Patent ID: 8002938

Claim:
A process for obtaining an image-bearing laminate, the process comprising the steps: (a) providing a first thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet having a roughened polyvinyl butyral interlayer surface, the surface having a roughness (R z ) of from about 30 μm to about 60 μm and a Frequency of greater than 0.9 cycles/mm; (b) ink jet printing a digital image, using an organic solvent-based, pigmented ink, onto the roughened surface of the first thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet to obtain an image-bearing thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet; (c) providing a second thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet; (d) placing the second thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet over the image-bearing surface of the first thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet; (e) providing a third thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet; (f) placing the third thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet on the side of first thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheet opposite the image-bearing surface; and (g) laminating the thermoplastic polyvinyl butyral interlayer sheets between two sheets of transparent materials selected from the group consisting of glass or polycarbonate to obtain an image-bearing laminate; wherein: (i) the pigmented ink (A) has a viscosity of in the range of from about 1 cps to about 30 cps measured at 25° C., (B) does not contain a binder, and (C) comprise at least one pigment selected from the group consisting of Pigment Yellow 120; Pigment Yellow 155; Pigment Yellow 128; Pigment Yellow 180; Pigment Yellow 95; Pigment Yellow 93; Pigment Violet 19/Pigment Red 202; Pigment Red 122; Pigment Blue 15:4; Pigment Blue 15:3; and Pigment Black 7; (ii) organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alkylene glycol ether, alkylene glycol ester or mixtures thereof; and (iii) the resulting image-bearing laminate has a laminate adhesive strength of at least about 1500 psi.