Patent ID: 6460992
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: B32B,B41J,B41M,D06P

Abstract:
A method of printing a selected pattern onto a textile material comprising the steps:providing a transfer sheet including a coating of a first ink component including an ink thickener; providing a supply of a second ink component containing a selected dye and a selected solvent in which the thickener is soluble at room temperature, the thickener and second ink component comprising a set of initial ink components, substantially all of the ink thickener in the set of initial ink components being included on the transfer sheet, such that the second ink component contains essentially no thickener; positioning the transfer sheet adjacent an ink jet printing apparatus; operating the ink jet printing apparatus to emit the second ink component onto the transfer sheet to form a thickened resulting ink in the selected pattern on the transfer sheet; and applying the transfer sheet to the textile material to transfer at least a portion of thickener and at least a portion of the second ink component to the textile material, and wherein at least substantially all of the ink thickener transferred to the textile material is derived from the transfer sheet coating.