Patent ID: 7037398

Claim:
A method of obtaining a transparent protective overcoat on an inkjet printed surface of a medium, comprising: applying an uncut transparent protective overcoat material to the inkjet printed surface of the medium, the surface comprising at least one inkjet ink printed image and the medium being supported by a base, the uncut transparent protective overcoat material being applied by heat and pressure uniformly to a section of a carrier side of a donor web having a carrier side and a transfer side, the carrier side comprising carrier ribbon material and the transfer side comprising the uncut transparent protective overcoat material, the donor web unrolled from a source roll upstream and taken up by a takeup roll downstream, the source roll and takeup roll tensioning the donor web, and torque from the takeup roll pulling the donor web to release the section of transparent overcoat material adhering to the surface of the medium from the carrier ribbon material; and wherein the released section, defined by edges where the heat and pressure are applied, is cleanly separated at the edges from the carrier ribbon material without trimming; and wherein at least a portion of an exterior surface of the base comprises a surface material resistant to transparent overcoat material adhering to the exterior surface; and wherein excess moisture from the at least one inkjet printed image dissipates through the section of transparent overcoat material.