WO2000063020A1 - Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing on substrates - Google Patents
Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing on substrates Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2000063020A1 WO2000063020A1 PCT/US2000/010137 US0010137W WO0063020A1 WO 2000063020 A1 WO2000063020 A1 WO 2000063020A1 US 0010137 W US0010137 W US 0010137W WO 0063020 A1 WO0063020 A1 WO 0063020A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- printhead
- substrate
- dye
- disc
- thermal transfer
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
- B41J3/407—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
- B41J3/4071—Printing on disk-shaped media, e.g. CDs
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/315—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material
- B41J2/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads
- B41J2/35—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads providing current or voltage to the thermal head
- B41J2/355—Control circuits for heating-element selection
- B41J2/36—Print density control
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2202/00—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet or thermal heads
- B41J2202/30—Embodiments of or processes related to thermal heads
- B41J2202/36—Thermal printing on disk-shaped medium
Definitions
- CD-R CD Recordable
- CD-RW CD Read Write
- DVDRW Digital Video Disc Read Write
- other technologies are allowing the recording of data onto compact discs, mini compact discs and other optical storage media.
- the ability to create and record individual compact discs has created a need for an efficient process to print information onto discs as well .
- wax-resin thermal transfer printer Two different types have been introduced which overcome the problems with attaching a label to a disc.
- a thermally activated printhead is used to selectively apply heat and pressure to a carrier ribbon sandwiched between the disc and the printhead.
- the ribbon has a thin coating of colored wax-resin which bonds to the surface of the compact disc and creates an image.
- the wax resin coating is available in different colors for color printing. If more color variability is desired, a dithering process is combined with the primary colors to create the illusion of more colors.
- the wax resin is somewhat durable but it can be scratched from the disc surface.
- Ink jet printing utilizes a printhead which sprays small droplets of ink onto a specially coated disc surface. Like wax resin thermal transfer, ink jet requires dithering techniques to create different colors .
- D2T2 printing employs a thermal printhead and ribbon like wax resin thermal transfer, but instead of applying the resin in a binary (on or off) fashion, dye diffusion is capable of applying varying shades of each primary color. This allows true color reproduction and true photographic print quality from a digital printing process.
- the present invention combines the photographic reproduction capabilities of D2T2 printing with the capability to print onto a single disc or substrate at a time.
- the result is a product and process that gives true color reproduction with greater durability on a coated compact disc in particular.
- Photographic quality images can be printed on compact discs with higher quality and faster speeds than ink jet printing, with higher quality color depth and better durability than wax-resin thermal transfer printing.
- the present invention uses thermal control of heaters to vary the energy level at selected locations on the printhead length so the dye is diffused into the coating on a disc at different rates.
- the different rates of diffusion can be controlled as the disc is moved under the printhead to provide for true grey scale capability and photographic color output.
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical printer used for the present invention
- Figure 2 is a schematic cross sectional view of the printer and functions
- Figure 3 is a side view of a printhead used i the printer of Figure 1;
- Figure 4 is an enlarged schematic view of a section of the printhead showing individual heaters used in printing.
- FIG. 1 A typical embodiment of the printer 10 is shown in Figure 1, and it includes an outer housing 12, with a tray 14 for carrying a substrate or disc 16, which can be a DVD, a CD, a mini-compact disc, a recordable or read-write CD, or a recordable or read- write DVD.
- the tray is operated to move from a position where the disc can be loaded, to a position where the disc is under the printhead.
- Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the printhead and ribbon assembly shown in Figure 1.
- the printhead 20 is mounted in a suitable manner relative to the printer frame 12, as is known, and includes a row of heat elements 22 that have portions which engage a ribbon 24, and when heated under control of a controller 27 will transfer material from the ribbon 24 onto the disc 16 or other substrate.
- the carrier 14, as shown, is driven in a suitable manner to move the disc in the direction as indicated by the arrow 26.
- the ribbon 24 is provided on a supply roll 28 driven by a motor 28A under control of the center control system or controller 27 and a ribbon takeup roll 30 is driven by a motor 30A also controlled by the central controller 27.
- the disc 16 is coated with a dye receptive coating and the row of heat elements 22 from the printhead will transfer the dye from the ribbon 24 to the coating on the disc 16.
- the heat elements 22 are positioned side by side on the printhead and are individually controlled as to heat output.
- a platen 36 is rotatably mounted on the frame
- the ribbon will be also moved to desired locations so that suitable colors can be applied to the disc.
- Images are created on the disc through the control of the individual heat elements that are shown at 40 in Figure 4, which comprise resistance heaters 42 that are individually controlled from the controller 27, through suitable lines.
- the heaters establish a print line across the disc.
- the individual resistors will provide a heat output that is proportional to the current through the controlled resistor.
- the heat output will selectively apply the imaging compound on the ribbon 24 to specific areas on the substrate or disc 16.
- the individual heat elements or heaters 40 are individually controlled by controlling the power (voltage) to the respective resistors 42. By varying the energy level at each thermal element or heater 40, that is, by controlling the individual resistor 42, the dye from the ribbon 24 is diffused into the coating on the disc at different rates. This control provides a true grey scale capability in results in photographic color output.
- the color "gamma" is increased significantly and a high quality photographic image is created on a compact disc.
- the heaters 40 are controlled by the controller 27 under a program which provides variable energy control in accordance with the heat needed for the proper color of the image.
- the individual heaters 40 extend all across the printhead 20, as shown in Figure 3.
- the controller 27 will be programmed with the appropriate print pattern depending on the image, using known software techniques in a print program 46, so that for a particular color at any particular line of printing, the appropriate resistors 42 will be heated to the desired level.
- the energy level that is provided can be varied between adjacent heaters 40 and across an entire line if desired to provide the appropriate color transfer from the ribbon to the substrate or disc.
- the dye sublimation images will diffuse as a function of the variable energy control to each of the resistors 42, and the program controls for the controller will permit the color printing to be directly applied to the coating on the compact disc.
- Printing techniques that will permit diffusion of colors directly onto the discs, which are generally polycarbonate, can use the same method for obtaining true reproduction of color.
Abstract
A disc substrate (16) is provided with a print receptive coating, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and is moved through a printer (10) to print images from a dye sublimation ribbon (24) onto the disc (16). The printhead (20) has a row of small resistance type heaters (40) along its print line, and the power to the individual heaters (40) is varied to control the heat output and thus the amount of dye that is transferred to the disc (16) to create different shades of color across the disc (16). The heaters (40) are controlled by a central control computer (27) that follows a software print program.
Description
DYE DIFFUSION THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTING ON
SUBSTRATES
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recordable compact disc technology is expanding rapidly. CD-R (CD Recordable) , CD-RW (CD Read Write) , DVDRW (Digital Video Disc Read Write) , and other technologies are allowing the recording of data onto compact discs, mini compact discs and other optical storage media. The ability to create and record individual compact discs has created a need for an efficient process to print information onto discs as well .
When compact discs were mass produced, screen printing was used to decoratively label a large run of compact discs. Screen printing is impractical for single discs or small production runs. Therefore, label applicators, ink jet printers and wax-resin thermal printers have been developed which can print labels onto single compact discs in a more practical manner. Applying a separate label to compact discs may create undesirable imbalances of the disc, especially as the rotational speed of discs is increased to increase data transfer rate. Labeling a disc with a separately applied member is also a time consuming and cumbersome operation.
Two different types of disc printers have been introduced which overcome the problems with attaching a label to a disc. One of these is wax-resin thermal transfer printer. In this process a thermally activated printhead is used to selectively apply heat and pressure to a carrier ribbon sandwiched between the disc and the printhead. The ribbon has a thin coating of colored wax-resin which bonds to the surface of the compact disc
and creates an image. The wax resin coating is available in different colors for color printing. If more color variability is desired, a dithering process is combined with the primary colors to create the illusion of more colors. The wax resin is somewhat durable but it can be scratched from the disc surface. Ink jet printing utilizes a printhead which sprays small droplets of ink onto a specially coated disc surface. Like wax resin thermal transfer, ink jet requires dithering techniques to create different colors .
A printing method which provides true color reproduction has been developed and implemented in other applications, namely dye diffusion thermal transfer printing (D2T2) . D2T2 printing employs a thermal printhead and ribbon like wax resin thermal transfer, but instead of applying the resin in a binary (on or off) fashion, dye diffusion is capable of applying varying shades of each primary color. This allows true color reproduction and true photographic print quality from a digital printing process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention combines the photographic reproduction capabilities of D2T2 printing with the capability to print onto a single disc or substrate at a time. The result is a product and process that gives true color reproduction with greater durability on a coated compact disc in particular. Photographic quality images can be printed on compact discs with higher quality and faster speeds than ink jet printing, with higher quality color depth and better durability than wax-resin thermal transfer printing.
The present invention uses thermal control of heaters to vary the energy level at selected locations
on the printhead length so the dye is diffused into the coating on a disc at different rates. The different rates of diffusion can be controlled as the disc is moved under the printhead to provide for true grey scale capability and photographic color output.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical printer used for the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic cross sectional view of the printer and functions;
Figure 3 is a side view of a printhead used i the printer of Figure 1; and
Figure 4 is an enlarged schematic view of a section of the printhead showing individual heaters used in printing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS A typical embodiment of the printer 10 is shown in Figure 1, and it includes an outer housing 12, with a tray 14 for carrying a substrate or disc 16, which can be a DVD, a CD, a mini-compact disc, a recordable or read-write CD, or a recordable or read- write DVD. The tray is operated to move from a position where the disc can be loaded, to a position where the disc is under the printhead. Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the printhead and ribbon assembly shown in Figure 1. The printhead 20 is mounted in a suitable manner relative to the printer frame 12, as is known, and includes a row of heat elements 22 that have portions which engage a ribbon 24, and when heated under control of a controller 27 will transfer material from the ribbon 24 onto the disc 16 or other substrate. The carrier 14, as shown, is driven in a suitable manner to move the disc in the direction as indicated by the arrow 26. The ribbon 24 is provided on a supply roll 28
driven by a motor 28A under control of the center control system or controller 27 and a ribbon takeup roll 30 is driven by a motor 30A also controlled by the central controller 27. The disc 16 is coated with a dye receptive coating and the row of heat elements 22 from the printhead will transfer the dye from the ribbon 24 to the coating on the disc 16. The heat elements 22 are positioned side by side on the printhead and are individually controlled as to heat output. A platen 36 is rotatably mounted on the frame
12, and is driven with a motor 38 to provide a load to urging the carrier 14 and the disc 16 against the ribbon, and then against the printhead with the desired force. The platen creates an intimate contact between the printhead, ribbon and disc.
As the disc moves, the ribbon will be also moved to desired locations so that suitable colors can be applied to the disc.
Images are created on the disc through the control of the individual heat elements that are shown at 40 in Figure 4, which comprise resistance heaters 42 that are individually controlled from the controller 27, through suitable lines. The heaters establish a print line across the disc. The individual resistors will provide a heat output that is proportional to the current through the controlled resistor. The heat output will selectively apply the imaging compound on the ribbon 24 to specific areas on the substrate or disc 16. The individual heat elements or heaters 40 are individually controlled by controlling the power (voltage) to the respective resistors 42. By varying the energy level at each thermal element or heater 40, that is, by controlling the individual resistor 42, the dye from the ribbon 24
is diffused into the coating on the disc at different rates. This control provides a true grey scale capability in results in photographic color output. By combining variable levels of the primary colors (yellow, magenta and cyan) , the color "gamma" is increased significantly and a high quality photographic image is created on a compact disc. The heaters 40 are controlled by the controller 27 under a program which provides variable energy control in accordance with the heat needed for the proper color of the image. The individual heaters 40 extend all across the printhead 20, as shown in Figure 3.
The controller 27 will be programmed with the appropriate print pattern depending on the image, using known software techniques in a print program 46, so that for a particular color at any particular line of printing, the appropriate resistors 42 will be heated to the desired level. The energy level that is provided can be varied between adjacent heaters 40 and across an entire line if desired to provide the appropriate color transfer from the ribbon to the substrate or disc.
The dye sublimation images will diffuse as a function of the variable energy control to each of the resistors 42, and the program controls for the controller will permit the color printing to be directly applied to the coating on the compact disc. Printing techniques that will permit diffusion of colors directly onto the discs, which are generally polycarbonate, can use the same method for obtaining true reproduction of color.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes
may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A method of producing a dye sublimation image on a substrate, having a dye receptive surface, comprising moving a substrate relative to a thermal printhead, providing a ribbon between the thermal printhead and the substrate, heating selected small segments of the printhead to cause transfer of selected amounts of dye from the ribbon on a line across the ribbon to the substrate, varying the energy to the selected small segments to create a variable color tone along the printhead.
2. The method of claim 1, including controlling individual resistive elements comprising the small segments as the substrate advances under the printhead.
3. The method of claim 1, including providing a force to urge the substrate against the printhead and into intimate contact with the ribbon, as backed by the printhead.
4. The method of claim 2, including controlling the sensitive elements in accordance with a selected program to provide shading of the dye on the substrate .
5. A dye diffusion thermal transfer printer comprising a printhead, a platen, said platen being positioned relative to the printhead to support a substrate for movement past the printhead, a dye diffusion ribbon between the printhead and the substrate, said printhead having heating element along a length of the printhead for printing a line, and a controller to control individually each of the print elements to control the heat generated by the respective print elements individually.
6. The dye diffusion thermal transfer printer of claim 5, wherein said individual heat elements comprise individual resistors.
7. The dye diffusion thermal transfer printer of claim 6, wherein said controller controls power to the individual resistors.
8. The dye diffusion thermal transfer printer of claim 5, wherein the individual heat elements comprise resistors, and the controller controls voltage applied to the resistors.
9. The dye diffusion thermal transfer printer of claim 6, wherein said substrate comprises a disc shaped substrate .
10. The dye diffusion thermal transfer printer of claim 10, wherein said disc comprises a compact disc.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU42449/00A AU4244900A (en) | 1999-04-16 | 2000-04-13 | Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing on substrates |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12979999P | 1999-04-16 | 1999-04-16 | |
US60/129,799 | 1999-04-16 | ||
US54235100A | 2000-04-04 | 2000-04-04 | |
US09/542,351 | 2000-04-04 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2000063020A1 true WO2000063020A1 (en) | 2000-10-26 |
Family
ID=26827926
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2000/010137 WO2000063020A1 (en) | 1999-04-16 | 2000-04-13 | Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing on substrates |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU4244900A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2000063020A1 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1264698A2 (en) * | 2001-06-07 | 2002-12-11 | Alps Electric Co., Ltd. | Intermediate transfer recording apparatus for retransferring primary transfer image on disk-like transfer medium |
WO2003093020A1 (en) * | 2002-04-29 | 2003-11-13 | Rimage Corporation | Thermal printer element tester |
US6778201B2 (en) * | 2002-05-09 | 2004-08-17 | Rimage Corporation | Monitoring consumption of print ribbon for printers |
EP1647409A3 (en) * | 2004-10-13 | 2007-01-03 | Casio Computer Co., Ltd. | Printing apparatus |
US7891894B2 (en) | 2005-09-29 | 2011-02-22 | Casio Computer Co., Ltd. | Printer |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5633670A (en) * | 1993-04-29 | 1997-05-27 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Thermal printing apparatus and method thereof |
GB2320912A (en) * | 1997-01-07 | 1998-07-08 | Eastman Kodak Co | Printing on compact discs |
US5796420A (en) * | 1993-05-28 | 1998-08-18 | Agfa-Gevaert | Method for correcting across-the-head uneveness in a thermal printing system |
US5797688A (en) * | 1997-01-07 | 1998-08-25 | Eastman Kodak Company | Thermal dye transfer printing of compact disc labels including a circular recessed carrier |
-
2000
- 2000-04-13 WO PCT/US2000/010137 patent/WO2000063020A1/en active Application Filing
- 2000-04-13 AU AU42449/00A patent/AU4244900A/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5633670A (en) * | 1993-04-29 | 1997-05-27 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Thermal printing apparatus and method thereof |
US5796420A (en) * | 1993-05-28 | 1998-08-18 | Agfa-Gevaert | Method for correcting across-the-head uneveness in a thermal printing system |
GB2320912A (en) * | 1997-01-07 | 1998-07-08 | Eastman Kodak Co | Printing on compact discs |
US5797688A (en) * | 1997-01-07 | 1998-08-25 | Eastman Kodak Company | Thermal dye transfer printing of compact disc labels including a circular recessed carrier |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1264698A2 (en) * | 2001-06-07 | 2002-12-11 | Alps Electric Co., Ltd. | Intermediate transfer recording apparatus for retransferring primary transfer image on disk-like transfer medium |
EP1264698A3 (en) * | 2001-06-07 | 2003-10-29 | Alps Electric Co., Ltd. | Intermediate transfer recording apparatus for retransferring primary transfer image on disk-like transfer medium |
WO2003093020A1 (en) * | 2002-04-29 | 2003-11-13 | Rimage Corporation | Thermal printer element tester |
US6760053B2 (en) | 2002-04-29 | 2004-07-06 | Rimage Corporation | Thermal printer element tester |
US6778201B2 (en) * | 2002-05-09 | 2004-08-17 | Rimage Corporation | Monitoring consumption of print ribbon for printers |
EP1647409A3 (en) * | 2004-10-13 | 2007-01-03 | Casio Computer Co., Ltd. | Printing apparatus |
US7513706B2 (en) | 2004-10-13 | 2009-04-07 | Casio Computer Co., Ltd. | Printing apparatus |
CN1760033B (en) * | 2004-10-13 | 2010-12-15 | 卡西欧计算机株式会社 | Printing apparatus |
US7891894B2 (en) | 2005-09-29 | 2011-02-22 | Casio Computer Co., Ltd. | Printer |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU4244900A (en) | 2000-11-02 |
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