Base materials for a clear protective overcoat on inkjet images

A method of using thermoplastic ionomers to form a clear protective coating on color toner image printed by offset, inkjet or xerographic means, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a coated transparent substrate having a wrong reading, color toner image formed thereon;
• and
• b) providing a backing member to said transparent substrate,
• wherein, the transparent substrate is coated with a protective coating comprised of thermoplastic ionomer.

A method of using thermoplastic ionomers to form a clear protective coating on color toner image printed by offset, inkjet or xerographic means, comprising the steps of:

• a) applying ink to a substrate to form an imaged element;
• b) either charging said imaged element to a given polarity or applying a voltage across the surface of said element which is attracted to a conductive surface behind said element;
• c) applying charged particles of thermoplastic ionomers to said element which causes the particles to be electrostatically attracted to the surface of said imaged element;
• and
• d) heat-fusing said particles to obtain a clear protective coating over the entire surface of said imaged element, wherein the thermoplastic ionomers have the structure
• where n is from 10 to 20;
• R is selected from —H and —CH3;
• A− is an anionic group and B+ is a cationic group.

A protective coating comprising thermoplastic ionomers

• wherein the protective coating is formed on color toner image printed by offset, inkjet or xerographic means and
• wherein the thermoplastic ionomers have the structure
• where n is from 10 to 20;
• R is selected from —H and —CH3;
• A− is an anionic group and B+ is a cationic group.

A thermal printer adapted to receive an ink-receiver substrate and an ink-donor web which includes a patch of thermally-transferable laminate material that can be applied onto the receiver medium over the dye image to form a protective layer, said thermal printer comprising:

• a thermal printhead;
• a transport system for moving received ink-receiver substrate and received ink-donor web past the thermal print head to transfer an ink image to the received ink-receiver medium;
• means defining respective paths for the received ink-donor web and the received ink-receiver substrate, said paths converging in a forward direction, to a position at which they abut, before proceeding past the thermal print head;
• drive means, as a part of the transport system, for moving the received ink-donor web and the received ink-receiver substrate (i) in said forward direction along their respective paths past the thermal head whereat heat from the thermal head causes an area of the laminate material coating between a leading edge of the area and a trailing edge of the area to transfer from the received ink-donor web to the received ink-receiver medium over the transferred dye image and (ii) in a reverse direction along their respective paths;
• and
• means for causing the trailing edge of the transferred area of the laminate material coating to break cleanly away from a portion of the laminate material coating not transferred from received web support to received ink-receiver substrate, leaving the trailing edge straight and even;
• and wherein the laminate material comprises thermoplastic ionomer.

A method of using thermoplastic ionomers to form a clear protective coating on color toner image printed by offset, inkjet or xerographic means, comprising the steps of:

• a) applying ink to a substrate to form an imaged element;
• and
• b) laminating a protective coating comprised of thermoplastic ionomers over the inkjet printed image by advancing the substrate and a laminate material past a heat source such that a portion of a patch of laminate material is applied to the substrate over the inkjet printed image,
• wherein the thermoplastic ionomers have the structure
• where n is from 10 to 20;
• R is selected from —H and —CH3;
• A− is an anionic group and B+ is a cationic group.