JP2002248872A - Sublimation transfer image receiving material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sublimation transfer image receiving material capable of reducing an amount of inorganic fine particles to be added to a dyeing layer without lowering a heat resistance and thereby decreasing a sense of roughness of a transfer image. SOLUTION: The sublimation transfer image receiving material comprises the dyeing layer capable of dyeing a sublimation dye on a base. The material further comprises a vapor-deposited layer provided between the base and the dyeing layer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image receptor for sublimation transfer. Typically, the present invention relates to a sheet-shaped or tape-shaped image receiving body used for printing an image such as a character or a figure by applying heat from a thermal head while overlapping a sublimation transfer medium such as a sublimation ribbon.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printing method using thermal transfer, an image (including characters) is printed on plain paper by using a thermal head having a large number of heating elements that are pulse-driven in accordance with image information.
Can be easily printed, for example, by using a thermal transfer medium having three color ink layers of yellow, magenta and cyan, and a thermal head having a head element pulse-driven in accordance with chromaticity signals of these three colors. Color printing is also possible.Since the printing sound at that time is quiet, and the discoloration and deterioration of the printed image are small, printers built in word processors, label writers, facsimiles, etc., or personal computers It is widely used for a single printer used by being connected to the like. A hot press for transferring characters or images previously drawn on transfer paper to a transfer target such as a T-shirt using an iron or the like is also an example of the thermal transfer printing method.

In the thermal transfer, a thermal transfer medium having a thermal transfer ink layer on a substrate made of paper or a plastic film (there is a ribbon type or a sheet type) and an image receiving body on which ink can be transferred to the surface thereof (There is a sheet or tape) so that the thermal transfer ink layer is on the inside, and according to the image information from the substrate side of the thermal transfer medium (over the entire surface in the case of hot pressing) (2) By applying heat, the thermal transfer ink is transferred on the image receiving body in a pattern according to the image information, thereby forming a desired image on the image receiving body. For the thermal transfer ink layer, a hot-melt ink obtained by adding a coloring agent such as a pigment to a binder such as a resin or wax, or a sublimable ink containing a sublimable dye as a main component is generally used. Sublimation transfer is preferably used for cards, medical treatments, video printers, and the like because inks have the advantage of excellent gradation.

The image receiving member used for sublimation transfer generally needs to have a hydrophobic surface in order to dye a subpolar dye having a small polarity. Paper or plastic sheets are often used as the base material of the image receptor, but paper is generally hydrophilic, so when using paper as the base material, it is common to provide a hydrophobic dyeing layer on the surface. is there. The dyeing layer is usually formed by applying a coating agent composed of inorganic fine particles such as silica or alumina and a non-polar polymer binder having a high affinity for a sublimation dye such as a polyester resin to the surface of the base paper. It is formed. In this case, the paper used as the base material is relatively smooth and uniform, such as baryta paper, art paper, and coated paper.However, the surface smoothness and homogeneity are lower than those of plastic sheets. The dyeing layer formed thereon also has irregularities on the surface and uneven thickness, and as a result, the image is often disturbed and halftones are noticeably rough.

In view of the above, various improvements have been attempted on a sublimation transfer image receiving body in order to improve the quality of a sublimation-transferred image. As an example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-2367
No. 94 discloses a sublimation type thermosensitive recording image receiver having a thermoplastic polymer material layer provided between a dyeing layer and a base material (base paper). This is because providing a thermoplastic polymer material layer on the surface of the base paper improves the smoothness and homogeneity of the base material surface. And the flexibility of the thermoplastic polymer material under heating increases the degree of adhesion between the transfer medium and the image receptor, and also absorbs the impact of the thermal head, greatly reducing disturbances in image quality. In addition, there is an effect that the reproduction of the halftone becomes smooth.

[0006]

However, according to the study of the present inventors, the configuration described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-236794 often does not always eliminate the roughness of a transferred image. This roughness was found to be remarkable especially when the dyeing layer contained a relatively large amount of inorganic fine particles. If the amount of the inorganic fine particles contained in the dyed layer is reduced or the addition is stopped, the rough feeling becomes almost inconspicuous, but the inorganic fine particles in the dyed layer are added for the purpose of improving the heat resistance of the dyed layer, matting, coloring, etc. At present, in particular, it is necessary to add a large amount of inorganic fine particles in order to improve heat resistance. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sublimation transfer image receiving body which improves heat resistance without adding a large amount of inorganic fine particles to a dyeing layer, thereby eliminating the roughness of a transferred image.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sublimation transfer image receiving body having a dyeing layer on which a sublimation dye can be dyed on a substrate, wherein a deposition layer is provided between the substrate and the dyeing layer. The above-mentioned problem is solved by providing. Here, it is preferable that the substrate has a structure in which a foamed polymer film and a paper or plastic sheet are laminated, and a vapor deposition layer and a dyeing layer are sequentially provided on the foamed polymer film. Further, the deposition layer is preferably a silica deposition layer. Further, it is preferable to provide an anchor layer made of a heat-resistant polymer substance between the dyeing layer and the vapor deposition layer.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A typical form of an image receiving body of the present invention is a paper or plastic sheet 1 as shown in FIG.
A foamed polymer film 3 is laminated via a laminating layer 2, and then a silica vapor-deposited layer 4 is provided on the surface thereof, then anchored with a heat-resistant polymer substance 5, and a sublimation dye is dyed thereon. It is produced by providing a dyeable layer 6 which can be used. The order of the steps may be changed so that the foamed polymer film surface is subjected to silica vapor deposition and anchor treatment with a heat-resistant polymer, and then laminated on a paper or plastic sheet.

When a foamed polymer film is not laminated, a plastic sheet such as polyethylene terephthalate or polypropylene is used as the substrate. On the other hand, when laminating a foamed polymer film, a commonly used paper or plastic sheet can be used. When stiffness is considered, the thickness also affects, but paper is generally more advantageous. Even when the foamed polymer film is laminated on a plastic sheet, the plastic sheet is preferably the above-mentioned polyethylene terephthalate or polypropylene. When paper is used, it is preferable to use extremely smooth Japanese paper or cardboard in addition to the baryta paper, art paper, and coated paper described above. The thickness of the paper or plastic sheet used for the substrate is preferably about 30 to 250 μm.

In order to laminate a foamed polymer film on paper or a plastic sheet, a laminated layer made of polyurethane resin, acrylic resin, silicone resin or the like may be interposed. At this time, the thickness of the laminate layer is 1.0
About 30 μm. The thickness of the laminate layer is 1.0μ
If it is less than m, the laminate layer itself will be lifted, and if it exceeds 30 μm, the texture of the image receiving sheet will be lost.

The foamed polymer film is made of a thermoplastic polymer material such as a thermoplastic polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene (PP), which has a certain heat resistance and can form a uniform foam. Foam films can be used. The thickness of the foamed polymer film is preferably about 10 to 80 μm. The foamed polymer film may have a two-layer structure of a microvoid layer and a nonvoided layer.

A vapor deposition layer is first provided on the surface of the foamed polymer film layer, and then an anchor layer made of a heat-resistant polymer substance is provided thereon. Examples of the material to be deposited include aluminum, copper, silver, tin, chromium, nickel, silica, and aluminum oxide. Particularly, silica is preferable because of its excellent heat insulating effect. If the heat insulation effect is excellent, it is difficult to release heat, which is advantageous in terms of sensitivity. Further, when a vapor deposition layer of silica is provided, an effect of absorbing ultraviolet rays can be obtained. The thickness of the deposited layer is suitably from 5 to 100 nm. When the thickness is less than 5 nm, the heat resistance effect is small.
Even if the thickness exceeds 00 nm, the cost is increased but no improvement in the heat resistance effect is observed. Particularly in the case of silica, if it exceeds 100 nm, the gloss of the dyed layer tends to be lost. Further, it is preferable that the thickness of the anchor layer is about 0.05 to 5.0 μm. When the thickness exceeds 5.0 μm, shrinkage is observed in the foamed polymer film. On the other hand, when the thickness is less than 0.05 μm, the adhesion between the vapor deposition layer and the dyeing layer is weak, so that the dyeing layer has floating. .

In this case, the heat-resistant high-molecular substance used for the anchor treatment refers to a resin having a softening point (VICAT) of 70 ° C. or higher, and is preferably a polyurethane resin, a polyester resin, a melamine resin, an acrylic resin, or the like. The anchor treatment can be performed by using a blade coater, a gravure coater, or the like, and applying a predetermined heat-resistant polymer substance by emulsion coating or solvent coating.

If silica is deposited, the heat resistance of the foamed polymer film can be greatly improved, and the effect of absorbing ultraviolet rays can be obtained. When the foamed polymer film is laminated, the adhesiveness between the image receiving body and the sublimation ribbon during printing is improved, whereby the printing properties are improved and the heat resistance is also improved. On the other hand, when the anchor layer is provided, the adhesion between the deposited layer and the dyeing layer is improved, so that the floating of the dyeing layer is suppressed, and a coloring effect can be obtained by adding a dye to the anchor layer.

The dyeing layer contains a non-polar polymer binder as a main component, and if necessary, mixes about 1.0 to 2.0% by weight of inorganic fine particles to form a coating material. It can be formed by coating with a reverse coater or the like. As the inorganic fine particles, a particle size of 0.0
Color pigments, extenders, organic fillers, and the like of about 2 to 1.0 μm are preferably used. As the nonpolar polymer binder, polyester resin, vinyl chloride resin, vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymer, polycarbonate resin, acrylonitrile styrene resin and the like are preferably used. In order to mix the inorganic fine particles and the non-polar polymer binder, they may be ground for about 2 to 5 hours using an AD mill, an attritor, or the like. If necessary, the dyeing layer can be impregnated with a release agent such as silicone oil, or can be formed as a surface layer by coating.

The image receptor for sublimation transfer of the present invention is typically for a thermal transfer printer having a thermal head, and uses a thermal transfer ribbon having a thermal transfer ink layer composed of a sublimation dye such as cyan, magenta, or yellow. It is commercialized as an image-receiving sheet for printing or an image-receiving tape for performing sublimation transfer by using, but is not limited to these products.

[0017]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention and comparative examples are shown below. The following examples are intended to illustrate the image-receiving sheet of the present invention, but do not limit the present invention in any way. Table 1 summarizes the layer constitutions of the image receiving sheets manufactured in the following Examples and Comparative Examples, and Table 2 summarizes the evaluation results. In Table 2, “excellent” means extremely good, “good” means excellent, “good” means that there is no practical problem, and “impossible”. Indicates that there is a practical problem. In particular, regarding print density, “excellent” means Y, M,
C when the highest measured value of each concentration is 2.0 or more,
"Good" is a case of 1.6 or more and less than 2.0, and "OK"
Is a case where it is 1.2 or more and less than 1.6, and "impossible" is a case where it is less than 1.2.

Example 1 (1) Production of Image Receptor (Image Receiving Sheet) A 180 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate (PE)
T) Aluminum was deposited to a thickness of 35 nm on the surface of the film using a vacuum evaporator. A 2.5-μm-thick dyeing layer was formed by applying a polyester resin (Vylonal MD1930, Toyobo) on the vapor-deposited layer with a reverse coater to obtain an image-receiving sheet of the present invention.

(2) Evaluation of Image Receiving Sheet A predetermined image is transferred to the image receiving sheet manufactured above using a sublimation transfer type color printer (Mitsubishi Digital Color Printer CP770D), and the following items a) to e) are evaluated. did. A) Roughness of transferred image The roughness of the transferred image was evaluated by visual observation of each of the gradation prints of Y, M, and C, but no smoothness was obtained and an extremely smooth image was obtained. B) Shrinkage of the foamed film The shrinkage of the foamed film was evaluated by measuring with a caliper, but no shrinkage was observed. C) Peeling strength of dyeing layer The peeling strength of the dyeing layer is measured by using the cellotape (registered trademark)
Was evaluated by examining the presence or absence of adhesion when the sample was peeled off. However, almost no adhesion was observed. D) Print density The print density was evaluated using a Macbeth densitometer RD918. That is, the maximum density of each of Y, M, and C was measured for the print, and all of the levels were 1.6 or higher. E) Texture of the image receiving sheet When the texture of the image receiving sheet was evaluated by touch and visual observation, it was extremely supple, firm, and had a good appearance.

Example 2 An image receiving sheet was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that silica was deposited in a thickness of 35 nm instead of aluminum, and the same items were evaluated on the same basis. As shown in Table 2, good results were obtained for all items. In particular, Example 1 was obtained by using silica as the vapor deposition layer.
The printing density was improved as compared with.

Example 3 Using a coated paper having a thickness of 180 μm,
m of a foamed polyester film was laminated to prepare a substrate. At that time, a polyurethane resin was applied in a dry coating amount of 20 μm as a laminate layer. Next, silica was deposited on the surface of the foamed polyester film to a thickness of 35 nm using a vacuum evaporator. A polyester resin (Vylonal MD1930, Toyobo) is placed on this deposited layer
2.5μ by applying a reverse coater
m of the dyed layer was formed to obtain an image receiving sheet of the present invention. The obtained image-receiving sheet was evaluated on the same items as in Example 1 by the same criteria. As shown in Table 2, satisfactory results were obtained for all items. In particular, by using a laminate of a foamed polyester film as the substrate, the adhesion to the sublimation ribbon was improved, and the printing density was further improved as compared with Example 2. The texture has also been improved.

Example 4 An anchor layer having a thickness of 1.0 μm was formed by performing an anchoring treatment with a thermosetting polyurethane resin (Neolez R-960, Kusumoto Kasei) following the deposition of silica, and the anchor layer was formed on the anchor layer. Example 3 except that a dyed layer was formed.
An image receiving sheet was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 and the same items were evaluated according to the same criteria. As shown in Table 2, satisfactory results were obtained for all items. In particular, by providing the anchor layer, the adhesion of the dyeing layer was improved, and the adhesion strength of the dyeing layer was improved as compared with Examples 1 to 3.

Example 5 An image receiving sheet was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 4 except that the thickness of the silica vapor-deposited layer was changed to 5 nm, and the same items were evaluated according to the same criteria. As shown in Table 2, the sheet after the sublimation transfer slightly shrank, but was not at a level that would cause a problem in practical use. For other items, satisfactory results were obtained as in Example 4.

Example 6 An image receiving sheet was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 4 except that the thickness of the silica vapor deposition layer was changed to 100 nm, and the same items were evaluated according to the same criteria. As shown in Table 2, there were some difficulties in the visual texture of the sheet, but they were not at a level that would cause a practical problem. For other items, satisfactory results were obtained as in Example 4.

Comparative Example 1 A polyethylene terephthalate (PE) having a thickness of 180 μm
T) A coating comprising 5 parts by weight of silica (Aerosil 200, Nippon Aerosil) and 100 parts by weight of an aqueous polyester resin (Vylonal M1200, Toyobo) is applied to the surface of the film with a blade coater to a thickness of 2.5 μm. Was formed. The image-receiving sheet thus obtained was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1 for the same items using the same criteria. As shown in Table 2, since the dyed layer contained silica, the image had a rough feeling, and the adhesion strength and print density of the dyed layer were considerably inferior to those of Examples 1 to 6. Further, although not a practically problematic level, the sheet after the sublimation transfer had some shrinkage, and had a problem that the texture was lacking in flexibility.

Comparative Example 2 An image receiving sheet was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 and Example 2 except that no vapor-deposited layer was formed, and the same items were evaluated according to the same criteria. As shown in Table 2, there was no silica in the dyed layer, and there was no vapor deposited layer, so the sheet lacked heat resistance, and the sheet after sublimation transfer had considerable shrinkage. Also, the adhesion strength and print density of the dyed layer were considerably inferior to those of Examples 1 to 6.

Comparative Example 3 An image receiving sheet was manufactured in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, except that PET was used.
A substrate was prepared by using a coated paper having a thickness of 180 μm in place of the film and laminating a foamed polyester film having a thickness of about 50 μm on the coated paper. At that time, as a laminate layer, a polyurethane resin was applied in a dry coating amount of 20 in between.
μm was applied. The obtained image receiving sheet was evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1. As shown in Table 2, the image roughness and print density were slightly improved as compared with Comparative Example 1, but were still unsatisfactory. Other items were equivalent to Comparative Example 1, and were not entirely satisfactory.

Comparative Example 4 An image receiving sheet was manufactured in the same manner as in Comparative Example 2, except that PET was used.
A substrate was prepared by using a coated paper having a thickness of 180 μm in place of the film and laminating a foamed polyester film having a thickness of about 50 μm on the coated paper. At that time, as a laminate layer, a polyurethane resin was applied in a dry coating amount of 20 in between.
μm was applied. This configuration corresponds to the image receiving sheet of Example 3 in which the silica deposition layer is removed. The obtained image receiving sheet was evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 2. Table 2
As shown in Comparative Example 2, the heat resistance was slightly improved as compared with Comparative Example 2, and the shrinkage of the sheet after sublimation transfer was slightly alleviated, but was still unsatisfactory. Further, the adhesion strength of the dyed layer was still not at a satisfactory level.
The print density and texture were improved as compared with Comparative Example 2 and reached practically satisfactory levels, but were still unsatisfactory as a whole.

Comparative Example 5 An image receiving sheet was produced in the same manner as in Example 4 except that the thickness of the silica vapor-deposited layer was 3 nm, and the same items were evaluated according to the same criteria. As shown in Table 2, the sheet after the sublimation transfer showed considerable shrinkage due to lack of heat resistance because the vapor deposited layer was too thin.

Comparative Example 6 An image receiving sheet was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 4 except that the thickness of the silica vapor-deposited layer was changed to 120 nm, and the same items were evaluated according to the same criteria. As shown in Table 2, the texture was inferior because the deposited layer was too thick. In addition, the cost also increased, and the whole was not satisfactory.

[0031]

[Table 1]

[Table 2]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a typical configuration of an image receiving sheet of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base material 2 Laminate layer 3 Foamed polymer film layer 4 Silica vapor deposition layer 5 Anchor layer 6 Dyeing layer

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A sublimation transfer image receiver having a dyeing layer on which a sublimation dye can be dyed on a substrate, wherein a deposition layer is provided between the substrate and the dyeing layer. Sublimation transfer image receiver. 2. The base material has a structure in which a foamed polymer film and a paper or plastic sheet are laminated, and a vapor deposition layer and a dyeing layer are sequentially provided on the foamed polymer film. The image receptor for sublimation transfer according to claim 1. 3. The image receiving body for sublimation transfer according to claim 1, wherein said vapor deposited layer is a silica vapor deposited layer. 4. The sublimation transfer image receptor according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the vapor deposition layer is 5 to 100 nm. 5. The image receptor for sublimation transfer according to claim 1, wherein an anchor layer made of a heat-resistant polymer substance is provided between the dyeing layer and the vapor deposition layer. .