Media having ink-receptive coatings for heat-transferring images to fabrics
AssigneeArkwright Incorporated
InventorsZhong Xu, Robert M. Conforti, William M. Risen JR.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved inkjet printable heat-transfer medium comprising a base substrate having a surface coated with a hot-melt layer and an ink-receptive layer is provided. The ink-receptive layer comprises: i) non-polymeric organic particles that are a reaction product of a diamine and two molecules, each molecule having at least one carboxylic acid group and at least five carbon atoms, ii) thermoplastic polymer particles, and iii) a thermoplastic film-forming binder. The heat-transfer paper can produce printed images having improved color quality, hand, and wash-durability on a variety of fabric materials.
Claims18
An ink-jet printable heat-transfer medium, comprising a base substrate having a surface coated with:
- a) a hot-melt layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer having a melting point in the range of about 60° C. to about 180° C., and
- b) an ink-receptive layer overlaying the hot-melt layer, the ink-receptive layer comprising (i) non-polymeric organic particles that are a reaction product of a diamine and two molecules, each molecule having at least one carboxylic acid group and at least five carbon atoms, (ii) thermoplastic polymer particles, and (iii) a thermoplastic film-forming binder having a melting point in the range of about 60° C. to about 180° C.
A method for applying an image to a fabric material, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an ink-jet printable heat-transfer medium, the medium comprising a base substrate having a front surface and back surface, the front surface coated with:
- i) a hot-melt layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer having a melting point in the range of about 60° C. to about 180° C., and ii) an ink-receptive layer overlaying the hot-melt layer, the ink-receptive layer comprising non-polymeric organic particles that are a reaction product of a diamine and two molecules, each molecule having at least one carboxylic acid group and at least five carbon atoms;
- thermoplastic polymer particles;
- and a thermoplastic film-forming binder having a melting point in the range of about 60° C. to about 180° C.;
- b) printing an image on the front surface of the substrate with an ink-jet printer;
- c) placing the imaged substrate on a fabric material so that the printed image faces downwards and contacts the fabric;
- d) applying heat to the backside of the substrate so that the imaged film coating is pressed into the fabric and the image is transferred to the fabric;
- and
- e) peeling the substrate away from the transferred printed image on the fabric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.