Patent Grant
7364636
The present invention is directed to heat transfer materials, methods of making heat transfer materials, and methods of transfer coating using heat transfer materials.
In recent years, a significant industry has developed which involves the application of customer-selected designs, messages, illustrations, and the like (referred to collectively hereinafter as “customer-selected graphics”) on articles of clothing, such as T-shirts, sweat shirts, and the like. These customer-selected graphics typically are commercially available products tailored for a specific end-use and are printed on a release or transfer paper. The graphics are transferred to the article of clothing by means of heat and pressure, after which the release or transfer paper is removed.
Heat transfer papers having an enhanced receptivity for images made by wax-based crayons, thermal printer ribbons, ink-jet printers, and impact ribbon or dot-matrix printers, are well known in the art. Typically, a heat transfer material comprises a cellulosic base sheet and an image-receptive coating on a surface of the base sheet. The image-receptive coating usually contains one or more film-forming polymeric binders, as well as, other additives to improve the transferability and printability of the coating. Other heat transfer materials comprise a cellulosic base sheet and an image-receptive coating, wherein the image-receptive coating is formed by melt extrusion or by laminating a film to the base sheet. The surface of the coating or film may then be roughened by, for example, passing the coated base sheet through an embossing roll.
Much effort has been directed at generally improving the transferability of an image-bearing laminate (coating) to a substrate. For example, an improved cold-peelable heat transfer material has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,179, which allows removal of the base sheet immediately after transfer of the image-bearing laminate (“hot peelable heat transfer material”) or some time thereafter when the laminate has cooled (“cold peelable heat transfer material”). Moreover, additional effort has been directed to improving the crack resistance and washability of the transferred laminate. The transferred laminate must be able to withstand multiple wash cycles and normal “wear and tear” without cracking or fading.
Various techniques have been used in an attempt to improve the overall quality of the transferred laminate and the article of clothing containing the same. For example, plasticizers and coating additives have been added to coatings of heat transfer materials to improve the crack resistance and washability of image-bearing laminates on articles of clothing.
When imaging a dark substrate, an opaque light colored or white background is required to mask the dark background. This masking requirement presents a new challenge as coatings must be very opaque to be effective. The opacity can be achieved by use of pigment particles which are designed to scatter light, such as titanium dioxide particles ground to about 0.5 microns. However, the pigment concentration in coatings designed for heat transfer is limited since the pigments adversely effect the ability of the film to melt and bond to the fabric. They also stiffen the film and make it less durable to washing. One can simply employ a very thick film with more moderate amounts of pigment loading but the transfers made with these products are very stiff and uncomfortable.
Another problem with dark fabric transfers is that the colored graphics can penetrate into the opaque layer. This results in a decrease in brightness of the transfer, making it appear “chalky” or “washed out.”
A very similar problem to the dulling of images due to penetration into the opaque layer can occur in carrying out transfers to white or light colored fabrics. Penetration of the image into the fabric can make the image less vivid. Although it is possible to construct coatings which will not melt and flow significantly so that the image remains on the fabric surface, such coatings may not bond well to the fabrics. This results in cracking and peeling of the coatings in use or when they are washed.
The present invention is a heat transfer material and process having a peelable film layer designed to melt and penetrate into a fabric or other bendable surface. Under this is a release coated substrate. This release coated substrate is desirably paper. The peelable film is coated with one or more crosslinked layers, the compositions of which can be tailored to fit multiple uses. In one embodiment of the present invention, the crosslinked layer may comprise an opaque crosslinked layer that includes a crosslinkable polymer, a crosslinking agent and an opacifying material to provide opacity and contrast. Designs can be created with this by cutting shapes or letters out of the heat transfer material, removing the cut out shapes or letters, peeling away the release coated substrate from the peelable film layer, applying the shapes or letters face up onto a fabric such that the peelable film is contacting the fabric and the opaque layer is exposed, then applying heat to them. A release paper is used between the opaque crosslinked layer and the source of heat. The heat source may be selected from different means such as an iron or a heat press. The crosslinking agent holds the white, opaque coating on the surface of the fabric while the peelable film melts and penetrates into the fabric and bonds the image permanently. The crosslinking agent also contributes significantly to the durability of the transferred image to wear and washing.
The present invention may also include a crosslinked, printable layer that is placed on top of the crosslinked, opaque layer. The crosslinked, printable layer permits words or images to be printed on the transfer material, such as with an ink jet printer. As such, the entire material or part thereof may be used. The portion to be used would be peeled from the release coated substrate, placed on a fabric and subjected to a heat source to transfer the crosslinked, printable layer and the crosslinked, opaque layer onto the surface of the fabric while the peelable film layer melts and penetrates into the fabric to form a permanent bond. In this embodiment, the crosslinked, printable layer prevents penetration of the image into the opaque layer so that it retains its vibrancy and does not become washed out or chalky.
Additionally, the present invention may include a heat transfer material having a peelable film layer designed to melt and penetrate into a fabric or other bendable surface. Under this is a release coated substrate. Then, instead of using a crosslinked, opaque layer, a crosslinked, printable layer is placed on the peelable film transfer layer. An image may be printed on the crosslinked, printable layer. Then, designs can be created with this material by printing an image on the printable layer, removing the release coated substrate, applying the image face up onto a fabric such that the peelable film is contacting the fabric and the printable layer is exposed, then applying heat to them. A release paper is used between the crosslinked, printable layer and the source of heat. However, since this type of material does not include the crosslinked, opaque layer, this material is best used with white or light colored fabrics. In this embodiment, the crosslinked, printable layer prevents penetration of the image into the fabric so that it retains its vibrancy and does not become washed out or chalky.
The present invention is also directed to a method of making a printable heat transfer material having the above described structures.
The present invention is further directed to a method of transfer coating using the above described printable heat transfer materials. The method includes the steps of applying heat and pressure to the heat transfer material.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and the appended claims.
The present invention is directed to a unique heat transfer material for use in transferring an image-bearing coating onto a substrate, such as an article of clothing. The heat transfer material of the present invention may be used in cold peel transfer processes, resulting in an image-bearing coating having superior vibrancy and washability, compared to conventional image-bearing coatings. Additionally, in two embodiments, the materials may be used on dark colored fabrics without wash-out or graying typically associated with printing on darker fabrics. The heat transfer material of the present invention produces superior results due to the addition of crosslinking agents to the coatings.
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The present invention, therefore, provides a heat transfer material having a substrate, a release coating, a peelable film, and one or more crosslinked layers. The crosslinked layers are selected from a crosslinked opaque layer, a crosslinked, printable layer, or a combination of the two.
The crosslinked, opaque layer includes a polymeric binder, a crosslinking agent and an opacifying material. The opacifier is a particulate material that scatters light at its interfaces so that the coating layer therefore is relatively opaque. Desirably, the opacifier is white and has a particle size and density well suited for light scattering. Such opacifiers are well known to those skilled in the graphic arts, and include particles of minerals such as aluminum oxide and titanium dioxide or of polymers such as polystyrene. The amount of opacifier needed in each case will depend on the desired opacity, the efficiency of the opacifier, and the thickness of the coating. For example, titanium dioxide at a level of approximately 20% in a film of one mil thickness provides adequate opacity for decoration of black fabric materials. Titanium dioxide is a very efficient opacifier and other types generally require a higher loading to achieve the same results.
The crosslinked, opaque layer is designed to prevent graying and loss of opacity of the image when used on a dark colored substrate. The crosslinking agent reacts with the polymer in the opaque layer to form a 3-dimensional polymeric structure, which may soften with heat but does not flow appreciably into the fabric. If flow into the fabric occurs, the white image becomes less distinct or washed out. Opaque crosslinking agents that can be used in the present invention include, but are not limited to, polyfunctional aziridine crosslinking agents sold under the trademark XAMA 7 (Sybron Chemical Co., Birmingham, N.J.), multifunctional isocyanates, epoxy resins, oxazolines, and melamine-formaldehyde resins.
The thickness of the crosslinked opaque polymer layer is approximately 0.4 to about 2 mils. The crosslinked layer contains the opacifying pigment, a crosslinkable polymeric binder, possibly surfactants or dispersants or both and a crosslinking agent, desirably one which cures when heat is applied. For example, the crosslinkable binder may contain carboxyl groups and the crosslinking agent may be one which reacts with carboxyl groups, such as an epoxy resin, a multifunctional aziridine, a carbodiimide or an oxazoline functional polymer. The amount of crosslinking agent needed will vary depending on the polymeric binder and the effectiveness of the crosslinking agent. For example, XAMA-7, a polyfunctional aziridine from Sybron Chemical Company, is effective at levels of only a few percent. Other crosslinking agents, such as epoxy resins, usually are required in an amount of from about 5 to around 20 percent, depending on the carboxylated polymer. Other types of crosslinking reactions include polymers having hydroxyl groups which employ melamine-formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde or amine-epichlorohydrin crosslinking agents. Hydroxyl functional polymers can also be crosslinked with mutifunctional isocyanates, but the isocyanates require a water-free solvent since they react with water.
Other dispersions of polymers having carboxyl groups are available in many varieties, including acrylics (carboset resins from B. F. Goodrich, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio), polyurethanes (K. J. Quinn and Company, Seabrook, N.H.) and ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers (Michleman Chemical Co., Cincinnati, Ohio). As mentioned above, the amount of crosslinking agents needed will vary depending on the polymer and the carboxyl content. For example, Michem Prime 4990 from Michleman Chemical requires only one to three percent XAMA-7 crosslinking agent.
It was mentioned that only a moderate amount of pigment is needed in the crosslinked, opaque layer. By moderate, from about 15% to about 60% is meant, with about 30% being preferred. This amount of pigment is enough to provide the required opacity provided that penetration of the pigmented layer into the fabric is prevented by crosslinking, with a film thickness at about 0.5 to about 2 mils.
To provide the opacity needed for fabric decoration, the coating should remain substantially on the surface of the fabric. If, in the transfer process, the heat and pressure cause the coating to become substantially imbedded into the fabric, the dark color of the fabric shows through, giving the art a gray or chalky appearance. The coating should therefore resist softening to the point of becoming fluid at the desired transfer temperature. Recalling that the peelable film which supports the opaque coating must melt and flow into the fabric at the transfer temperature (i.e., it is melt-flowable), so the relationship needed between the peelable film and the opaque coating becomes clear. The opaque coating should not become fluid at or below the softening point of the peelable film. The terms “fluid” and “softening point” are used here in a practical sense. By fluid, it is meant that the coating would flow into the fabric easily. The term “softening point” can be defined in several ways, such as a ring and ball softening point. The ring and ball softening point determination is done according to ASTM E28. A melt flow index is useful for describing the flow characteristics of meltable polymers. For example, a melt flow index of from 0.5 to about 800 under ASTM method D 1238-82 is desired for the peelable film layer of the present invention. For the opaque layer, the melt flow index should be less than that of the peelable film layer by a factor of at least ten, desirably by a factor of 100, and most desirably by a factor of at least 1000. The crosslinked coatings of the present invention meet the desired characteristic of not appreciably flowing at the transfer temperatures due to formation of a cross-linked three-dimensional structure.
The opaque coating is desirably applied as a dispersion or solution of polymer in water or solvent, along with the dispersed opacifier. Many of the polymer types mentioned above are available as solutions in a solvent or as dispersions in water. For example, acrylic polymers and polyurethanes are available in many varieties in solvents or in water based latex forms. Other useful water based types include ethylenevinylacetate copolymer lattices, ionomer dispersions of ethylenemethacrylic acid copolymers and ethyleneacrylic acid copolymer dispersions. In many cases, washability and excellent water resistance of the decorated fabrics will be required. Polymer preparations which contain no surfactant, such as polyurethanes in solvents or amine dispersed polymers in water, such as polyurethanes and ethyleneacrylic acid dispersions can meet these requirements.
Additionally, the present invention may use a second crosslinked polymer layer, either alone or in conjunction with the crosslinked opaque layer. The second crosslinked polymer layer is a crosslinked printable layer. The crosslinked printable layer prevents penetration of the image, dyes or pigments into the white/opaque layer. In the embodiment having no white, opaque layer, the crosslinked, printable layer prevents penetration of the printed image into the white or light colored fabric. In both cases, the crosslinked, printable layer, by virtue of the crosslinking, becomes a very durable, washable, image bearing surface on the fabric after being transferred.
The composition of the crosslinked, printable layer can be tailored to fit various printing methods for printing the image, including ink jet, thermal transfer, electrostatic toner transfer and others. Necessary ingredients in the crosslinked, printable layer include only a binder and a crosslinking agent. The binders or crosslinking agents can be similar to those described above for the crosslinked, opaque layer, but the crosslinked, printable layer contains no pigments. In addition, processing aids such as surfactants, dispersants and viscosity modifiers may be included.
The crosslinked, printable layer may be adapted to suit various printing methods, including ink jet printing. For ink jet printing, the coating may be very similar to those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,798,179, 5,501,902 and 6,033,739, which are hereby incorporated by reference. These coatings contain thermoplastic particles, binders and cationic resins as well as ink viscosity modifiers and are useful in conventional ink jet printing applications for fabric transfer. In the present invention, a crosslinking agent is added to such coatings so they will be held on the surface when a transfer is conducted. However, since the crosslinking agents inhibit the ability of the polymer to bond to the fabric under heat and pressure, the addition of a non-crosslinked peelable film is required. For use with other imaging methods, the requirements are slightly different. For electrostatic printing, an acrylic or polyurethane binder and a crosslinking agent would be sufficient since this printing method does not require powdered polymers for ink absorbency, cationic polymers or ink viscosity modifiers. Instead, slip agents and anti-static agents can be added to the crosslinked coating to provide reliable sheet feeding into the printers. For thermal printings or crayon marking coatings, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,739, these coatings may be modified by addition of a crosslinking agent. For this method, the coating should be compatible with the thermal ribbon wax or resin based inks and must be smooth and uniform for good ribbon contact and uniform heat application.
A peelable, uncrosslinked film layer is used in all three of the above embodiments to provide permanent bonding to the fabric after application of heat and pressure. The thickness of the film should be sufficient so that it can be handled after printing and peeling it from the backing without being stretched or torn. However, if the film is too thick or stiff, it will impart too much stiffness to the fabric after it is transferred. A film thickness of from about 0.8 to about 3 mils meets these requirements, while film thicknesses of from about 1.2 to about 2.5 mils are preferred. Many types of polymeric films can serve as the bonding layer. This includes polyolefins, copolymers of olefins and other monomers such as vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylic esters, styrene and others. Other types of polymers which form films useful for this include polyamides, polyesters, and polyurethanes.
The interior peelable layer of the heat transfer material of the present invention may comprise any material capable of melting and conforming to the surface of a substrate to be coated. In order to melt and bond sufficiently, the interior peelable layer desirably has a melt flow index of less than about 800 as determined using ASTM D1238-82. Desirably, the peelable layer also has a melting temperature and/or a softening temperature of less than about 400° F. As used herein, “melting temperature” and “softening temperature” are used to refer to the temperature at which the peelable layer melts and/or flows under conditions of shear. More desirably, the peelable layer has a melt flow index of from about 0.5 to about 800, and a softening temperature of from about 150° F. to about 300° F. Even more desirably, the peelable layer has a melt flow index of from about 2 to about 600, and a softening temperature of from about 200° F. to about 250° F.
The release coating can be fabricated from a wide variety of materials well known in the art of making peelable labels, masking tapes, etc. For example, silicone polymers are very useful and well known. In addition, many types of lattices such as acrylics, polyvinylacetates, polystyrenes, polyvinyl alcohols, polyurethanes, polyvinychlorides, as well as many copolymer lattices such as ethylene-vinylacetate copolymers, acrylic copolymers, vinyl chloride-acrylics, vinylacetate acrylics, etc. can be used. In some cases, it may be helpful to add release agents to the release coatings such as soaps, detergents, silicones etc., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,179. The amounts of such release agents can then be adjusted to obtain the desired release.
If desired, the release coating layer may contain other additives, such as processing aids, release agents, pigments, deglossing agents, antifoam agents, rheology control agents and the like. The thickness of the release coatings is not critical. In order to function correctly, the bonding between the film and the release coating should be such that about 0.1 to 0.3 pounds per inch of force is required to remove the film from the backing. If the force is too great, the film may tear when it is removed, or it may stretch and distort. If it is too small, the film may detach in processing the material into sheets or in the printer.
The release coating layer may have a layer thickness, which varies considerably depending upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, the substrate to be coated, and the film to be temporarily bonded to it. Typically, the release coating layer has a thickness of less than about 2 mil. (52 microns). More desirably, the release coating layer has a thickness of from about 0.1 mil. to about 1.0 mil. Even more desirably, the release coating layer has a thickness of from about 0.2 mil. to about 0.8 mil.
The thickness of the release coating layer may also be described in terms of a basis weight. Desirably, the release coating layer has a basis weight of less than about 12 lb./144 yd2 (45 gsm). More desirably, the release coating layer has a basis weight of from about 6.0 lb./144 yd2 (22.5 gsm) to about 0.6 lb./144 yd2 (2.2 gsm). Even more desirably, the release coating layer has a basis weight of from about 4.0 lb./144 yd2 (15 gsm) to about 1.0 lb./144 yd2 (3.8 gsm).
Many types of coating application methods can be used to apply the coatings of this invention. The release coating can be applied using roll coating, spray coating, a Meyer rod coating process, a gravure roll coating process, as a solvent based solution, or a water based emulsion or dispersion using conventional coating techniques. The same types of coating techniques can be used for the crosslinked, opaque coating and for the crosslinked, printable coating. These methods could also be used for the peelable film coating, but extrusion coating is preferred since it is a very convenient and accurate method of applying relatively thick films of thermoplastic polymers. However, extrusion coating would not be suitable for application of the crosslinked, printable coating or the crosslinked, opaque coating, since crosslinkable polymers generally cannot be melt extruded.
In addition to the layers described above, the heat transfer material comprises a base substrate. The exact composition, thickness or weight of the base is not critical to the transfer process since the base substrate is removed before the image is applied. Thus, it may be adapted for various printing processes included in the above discussion. Some examples of possible base substrates include cellulosic nonwoven webs and polymeric films. Generally, a paper backing of about 4 mils thickness is suitable for most applications. For example, the paper may be the type used in familiar office printers or copiers, such as Kimberly Clark Neenah Paper's Avon White Classic Crest, 24 lb per 1300 sq ft. A number of different types of paper are suitable for the present invention including, but not limited to, common litho label paper, bond paper, and latex saturated papers.
The present invention is also directed to a method of making a printable heat transfer material. The method comprises taking a substrate layer, applying a release coating layer onto the substrate layer, applying a peelable film coating onto the release coating layer, and then applying a layer of crosslinkable polymer. The crosslinkable polymer may be selected from a crosslinkable opaque layer, a crosslinkable printable layer, or a crosslinkable opaque layer and a crosslinkable printable layer. In one embodiment of the present invention, one or more of the above-described coating compositions are applied to the substrate layer by known coating techniques, such as by solution, roll, blade, and air-knife coating procedures. Each individual coating may be subsequently dried by any drying means known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Suitable drying means include, but are not limited to, steam-heated drums, air impingement, radiant heating, or a combination thereof. Any extrusion coating techniques, well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, may be used in the present invention.
The present invention is further directed to a method of transfer coating a substrate using the above-described heat transfer material. The method comprises printing the top surface (print coat), then peeling the printed film from the backing, placing the printed film on a fabric or other surface, applying a release paper over the film, applying heat and pressure to the release paper, allowing the material to cool and removing the release paper after cooling. The temperature if one uses a heat press, is from about 250° F. to about 400° F., with 300° F. to 350° F. being preferred.
The present invention is further described by the examples which follow. Such examples, however, are not to be construed as limiting in any way either the spirit or scope of the present invention. In the examples, all parts are parts by weight unless stated otherwise.
Multiple transfers were performed using a variety of heat transfer materials. Each heat transfer material contained one or more of the following layers: base substrate; release coating layer; peelable layer; crosslinked opaque layer; and crosslinked printable layer. A detailed description of each layer follows.
The coatings free of suspended particulate, such as some of the release coatings, were made to the desired composition and solids content by mixing the components together with water. Coatings containing polymeric powders or plasticizers were dispersed by putting the entire coating through a colloid mill.
The samples prepared and tested consisted of a paper, release coat, film and several coatings. The paper used as the substrate for all the examples was Kimberly Clark Neenah Paper 24# Avon White Classic Crest, super smooth. The release coating was Rhoplex SP 100 with 50 dry parts ultra white 90 clay at 2.7 lb per 1300 sq. ft. The release coated paper was prepared as a pilot roll and decurled with steam before use. Two types of film were used. Film (F-1) was Nucrel 599, 1.8 mils thick. Film (F-2) was a blend of 70% Surlyn 1702 and 30% Ampacet 11200, a TiO2 concentrate in ethylene-methacrylic acid resin. Two opaque layers were tried:
(O-1) This was a mixture of Michem Prime 4990 (100 dry parts) TiO2 dispersion (50 dry parts) and Tergitol 15S40 surfactant (2 dry parts). The solids content was about 40%.
(O-2) was simply (O-1) with 2.5 dry parts of XAMA 7 added. XAMA 7 is a polyfunctional aziridine crosslinking agent available from Sybron Chemical Co., Birmingham, N.J. Ammonia was added to the (O-2) coating to ensure that the pH was at least 9.
Nucrel 599 and Surlyn 1702 were obtained from Dupont, Wilmington, Del. Ampacet 11200 was obtained from Ampacet Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio. Michem Prime 4990 is an ethylene-acrylic acid resin dispersion from Michleman Chemical, Cincinnati, Ohio. The titanium dioxide slurry used was Ti-Pure RPS Vantage dispersion from Dupont, Wilmington, Del. Tergitol 15S40 is a surfactant from Union Carbide, Danbury, Conn.
Ink jet print coating (J-1) was as in Table I below:
Ink jet printing coating J-1 was mixed, then milled in a colloid mill using a 1 mil gap to disperse the powdered polymers. The cationic polymers Lupasol 5C86X and Alcostat 167 were diluted with water and added with good mixing to prevent lumping.
Orgasol 3501 EXD is a powdered polyamide from Atofina, Philadelphia, Pa. Klucel L is a hydroxypropyl cellulose from Hercules. It was dissolved in water and added as a 5% solution. Lupasol 5C86X is a solution of an epichlorohydrin treated polyethylamine from BASF, Mount Olive, N.J. Alcostat 167 is a solution of polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride from Allied Colloids, Suffolk, Va.
Ink jet coating (J-2) was simply J-1 with 1.2 dry parts of XAMA 7 per 100 dry parts Orgasol 3500 EXD added. Ink jet coating (J-3) was similar to (J-1) with 2.5 dry parts of XAMA 7 added.
As indicated above, the coating weight of the release coat was 2.7 lb per 1300 sq. ft. Films (F1) and (F2) were both 1.8 mils thick. The opaque coatings were applied at approximately 5 lb. per 1300 sq. ft. The ink jet coatings (J1), (J2) and (J3) were applied at approximately 4.5 lb per 1300 sq. ft. The following table (Table II) summarizes the samples prepared.
Sample S-8 peeled, transferred to a black T-shirt fabric, and washed well but was stiff, as were all the others. They all transferred well both at 300° F. and 350° F. using a heat press and silicone release paper. Samples S-1 and S-2 were transferred to white T-shirt material. S-3 through S-9 were transferred to black T-shirt material. S-1 had a “washed out” image appearance, worse when transferred at 350° F., S-2 was very bright. S-3 had dark colors, but light areas were dark and blotchy. S-4 and S-5 had “chalky” colors. The white areas of S-4 turned gray but those on S-5 were very white. Samples S-6 and S-7 both gave good images, with S-7 being not quite as bright. S-9 was very similar to S-7. All samples washed with little change after five washes, but the films did crack if the fabric was stretched excessively
The crosslinked coatings used with the films give prints (transfers to fabrics) which are bright and wash with little fading. Opacity and whiteness are lost when the opaque coating is not crosslinked. The images had a washed out appearance if the layer they were printed on was not crosslinked, since the image penetrated into either the opaque layer or the fabric.
A series of base papers; release coatings, films, opaque coatings and print coatings were prepared to determine if the cracking of the transferred images after washing could be eliminated. The base papers, release coatings, films, base coatings and print coatings are listed in Tables III to VII below.
The completed heat transfer designs were printed, transferred face up to a fabric, and the fabric was washed five times. The ink jet printable designs were printed in a multi-color test print with either a Hewlett Packard 895 or a Hewlett Packard 970 desktop printer. The laser color copier designs were imprinted with a multi colored test pattern by copying them on a Canon 700 laser color copier. A silicone coated release paper from Brownbridge was used for the transfers, which were done face up with a Hotronix heat press from Stahls, Masontown, Pa. The pressure was at a setting of six, with a temperature of 350° F. for 30 seconds. Black, 100% cotton, T-shirt material was used for the designs with the opaque coatings. Those having no opaque coatings were applied to white, 100% cotton, T-shirt material. Both the white and the black materials were taken from Hanes “Beefy T” T-shirts. Washing was done with a commercial washing machine, a Unimat 18 from Unimac, Marianna, Fla. A setting of 4 (for medium soil, colors) was used, with a half tablespoon of Tide detergent. Some samples were dried between washings, as indicated in the “results” tables. The drier used for these samples was a Kenmore, Heavy Duty, Extra Large Capacity model from Sears.
In the tables below, Table III describes the base papers, Table IV the release coatings, Table V the films, Table VI the opaque coatings, and Table VII the print coatings for ink jet printable designs. Table VIII gives the print coatings for the laser color copier designs. Table IX gives the design information for the ink jet printable designs and Table X gives the design information for the laser color copier designs. Table XI gives the wash test results for the ink jet printable designs and Table XII gives the wash test results for the laser color copier designs. All coatings but the films were applied using Meyer rod techniques, using rod sizes between 10 and 20 for release coatings and sizes between 20 and 50 for all other coatings, and dried in a forced air oven. The ink jet print coatings were dried at 85° F. and the others were dried at about 225° F., but the drying temperature was not considered to be critical for any coatings but the ink jet printable coatings. Corona treatment was applied to the release coated paper prior to coating and was adjusted to obtain the required adhesion and peel adhesion strength of the films. The optimal adhesion peel strength of the films was considered to be about 25 grams per inch, as determined in a 180 degree peel test at a separation speed of 300 millimeters per minute. In some cases, the peel adhesion was too high. This is indicated in the tables.
While the specification has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to these embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be assessed as that of the appended claims and any equivalents thereto.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/244,440, filed Oct. 31, 2000 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/244,859, filed Nov. 1, 2000.
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