Patent ID: 7235513

Claim:
A thermal transfer dye-donor element comprising a thermal transfer dye-donor layer and a substrate, wherein the thermal transfer dye-donor layer comprises a transferable dye and a binder, wherein the binder comprises an hydroxyalkanoic acid polyester having a Tg less than 25° C. and a co-binder that is not a polyester, wherein the hydroxyalkanoic acid polyester has the following formula: wherein each R is independently selected from an alkyl or alkylene oxide group of from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein each alkyl group can be linear, branched, or cyclic; each R′ is independently selected from a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group or substituted alkyl group of from 1 to 24 carbon atoms; wherein R or R′ can be substituted; and wherein n is an integer selected so that the hydroxyalkanoic acid polyester has a polystyrene equivalent weight average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 500,000 wherein the binder comprises hydroxyalkanoic acid polyester in an amount of from 7% to less than 80% of the total amount of binder.