Images printed on porous media and coated with a thermal transfer overcoat

A method of thermally overcoating a printed image without leaving unwanted tags, comprising:

• (a) providing a porous media substrate having an image printed thereon;
• (b) providing a layered coating sheet comprising a carrier ribbon, a release layer, and an adhesive protective layer, wherein the phase transition temperature of the adhesive protective layer is at least 2° C. less than that of the release layer, and wherein the phase transition temperature of the carrier ribbon is greater than the that of the release layer;
• and
• (c) heating the layered coating sheet to an application temperature below the phase transition temperature (Tp) of the carrier ribbon so that the carrier ribbon maintains its form, said application temperature being at or above the phase transition temperature (Tp) of release layer such that the release layer is softened, said application temperature being above the phase transition temperature (Tp) of the adhesive protective layer rendering the adhesive protective layer flowable;
• (d) contacting the adhesive protective layer with the porous media substrate;
• and
• (e) separating the carrier ribbon from the adhesive protective layer when the adhesion force between the porous media substrate and the adhesive protective layer is greater than the adhesion force provided by the release layer, thereby providing a thermal overcoat that fills voids within the porous media substrate and is substantially free of tags.

A system for thermally overcoating an image printed on porous media, comprising:

• (a) a porous media substrate having an image printed thereon;
• (b) a layered sheet for application of a thermal coating to the image on the porous media substrate, said layered sheet comprising:
• (i) a carrier ribbon,
• (ii) a release layer applied to the carrier ribbon, and
• (iii) an adhesive protective layer that is applied with a tangent d greater than 1 and a melt viscosity less than 1×105 Pa.·sec. applied to the release layer;
• and
• (c) a heat source thermally coupled to the layered sheet, wherein upon
• (i) application of heat to the layered sheet,
• (ii) pressured contact between the adhesive protective layer and the porous media substrate, and
• (iii) separation of the adhesive protective layer form the carrier ribbon,
• the adhesion force between the porous media substrate and the adhesive protective layer is greater than the adhesion force provided by the release layer, thereby providing a thermal overcoat that fills voids within the porous media substrate and is substantially free of tags.