| abstract |
A printing assembly for thermal transfer printing is disclosed. The assembly comprises at least one first printing system comprising a transfer member having an imaging surface on the front side, a coating station at which a monolayer of thermoplastic particles is applied to the imaging surface, an imaging station at which electromagnetic radiation (EM) is applied, optionally via the rear side of the transfer member, to selected regions of the imaging surface to render the particles coating the selected regions tacky, a transfer station at which only the regions of the particles coating that have been rendered tacky are transferred to a substrate to form an adhesive image; and at least one more downstream printing system. The transfer member includes on its front side an EM radiation absorbing layer, the imaging surface being formed on, or as part of, the absorbing layer, and on its rear side a body which can optionally be transparent to EM radiation. |