Pigment transfer to photopolymerizable positive-working imaging system

Claim 1

A method for forming a colored image which comprises, in order: A. providing a photosensitive element which comprises, in order: i. a transparent, removable support; and ii. a single photosensitive composition layer on said support, which photosensitive layer comprises an organic binding resin, a photoinitiator, and a free radical polymerizable acrylate or methacrylate component having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups, wherein said binding resin is present in sufficient amount to bind the composition components into a uniform film, and wherein said photoinitiator is present in sufficient amount to initiate the free radical polymerization of said polymerizable components upon exposure to sufficient actinic radiation, and wherein said polymerizable component is present in sufficient amount to provide image differentiation when the composition is imagewise exposed to actinic radiation; and B. providing a colored transfer element which comprises: i. a removable substrate; and ii. a single, colored transfer layer on said removable substrate, which colored transfer layer comprises at least one colorant in sufficient amount to uniformly color the layer; and at least one organic binding resin each with a glass transition temperature greater than the laminating temperature and an elongation at break of less than 10%; and C. laminating at elevated temperature and pressure said photosensitive element to a receiver base via the photosensitive layer; and D. imagewise exposing said photosensitive composition through the transparent support to actinic radiation; and E. removing said transparent support; and F. laminating at elevated temperature and pressure said transfer element to the exposed photosensitive layer via the colored transfer layer; and G. peeling apart said substrate and said receiver base, thereby transferring portions of the colored transfer layer to the imagewise nonexposed areas of the photosensitive layer on the receiver base while the portions of the colored transfer layer corresponding to the exposed areas of the photosensitive layer remain on the transfer substrate; and H. optionally repeating steps A. through G. at least once with another photosensitive element and another transfer element having at least one different colorant transferred on the colored, imagewise nonexposed portions of the previously processed photosensitive element on said receiver base.

Claim 2

A method for forming a colored image which comprises, in order: A. providing a photosensitive element which comprises, in order: i. a transparent, removable support; and ii. a single photosensitive composition layer on said support, which photosensitive layer comprises an organic binding resin, a photoinitiator, and a free radical polymerizable acrylate or methacrylate component having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups, wherein said binding resin is present in sufficient amount to bind the composition components into a uniform film, and wherein said photoinitiator is present in sufficient amount to initiate the free radical polymerization of said polymerizable components upon exposure to sufficient actinic radiation, and wherein said polymerizable component is present in sufficient amount to provide image differentiation when the composition is imagewise exposed to actinic radiation; and B. providing a colored transfer element which comprises: i. a removable substrate; and ii. a single, colored transfer layer on said removable substrate, which colored transfer layer comprises at least one colorant in sufficient amount to uniformly color the layer; and at least one organic binding resin each with a glass transition temperature greater than the laminating temperature and an elongation at break of less than 10%; and C. laminating at elevated temperature and pressure said photosensitive element to a receiver base via the photosensitive layer; and D. imagewise exposing said photosensitive composition through the transparent support to actinic radiation; and E. removing said transparent support; and F. laminating at elevated temperature and pressure said transfer element to the exposed photosensitive layer via the colored transfer layer; and G. peeling apart said substrate and said receiver base, thereby transferring portions of the colored transfer layer to the imagewise nonexposed areas of the photosensitive layer on the receiver base while the portions of the colored transfer layer corresponding to the exposed areas of the photosensitive layer remain on the transfer substrate; and H. optionally repeating steps A. through G. at least once with another photosensitive element and another transfer element having at least one different colorant transferred on the colored, imagewise nonexposed portions of the previously processed photosensitive element on said receiver base.