Fluorescent security thermal transfer printing ribbons

Abstract

Fluorescent security thermal transfer printing ribbons consisting of an elongated backing element having a printing media adhered to one side thereof. The printing media is preferably capable of being transferred to paper, or some other print receiving medium, by conventional thermal transfer printing equipment. If desired, the visible printed images can be made in one configuration, for example, conventional product identification bar codes, and the fluorescent security characters and indicia can be made in a different configuration, for example, the name of a particular store, or the store's logo. Thus, printing ribbons in accordance with this invention can be used to print visibly transparent printing, black printing, or other color printing as viewed under broad spectrum light, and independent fluorescent security characters and indicia which are invisible under broad spectrum light, but which fluoresce, and become visible, when exposed to black light.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.