Dye-receiving element containing spacer beads in a laser-induced thermal dye transfer

Claim 2

A dye-receiving element comprising a support having thereon a dye-receiving layer containing a laser-induced thermal dye transfer image, said element containing spacer beads of such particle size and concentration that effective contact between said dye-receiving element and a dye-donor element is prevented during transfer of said laser-induced thermal dye transfer image, said spacer beads being located either in said dye-receiving layer or in a layer thereover.

Claim 3

The element of claim 1 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size of from about 3 to about 50 μm.

Claim 4

The element of claim 1 wherein said spacer beads are present at a concentration of from about 5 to about 2,000/mm 2 .

Claim 5

The element of claim 1 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 3 to about 5 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 750 to about 2,000/mm 2 .

Claim 6

The element of claim 1 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 5 to about 15 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 10 to about 1,000/mm 2 .

Claim 7

The element of claim 1 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 15 to about 50 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 5 to about 200/mm 2 .

Claim 8

The element of claim 1 wherein said spacer beads are poly(methyl methacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) or poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene).

Claim 9

In a process of forming a laser-induced thermal dye transfer image comprising (a) imagewise-heating by means of a laser a dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer and an infrared-absorbing material, and (b) transferring a dye image to a dye-receiving layer of a dye-receiving element to form said laser-induced thermal dye transfer image, the improvement wherein said dye-receiving element comprises a support having thereon spacer beads of such particle size and concentration that effective contact between said dye-receiving element and said dye-donor element is prevented during transfer of said laser-induced thermal dye transfer image, said spacer beads being located either in said dye-receiving layer or in a layer thereover.

Claim 10

In a process of forming a laser-induced thermal dye transfer image comprising (a) imagewise-heating by means of a laser a dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer and an infrared-absorbing material, and (b) transferring a dye image to a dye-receiving layer of a dye-receiving element to form said laser-induced thermal dye transfer image, the improvement wherein said dye-receiving element comprises a support having thereon spacer beads of such particle size and concentration that effective contact between said dye-receiving element and said dye-donor element is prevented during transfer of said laser-induced thermal dye transfer image, said spacer beads being located either in said dye-receiving layer or in a layer thereover.

Claim 11

The process of claim 8 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size of from about 3 to about 50 μm.

Claim 12

The process of claim 8 wherein said spacer beads are present at a concentration of from about 5 to about 2,000/mm 2 .

Claim 13

The process of claim 8 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 3 to about 5 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 750 to about 2,000/mm 2 .

Claim 14

The process of claim 8 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 5 to about 15 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 10 to about 1,000/mm 2 .

Claim 15

The process of claim 8 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 15 to about 50 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 5 to about 200/mm 2 .

Claim 16

The process of claim 8 wherein said spacer beads are poly(methyl metacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) or poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene).

Claim 17

In a thermal dye transfer assemblage comprising: a) a dye-donor element comprising a support having a dye layer and an infrared absorbing material, and b) a dye-receiving element comprising a support having thereon a dye image-receiving layer, said dye-receiving element being in a superposed relationship with said dye-donor element so that said dye layer is adjacent to said dye image-receiving layer, the improvement wherein said dye image-receiving layer contains spacer beads of such particle size and concentration that effective contact between said dye-receiving element and said dye-donor element is prevented during transfer of a laser-induced thermal dye transfer image, said spacer beads being located either in said dye-receiving layer or in a layer thereover.

Claim 18

In a thermal dye transfer assemblage comprising: a) a dye-donor element comprising a support having a dye layer and an infrared absorbing material, and b) a dye-receiving element comprising a support having thereon a dye image-receiving layer, said dye-receiving element being in a superposed relationship with said dye-donor element so that said dye layer is adjacent to said dye image-receiving layer, the improvement wherein said dye image-receiving layer contains spacer beads of such particle size and concentration that effective contact between said dye-receiving element and said dye-donor element is prevented during transfer of a laser-induced thermal dye transfer image, said spacer beads being located either in said dye-receiving layer or in a layer thereover.

Claim 19

The assemblage of claim 15 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size of from about 3 to about 50 μm.

Claim 20

The assemblage of claim 15 wherein said spacer beads are present at a concentration of from about 5 to about 2,000/mm 2 .

Claim 21

The assemblage of claim 15 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 3 to about 5 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 750 to about 2,000/mm 2 .

Claim 22

The assemblage of claim 15 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 5 to about 15 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 10 to about 1,000/mm 2 .

Claim 23

The assemblage of claim 15 wherein said spacer beads have a particle size from of about 15 to about 50 μm and are present at a concentration of from about 5 to about 200/mm 2 .