Patent ID: 7220705

Claim:
A method of applying a sublimation dye image to a receptor element, which comprises the steps of: (i) imaging a transfer sheet with sublimation dyes, wherein said transfer sheet comprises, in the following order: (a) a support, (b) a barrier layer capable of releasing a polyester layer in the absence of water, chemicals or heat, (c) a polyester layer capable of being released from said barrier layer in the absence of water, chemicals or heat, said polyester being optionally imaged with sublimation dyes, and (d) an optional sublimation dye receiving layer which is present in the case where the polyester is not imaged with sublimation dyes, and; (ii) peeling by physically separating in the absence of water, chemicals or heat the imaged polyester layer, or the polyester and the imaged optional sublimation dye receiving layer from the barrier layer, (iii) placing the peeled and imaged polyester layer or the polyester and the imaged optional sublimation dye receiving layer onto a receiving element, (iv) optionally placing a non-stick sheet onto the peeled imaged polyester layer or onto the polyester and the imaged optional sublimation dye receiving layer, (v) applying heat energy to the optional non-stick sheet or directly to the image bearing side of the receptor element to drive the polyester and sublimation dye image into said receptor element, wherein said sublimation dyes sublimate and penetrate into said polyester layer and adhere to said receptor element without an external adhesive layer; and removing said optional non-stick sheet, when present, from said receptor element wherein the sublimation dye image-containing polyester layer is embedded in said receptor element.