Electrophoretical method for selectively reinking resistive ribbon thermal transfer printing ribbons

Abstract

A method is described for selectively reinking a resistive ribbon thermal transfer printing ribbon, comprising: (1) positioning a used resistive ribbon thermal transfer printing ribbon in a colloidal dispersion of electrophoretically depositable ink prepared (a) heating a water-insoluble polymeric binder having a melting point in the range of 85.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. until the polymeric binder has been melted to a liquid state, (b) adding and blending a pigment into the melted polymeric binder, (c) adding and blending a heated dilute, aqueous solution of a carboxylic acid to the composition formed in (b), and (d) adding and blending a colloid charge-forming compound to the composition formed in (c), to form an aqueous dispersion of a pigment-containing polymeric colloid, (e) cooling the dispersion formed in (d); and (2) passing an electric current through said colloidal dispersion, with an electrically conductive layer of said ribbon serving as one electrode, to electrophoretically deposit the pigment-containing polymeric colloid on areas of said ribbon that have been depleted of ink, to form a ink layer of uniform thickness.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.