Patent ID: 6362132
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: B41M,Y10T

Abstract:
A dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon at least one dye layer area comprising an image dye in a binder and another area comprising a transferable protection layer, said transferable protection layer area being approximately equal in size to said dye layer area, wherein said transferable protection layer contains inorganic particles, a polymeric binder and unexpanded synthetic thermoplastic polymeric microspheres, said microspheres having a particle size in the unexpanded condition of from about 5 to about 20 &mgr;m, and which expand to about 20 to about 120 &mgr;m upon application of heat during transfer of said protection layer to an image-receiving layer to provide a matte surface thereon, said microspheres comprising a mixture of low softening point microspheres and high softening point microspheres, said low softening point microspheres having a softening point less than about 105Â° C., said high softening point microspheres having softening point greater than about 110Â° C., and the ratio of said low softening point microspheres to said high softening point microspheres being from about 9:1 to about 1:6.