Thermal transfer printing

A method of thermal transfer printing onto a surface of a substrate, the method comprising:

• a) providing a movable transfer member having opposite front and rear sides with an imaging surface on the front side;
• b) applying to the imaging surface a monolayer coating of particles made of, or coated with, a thermoplastic polymer;
• c) applying electromagnetic (EM) radiation via the rear side of the transfer member to selected regions of the coated imaging surface to render the particles thereon tacky within the selected regions;
• and
• d) pressing the imaging surface and the surface of the substrate, or respective segments thereof, against one another at a nip to cause transfer to the surface of the substrate of only the regions of the particle coating that have been rendered tacky;
• wherein the rear side of the transfer member comprises a body transparent to the EM radiation, the transfer member further comprising a radiation absorbing layer made of an elastomeric silicone on the front side of the transfer member adjoining the transparent body, and the imaging surface being formed on, or as part of, the radiation absorbing layer such that the EM radiation reaches the imaging surface by passing through the transparent body.