| abstract |
A thermal transfer ribbon has a substrate, an undercoating which contains thermal reactive materials and leuco dyes, and a thermal transfer coating applied on the undercoating and which contains a mixture of a wax emulsion and a sensible material, the undercoating assiting the transfer of color images of an improved intensity and sharpness to a receiving medium upon the application of heat to the ribbon. The invention also covers incorporation of the leuco dye and a reactant in the functional coating to intensify the transferred image, with or without the presence of sensible materials such as iron oxide or fluroescent dye, to improve the sharpness and the scratch and smear resistance of the transferred image. An alternative to the two coatings is a single coating which includes pigments with sensing characteristics, thermal reactive material, and transfer agents to obtain an improved intensity image. |