COLORANT TRANSFER THERMAL RECORDING METHOD AND APPARATUS USING FINE COLOR PARTICLE-CONTAINING INK MATERIAL GENERATING PHASE TRANSFER

摘要

PURPOSE: To easily and inexpensively form a color recording image of high quality by a simple constitution. ;CONSTITUTION: The heat signal corresponding to an image signal and having temp. higher than phase transition temp. is applied to an ink material 2 wherein fine color particles 3 each having an external shell layer composed of a temp.- sensitive polymer changed to a hydrophobic state from a hydrophilic state at temp. higher than phase transition temp. are dispersed in a solvent 4 by a thermal recording means 6 through a cylindrical transfer medium 1 having a hydrophobic surface while the transfer medium 1 is rotated in contact with the ink material 2. The fine color particles 3 are changed to a hydrophobic state to be enhanced in the adhesion capacity to the transfer medium 1 and the visible image of the fine color particles 3 corresponding to an image signal is formed on the transfer medium 1. Thereafter, the visible image is cooled to return to a hydrophilic state and lowered in the adhesion capacity to the transfer medium 1 and comes into contact with a fed receiving material 7 to be transferred thereto to record an image.;COPYRIGHT: (C)1995,JPO