Patent ID: 7408563

Claim:
A multicolor thermal imaging method comprising: (a) providing a thermal imaging member comprising at least a first image-forming composition having a first activating temperature (Ta 1 ) and second image-forming composition having a second activating temperature (Ta 2 ), each of said first and said second image-forming compositions being capable of forming an image of a different color from the other; (b) applying heat to a particular region of a particular layer of said thermal imaging member to form an image in said second image-forming composition while said first image-forming composition is at a first baseline temperature (T 1 ); and (c) applying heat to a said particular region of said particular layer of said thermal imaging member to form an image in said first image-forming composition while said first image-forming composition is at a second baseline temperature (T 2 ); wherein T 1 and T 2 differ from each other by at least about 5° C.; whereby an image of more than one color is formed in said thermal imaging member.