Electrocoagulation printing and apparatus

Abstract

A polychromic image is reproduced and transferred onto a substrate by (a) providing a single positive electrode formed of an electrolytically inert metal and having a continuous passivated surface moving at substantially constant speed along a predetermined path, the passivated surface defining a positive electrode active surface; (b) forming on the positive electrode active surface a plurality of dots of colored, coagulated colloid by electrocoagulation of an electrolytically coagulable colloid in the presence of a coloring agent, the dots of colored, coagulated colloid being representative of a desired image; and (c) bringing a substrate into contact with the dots of colored coagulated colloid image to cause transfer of the colored, coagulated colloid from the positive electrode active surface onto the substrate and thereby imprint the substrate with the image. Steps (b) and (c) are repeated several times to define a corresponding number of printing stages arranged at predetermined locations along the aforesaid path and each using a coloring agent of different color, and to thereby produce several differently colored images of coagulated colloid which are transferred at respective transfer positions onto the substrate in superimposed relation to provide the desired polychromic image.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.