink on the ink band;
• ink band rollers configured and arranged to hold and transport the ink band with respect to a substrate;
• a printhead configured to thermally transfer a portion of hot melt ink from the ink band to the substrate to print on the substrate;
• a carrier belt in contact with the ink band, the carrier belt being formed of at least a first material component and a second material component, the first material component providing the carrier belt with compliance that controls the thickness of the hot melt ink deposited on the ink band in conjunction with the rigid blade, and the second material component prevents or reduces elongation of the carrier belt
• carrier rollers configured and arranged to hold and transport the carrier belt with respect to the ink feed device;
• and
• a rigid blade configured and arranged to cause hot melt ink to pass between a blade edge of the rigid blade and the ink band, wherein the rigid blade is shaped to minimize a contact area between the rigid blade and the ink band while controlling ink thickness of the hot melt ink on the ink band.