Claims
- 1. A method of obtaining a protective undercoat on a transparent medium, comprising:applying an uncut protective undercoat material to the undersurface of the transparent medium, the transparent medium being supported by a base, the uncut protective undercoat material being applied by heat and pressure uniformly to a section of a carrier side or a donor web having a carrier side and a transfer side, the carrier side comprising carrier ribbon material and the transfer side comprising the uncut protective undercoat material, the donor web unrolled from a source roll upstream and taken up by a takeup roll downstream, the source roll and takeup roll tensioning the donor web, and torque from the takeup roll pulling the donor web to release the section of undercoat material adhering to the undersurface of the transparent medium from the carrier ribbon material; and wherein the released section, defined by edges where the heat and pressure are applied, is cleanly separated at the edges from the carrier ribbon material without trimming; and wherein at least a portion of an exterior surface of the base comprises a surface material resistant to undercoat material adhering to the exterior surface.
- 2. An apparatus comprising:a donor web having a carrier side comprising carrier ribbon material and a transfer side comprising uncut protective undercoat material, the transfer side applied as an uncut protective undercoat material to a surface of a transparent medium, the donor web being unrolled from a source roll upstream and taken up by a takeup roll downstream, the source roll and takeup roll tensioning the donor web, and torque from the takeup roll pulling the donor web to release the undercoat material adhering to the surface of the transparent medium from the carrier ribbon material, a heating/pressure element to apply the undercoat material to the undersurface of the transparent medium, the heating/pressure element comprising either a surface with a size and shape equivalent to the surface of the transparent medium or at least one heat roller applying heat and force to the whole area of the surface of the transparent medium, the heating pressure element surface or roller applying heat and pressure uniformly to the donor web, the heat and pressure going through the transfer side of the donor web to adhere a section of the undercoat material to the undersurface of the transparent medium, the section of the undercoat material being positioned against the undersurface of the transparent medium and the transparent medium being supported by a base; and wherein the released section, defined by edges where the heat and pressure are applied, is cleanly separated at the edges from the carrier ribbon without trimming; and wherein at least a portion of an exterior of the base comprises a surface material resistant to the undercoat material adhering to the exterior surface.
- 3. A method of obtaining a protective undercoat on an inkjet printed surface of a transparent medium, comprising:applying an uncut protective undercoat material to the inkjet printed undersurface of the transparent medium, the undersurface comprising at least one inkjet ink printed image and the transparent medium being supported by a base, the uncut protective undercoat material being applied by heat and pressure uniformly to a section of a carrier side of a donor web having a carrier side and a transfer side, the carrier side comprising carrier ribbon material and the transfer side comprising the uncut protective undercoat material, the donor web unrolled from a source roll upstream and taken up by a takeup roll downstream, the source roll and takeup roll tensioning the donor web, and torque from the takeup roll pulling the donor web to release the section of undercoat material adhering to the undersuface of the transparent medium from the carrier ribbon material; and wherein the released section, defined by edges where the heat and pressure are applied, is cleanly separated at the edges from the carrier ribbon material without trimming; and wherein at least a portion of an exterior surface of the base comprises a surface material resistant to undercoat material adhering to the exterior surface.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one inkjet ink printed image is printed with water-based ink.
- 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one inkjet ink printed image is printed with ink selected from the group consisting of dye-based ink and pigment-based ink.
- 6. The method of claim 3, wherein excess moisture from the at least one inkjet printed image dissipates through the section of undercoat material.
- 7. The method of claim 3, wherein, before applying the uncut protective undercoat material to the inkjet printed undersurface of the transparent medium, the at least one inkjet ink printed image on the undersurface is dried with a drier selected from the group consisting of a radiative heating apparatus, a conductive heating apparatus, a convective blowing apparatus, an infrared apparatus, an infrared radiative heating element, an ultraviolet apparatus and a microwave apparatus.
- 8. An apparatus comprising:a donor web having a carrier side comprising carrier ribbon material and a transfer side comprising uncut protective undercoat material, the transfer side applied as an uncut protective undercoat material to an inkjet printed undersurface of a transparent medium, the donor web being unrolled from a source roll upstream and taken up by a takeup roll downstream, the source roll and takeup roll tensioning the donor web, and torque from the takeup roll pulling the donor web to release the undercoat material adhering to the inkjet printed surface of the transparent medium from the carrier ribbon material, a heating/pressure element to apply the undercoat material to the inkjet printed undersurface of the transparent medium, the heating/pressure element comprising either a surface with a size and shape equivalent to the surface of transparent medium or at least one heat roller applying heat and force to the whole area of the surface of the transparent medium, the heating/pressure element surface or roller applying heat and pressure uniformly to the donor web, the heat and pressure going through the transfer side of the donor web to adhere a section of the undercoat material to the inkjet printed undersurface of the transparent medium, the section of the undercoat material being positioned against the undersurface of the transparent medium and the transparent medium being supported by a base; and wherein the released section, defined by edges where the heat and pressure are applied, is cleanly separated at the edges from the carrier ribbon without trimming; and wherein at least a portion of an exterior surface of the base comprises a surface material resistant to the undercoat material adhering to the exterior surface.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one inkjet ink printed image is printed with water-based ink.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one inkjet ink printed image is printed with ink selected from the group consisting of dye-band ink and pigment-based ink.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein excess moisture from the at least one inkjet printed image dissipates through the section of undercoat material.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, before applying the uncut protective undercoat material to the inkjet printed surface of the transparent medium, the at least one inkjet ink printed image on the undersurface is dried with a drier selected from the group consisting of a radiative heating apparatus, a conductive heating apparatus a convective blowing apparatus, an infrared apparatus, an infrared radiative heating element, an ultraviolet apparatus and a microwave apparatus.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of application No. 09/630,318 filed on Jul. 31, 2000 now abandoned, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
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