Thermal Transfer Recording Sheet Set for Balanced Color Fading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermal transfer recording technologies face challenges in achieving balanced fading of colors, particularly when mixing yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes, resulting in color imbalances in printed images, such as reddish or yellowish blacks due to differences in light resistance.
Innovation Solution
A thermal transfer recording sheet set comprising a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet with specific compounds and a thermal transfer recording ink sheet containing yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes, where the image-receiving sheet includes compounds represented by general formulae (1) and (2), and the dye layers include compounds represented by general formulae (3) to (9), ensuring balanced image formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dyes having high light resistance when used alone are used, then light resistance of individual colors is improved, but color balance deteriorates when colors are mixed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully selecting specific chemical structures for yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes (formulas 3-9) with optimized molecular parameters. The dye structures include specific substituents (R9-R32 representing alkyl or aryl groups) and chromophore arrangements that control light absorption characteristics. By adjusting these molecular parameters, the patent achieves dyes with balanced light resistance across all three colors, preventing color imbalance while maintaining high light resistance for each individual dye.
2Ease of manufacture
If thermal transfer recording is performed by superimposing yellow, magenta, and cyan, then color image formation is achieved, but catalytic fading occurs between dyes causing poor imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by formulating a multi-layer ink sheet structure where yellow, magenta, and cyan dye layers are composite materials containing specific dye compounds combined with binders and additives. Each layer (formulas 3-9) is a composite that maintains dye stability during thermal transfer. The composite structure prevents catalytic fading between different dye types while enabling successful color image formation through superimposition, achieving both ease of manufacture and reliable color balance.
3Ease of operation
If conventional dyes are used in thermal transfer recording, then simple printing process is achieved, but image quality deteriorates due to color fading imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing the chemical composition of each individual dye layer (yellow, magenta, cyan) with specific molecular structures (formulas 3-9). Each layer has locally optimized properties including specific substituents (R9-R32 groups) and chromophore configurations that control fading characteristics. This local optimization of each color layer ensures that when printed using a simple thermal transfer process, the resulting image maintains high quality with balanced color fading across all regions and colors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the formation of images with improved color balance and reduced color fading, achieving good imbalance by optimizing the light resistance and absorption properties of the dyes, resulting in enhanced image quality.
Implementation Method 1
thermal transfer recording is an image forming method in which by heating a thermal transfer recording ink sheet including a coloring material layer containing a thermally migratable coloring material while the thermal transfer recording ink sheet is placed on a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet having a surface on which a coloring material image-receiving layer is disposed, the coloring material supported on the ink sheet is transferred onto the image-receiving sheet
Implementation Method 2
The yellow dye contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by general formulae (3) to (6) below. The cyan dye contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by general formulae (7) to (9) below
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal transfer recording sheet set includes an image-receiving sheet that includes an image-receiving layer containing a compound represented by general formula (1) or (2) and an ink sheet that includes a yellow coloring material layer containing a particular dye and a cyan coloring material layer containing a particular dye.