731

5.6 Thermography

5.6.1 Overview of Thermography Direct Thermography. In direct thermography the sub-

Technologies strate is treated with a special coating, which changes its
As explained in figure 5.1-4, the NIP technology of color when subjected to heat. This kind of special paper
thermography can be in the main divided into thermal is often used for applications in fax machines and for
transfer and thermal sublimation. labeling and coding (e.g., bar codes). Machines using
In both processes, the ink is applied to a donor (sheet thermal printing systems (thermal printers) are label
or web) and then transferred to the substrate by the ap- printers or receipt printers. Direct thermal printing will
plication of heat (or, depending on the system, first to not be dealt with in detail here; those processes are de-
an intermediate carrier which subsequently transfers it scribed that are largely independent of the substrate and
to the substrate). where the ink is supplied via the system.
Figure 5.6-1 adds to the illustration in figure 5.1-4 by
sub-dividing thermography into direct thermography Transfer Thermography. In thermal transfer, in con-
and transfer thermography. Transfer thermography is trast to direct thermography, the ink is stored on a
further sub-divided into thermal transfer and thermal donor and is transferred to the substrate by the appli-
sublimation. cation of heat.
Put simply, part of the ink layer is released from the
donor and transferred to the substrate (a large quantity
of ink is transferred). The ink on the donor may be wax
or a special polymer (resin). For this reason thermal
Thermography transfer is sometimes also called “thermal mass transfer.”
In thermal sublimation, on the other hand, the ink is
transferred from the donor to the substrate by diffu-
Direct Thermography Transfer Thermography sion. The heat melts the ink and initiates a diffusion
process onto the paper. This requires a special coating
on the substrate to take on the diffused colorants. The
Thermal Transfer Thermal Sublimation physically and chemically precise term for thermal sub-
limation is “dye diffusion thermal transfer,” which is
shortened to D2T2.
Dye Diffusion Thermal Transfer
Mass/Ink Transfer (D2T2), Sublimation or Ablation Ink Donor. Figure 5.6-2 shows the structure of the ink
donors. It shows the importance of selecting a suitable
(constant ink film thickness/ (variable ink film thickness/ combination of coating on the printing material and
color density in pixel) color density in pixel) ink layer on the donor material, particularly in thermal
sublimation (D2T2).
Whereas in thermal transfer the donor material is al-
Constant Variable approximately
Pixel Size Pixel Size Constant Pixel Size
ways in contact with the substrate during transfer, there
may be a small gap between the receiving layer and the
ink layer in thermal sublimation. This can be achieved
Fig. 5.6-1 Overview of thermographic processes in thermography by spacers, for instance, which are integrated into either

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
732 5 Printing Technologies without a Printing Plate (NIP Technologies)

Heat supply Thermal imaging head

Protective layer
Polyester carrier
Ink material
carrier
(donor) Primer Ink carrier
Ink layer + Paper
Substrate (wax, resin)

a Impression cylinder

Heat supply Fig. 5.6-3

Protective layer
Ink Carrier material
carrier Ink layer
(donor) (dyes)
Substrate Diffusion layer
(image
carrier) Coating
Paper
b process, the optical density of the print is set in advance
Fig. 5.6-2 Structure of ink donor material.
a Thermal transfer;
b Thermal sublimation: coating of paper with diffusion layer (ink
receiving layer)
the receiving layer or the ink donor (e.g., spherical par-
ticles, forming a special surface structure).
Printing Unit. A simplified illustration of the funda-
mental principle of a thermography-based printing
unit is given in figure 5.6-3. In multicolor printing, for
example, the colors black, yellow, magenta, and cyan
are applied to a donor. A thermal printing head is in
contact with the donor material. By controlling the
heating elements in this head in accordance with the
image (systems with a resolution of 600 dpi are avail-
able) the ink is transferred from the donor to the pa-
per. As mentioned previously, the donor is in direct
contact with the paper (or other substrate).
Figure 5.6-3 shows how multicolor printing is carried
out by the thermographic transfer of color separations
onto the substrate. The different inks are positioned on
the ink donor ribbon one after the other. In multipass
principle the color separations are collected on the paper.
Figures 5.6-4 and 5.6-5 give a simplified illustration
of the principles of thermal transfer and thermal subli-
mation.
Principle of ink transfer onto the substrate in thermal transfer (mul-
tipass system)
Thermal Transfer. As shown in figure 5.6-4, thermal
transfer is based on the ink melting onto the carrier
film when heated. The liquefied ink is transferred to the
substrate under low pressure. In the simple binary
by producing the donor with a specified thickness of
layer, pigment concentration, and hue.
This is the original version of thermal transfer; a bi-
nary ink transfer process – illustrated in figure 5.6-4 – that
consists of controlling the heating element of the print-
ing head and transferring the entire ink layer per pixel
onto the paper. When the heating element is switched
off there is no ink transfer. The use of micromechanical
and microelectronic techniques in the mechanical de-
sign of the thermal head facilitates finely controlled
heating of the image area.This makes it possible to trans-
fer different quantities of ink. Due to the composition of
the ink layer, however, the ink concentration of the
transfer remains constant, although the dot size may
vary. This means that smaller or larger amounts of ink
can be transferred by defined melting. This variant of
thermal transfer is also called VDT (variable dot thermal
transfer – see also the overview in fig. 5.6-1).
Thermal Sublimation. Figure 5.6-5 shows the principle
of thermal sublimation. In thermal sublimation, the
ink evaporates locally through the application of heat,
which triggers sublimation. In physical terms, subli-
mation is the vaporization of a solid without the inter-
mediate formation of a liquid. This is not necessarily
the case with thermal sublimation – the better, or gen-
erally more accurate, term for the flowing process is de-
fined by diffusion effects (dye diffusion thermal trans-
fer, D2T2). Depending on the thermal energy supplied

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
 5.6 Thermography 733

Thermal Imaging signal

print head
Imaging Thermal head
Ink donor signal
ribbon Nip Carrier ribbon
Heating Ink donor ribbon
element Colorant/ink layer
Transferred (resistor) Heat radiation
image
element Heat-sensitive
Substrate Unmelted area Melted ink layer ”Evaporated” ink
ink
a
Ink donor ribbon Thermal print head
Transferred Carrier layer Diffusion layer
image Ink which has penetrated Special paper
element the diffusion layer
a

Substrate

+
+
Forward-reverse motion
for multicolor printing Impression
b roller

Ribbon
Thermal print head
b

Fig. 5.6-5
Thermal sublimation (or D2T2: dye diffusion thermal transfer).
a Principle of dot formation (Note: The thermal system can be in
Substrate direct contact with the ink donor, e.g., with thermal print heads or
without contact by using thermal laser light sources);
cb
+ b Principle of multicolor printing with cyan, magenta, and yellow
(Tektronix)
Fig. 5.6-4 Thermal transfer.
a Principle of ink transfer in thermal transfer printing;
b Thermal transfer for printing with page-wide imaging unit; variable pixel size as explained above, here the diame-
c Example of transfer system design configuration [5.6-1] ter of the dot remains roughly the same although the
color density changes.

Ink Donor Transfer and Configuration. As illustrated

to the pixel/dot, a different amount of ink (pigment/ in figures 5.6-4b and 5.6-5, a complete section of the
dyes in the ink layer) is transferred to the substrate. The donor material is used for each color in the format,
printing material must be treated with a special coat- which is designed specifically for the equipment. After
ing, as already illustrated in figure 5.6-2, into which the the ink has been transferred, the remaining surface of
ink penetrates by means of diffusion. With this method the donor sheet can no longer be used for printing,
several gray values can be produced per dot depending which means a relatively poor utilization of donor
on the quantity of ink diffused. The process is con- sheets is achieved.
trolled by the temperature and/or the duration of the The ink donors (fig. 5.6-2), in the form of sheet or web
heating signal. In contrast to thermal transfer with material, typically have a thickness of around 10 µm;

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
734 5 Printing Technologies without a Printing Plate (NIP Technologies)

the ink layer itself has a thickness of around 3 µm. In

addition to this there is a protective layer of around
2 µm. The protective layer has the task of ensuring good
heat transfer from the imaging system and simultane-
ously facilitating secure handling of the thin material.

1 mm
Further information on the structure of the material is
given in figure 5.6-2.
As explained above, the web material is configured in
such a way that the individual colors are arranged
behind one another on a web. As shown in figure 5.6-3
the colors are transferred onto the printing substrate
successively in a printing unit. Thermal transfer for
multicolor printing is also done with only the three col- a
ors cyan, magenta, and yellow; black is produced sub-
sequently by overprinting.
The ink donors are also available in the form of sheet
material and are fed into the printing process using a
special device (figs. 5.6-9 and 5.6-10).
The substrate must be fed into the printing unit sev-
eral times (multipass system).As detailed later, there are 1 mm
also multicolor printing options that use the unit de-
sign principle in order to raise productivity (fig. 5.6-7).

Comparison of Thermography Processes. In figure

5.6-6 sections of printed images produced by thermal
transfer and thermal sublimation are compared. It be-
b
comes apparent that in thermal transfer only two gray
values can be produced while in thermal sublimation
(fig. 5.6-6b) various gray values are possible per dot
of the same size. (The possibility of transferring var-
ious dot sizes in thermal transfer is not shown; see fig.
5.6-9b.)
A survey of the current state of thermography is giv-
en by way of example in [5.6-1] and [5.6-2].

5.6.2 Thermal Transfer Printing Systems

The following contains some observations on the tech-
nical equipment based on the illustrations of the prin-
ciple of thermal transfer given in figures 5.6-1 and
5.6-4.
In thermal transfer the printing takes place in a sim-
ple manner by transferring all the ink from the donor
to the substrate. The ink donor is in contact with the
thermal print head and the substrate.
For multicolor printing within a multipass system the
colors are located behind one another on the ink donor
(fig. 5.6-3). For a four-color printed image, four ink
transfer processes are needed. To raise productivity,
c
Fig 5.6-6 Printed dots produced by thermography.
a Image section for multicolor printing with thermal transfer (pro-
duced at 300 dpi and screen ruling of 24 lines per cm/approx.
60 lpi);
b Image section for magenta in multicolor printing using thermal
sublimation (D2T2); resolution 300 dpi (screen ruling 120 lines per
cm/approx. 300 lpi);
c Multifunction proofing machine (thermal transfer or thermal sub-
limation (D2T2) mode); 300 dpi, format A3+ (DuoProof, AGFA)

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
 5.6 Thermography 735

equipment designed in unit design is also available, as

shown in figure 5.6-7.
In the digital printing systems illustrated in figure
5.6-7 four separate thermal transfer printing units (sin-
glepass system, unit design) transfer each color separa-
tion onto the substrate (sheet material). The quality of
the multicolor image is determined by the quality of
the inks, the register precision of the overprinting, and
the resolution. Page-wide imaging systems (around
320mm) are available with resolutions of up to 600dpi.
The system shown in figure 5.6-7 is equipped for print-
ing with 300 dpi and a printing speed of 20 A4 pages
per minute. In figure 5.6-7b an early version of the
printing system is shown to clarify the principle.
In figure 5.6-8 another thermal transfer printing sys-
tem is shown. It is designed for printing larger formats.
The printing is carried out using four printing stations
with a resolution of 400 dpi on web material with an
image width of up to 900mm.
Figure 5.6-9 shows a digital proofing system for the Fig. 5.6-8
A3+ format that produces a four-color image by ther- Thermal transfer printing system for large-format multicolor print-
mal transfer (fig. 5.6-9c) with a variable pixel/dot size ing; unit design, resolution 400 dpi, printing speed 1 m/min, image
(fig. 5.6-9b). The color separations are successively width 900mm (MSP 36, Matan)

a b

Fig. 5.6-7
Digital multicolor printing system in unit design based on the NIP technology of thermal transfer; resolution 300 dpi, printing speed
20 A4 pages per minute, A3 format.
a Model CYMax 3240 (A.B. Dick/Datametrics);
b Model LAURA (Datametrics)

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
736 5 Printing Technologies without a Printing Plate (NIP Technologies)

transferred from a color ribbon onto an intermediate
carrier at a resolution of 300 dpi. In a subsequent
process the image is then transferred from the inter-
mediate carrier to the paper through the application of
pressure and heat. The system shown in figure 5.6-9 has
a resolution of 300 dpi. Dots of varying size can be pro-
duced by special screening, which is carried out in steps
in the paper transport direction that are smaller than
the pixel distance related to the resolution (called VR,
variable resolution screening by Fuji, fig. 5.6-9b).
A higher quality of image reproduction is possible than
with a two-dimensional resolution of 300 dpi. The
technical implementation is also based on special
donor material [5.6-3]. The quantity of ink transferred
is fixed by controlling the duration of the heat impuls-
es, in particular in conjunction with a thin ink layer of
only 0.3 µm (thin-layer thermal transfer material, 3T,
fig. 5.6-9c). This device is an example of the thermal
transfer variant shown in figure 5.6-1 with variable
dot/pixel size.

Fig. 5.6-9
Digital multicolor proofing system based Materials used
on the NIP technology of thermal transfer
with variable dot size; resolution 300 dpi, First Proof ink ribbon
A3+ format.
a Process steps for producing proofs;
b Example of variable dot size; First Proof intermediate carrier Transfer onto the
c Structure layers of donor ribbon and (receiver) intermediate carrier
intermediate carrier (receiver sheet),
The image is transferred in the Paper
(First Proof, Fuji Film [5.6-3])
laminator onto the printing paper.
Finished 4-color
intermediate carrier

Finished proof Peel-off of the

on printing paper carrier material
a

Thermal head: Thermal imaging head

75 1m Donor ribbon Peel
Ink layer off
80 1m

Receiver sheet
Micro-scanning pitch: 1 1m Pixel
pitch:
Dot 85 1m Cushion layer:
Pixel 20 1m
cell Receiver layer:
2 1m
Ink layer:
0.3 1m

Backing Base
layer support

K C M Y
Donor ribbon Receiver sheet
b c

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )

Figure 5.6-10 shows a system for digital proofing with
the highest resolution. This system, as already shown
in figure 3.2-76, images with a multibeam thermal laser
system (around 830 nm,220 beams) using thermal trans-
fer color sheets on an intermediate carrier (fig. 5.6-10a).
This intermediate carrier (transfer base material) is
fixed onto a drum in the form of a sheet. The system can
transfer the individual color separations onto the inter-
mediate carrier with a resolution of up to 3200 dpi. The
process is based on thermal transfer, where the dots are
transferred in a binary fashion. The halftone dot is built
up from several individual pixels (similar to the illustra-
tion in fig. 5.6-6a, only with much higher resolution). In
the system shown in figure 5.6-10 the heat is supplied
without contact by laser light (thermal, about 830 nm).
Fig. 5.6-10
Digital thermal transfer proofing system for
multicolor halftone proofing; resolution up
to 3200 dpi, format: A1+ (8 A4 pages ),
20 minutes per A1 four-color print.
a Layer transfer by thermal transfer;
b Halftone structure with four color sepa-
rations;
c Proofing system (TrendSetter Spectrum:
multifunctional system for platemaking
and proofing, Heidelberg/Creo/Imation)
b c
© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
5.6 Thermography 737
With this high resolution the screen structure of multi-
color printing can be reproduced, as it is in the offset
process for producing the print job with high run length.
(The system shown in fig. 5.6-10c is a multi-function sys-
tem and can also be used for imaging printing plates with
the same data file.) To transfer the individual color sep-
arations to the image carrier, the operator inserts the
corresponding donor sheets into the system one by one.
The donor sheets are fixed to the drum by a separate vac-
uum system. The color image on the intermediate car-
rier is transferred onto paper in a separate machine
(laminator) by the application of pressure and heat.
In the system shown in figure 5.6-10 the image is first
transferred to an intermediate carrier and then onto
paper. This substrate is specially conditioned to ensure
Black
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Transfer Base
738 5 Printing Technologies without a Printing Plate (NIP Technologies)

stability and quality. It is not possible to directly use the
conventional production paper as it is used in a wide
range in offset printing. There are ink donor structures
that do allow transfer onto this paper (as for example in
the PolaProof process by Polaroid, see fig. 3.2-77). How-
ever, a special laminate is later imposed onto the print-
ed image to stabilize the transferred ink.
Foils (colorless) with various surface structures are
available to create or imitate different gloss effects.
5.6.3 Thermal Sublimation Printing
Systems
The principle of thermal sublimation was given in fig-
ure 5.6-5.
In thermal sublimation a large number of different
gray values can be produced through controlled diffu-
sion per dot of the inking materials (see also fig.
5.6-6b). As in thermal transfer the imaging can be car-
ried out using arrays of individually controllable heat
elements, but also through heat transfer with thermal
laser light sources.
Since both thermal transfer and thermal sublimation
are based on ink transfer using thermal energy, the sys-
tems can, in principle, be used multifunctionally for both
processes when using suitable inks. In the equipment
example in figure 5.6-6 it is possible to work with a sys-
tem following either the thermal transfer or the thermal
sublimation process. Various donor materials are com-
bined with the same imaging system (thermal print
head) depending on the process.Ink donors coated with
wax are used for thermal transfer. In thermal sublima-
tion high quality, multi-layer treated ink donors are em-
ployed, enabling production of different gray values
with the same dot size in the diffusion process.
Figure 5.6-11 shows one of the first large-format ther-
mal sublimation proofing systems. In this highly auto-
mated system the color separations are transferred to an

Fig. 5.6-11 a Printing drum (covered with the intermediate sheet)

Digital color proofing system based on
thermal sublimation. Spent donors Imaging head Image intermediate proof
a Function principle of the Approval sys- Receiving hopper
tem; resolution 1800 dpi, A3+ format;
b Proofing system with laminator
(Approval, Kodak);
c Proofing system for A2+ format; resolu-
Intermediate
tion 2400 dpi; color density for each color base
application can be set at 22 levels per Doner
color separation for various densities, sheet
15 minutes per A2 Proof (Approval XP4,
Kodak Polychrome Graphics)

Compact Cutter Film handling system

compressor (donors and
(for suction) intermediate carrier)

b c

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
 5.6 Thermography 739

intermediate carrier by thermal laser exposure via donor tem can be operated as a “thermal transfer equipment”
sheets cut from webs. The material for the intermediate for this purpose. The system shown in figure 5.6-11a has
carrier is also housed in the storage system for the donor a resolution of 1800 dpi, with which a good replication
reels of the process colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and of the dot structure is possible.
black. One position is designated for a special color. The Further developments have taken place on the prin-
intermediate carrier sheet is fixed onto a drum by ciple of the system shown in figure 5.6-11. Systems with
vacuum. The color separations are transferred onto the an addressability/resolution of 4000 dpi are available
intermediate carrier one by one in precise register via for the A2+ format. With the system shown in figure
the four donor sheets. These are held on the carrier 5.6-11c a four-color proof in A2 format with a resolu-
drum by means of a separate suction system. The print- tion of 2400 dpi is produced in about 15 minutes.
ed image is transferred from the intermediate carrier In principle, the system can also be operated as a
onto normal paper by a laminator (in fig. 5.6- 11b, shown thermal transfer or as a thermal sublimation system
in the background next to the proofing system). with the advantage of thermal sublimation to generate
By controlling the energy supplied to the dots by several gray values per pixel to reproduce continuous-
laser, various quantities of ink can be diffused to pro- tone color images. The appropriate ink donor sheets,
duce dots of the same size with variable color density intermediate carriers, and receiver paper sheets have to
(optical density, chroma). To be able to use this system be used. The laser imaging system must also be con-
to produce proofs for the offset process, an imaging mode trolled at the appropriate energy levels (256 levels/8 bits
is of advantage that creates pixels with identical color is possible).
densities (basically the same principle as with conven- Figure 5.6-12 shows the layer structure of the donor
tional offset printing processes) and the halftone dots sheet for thermal sublimation and the transfer to the
made up of several pixels of the same density. The sys- intermediate carrier and later to the production paper

Fig. 5.6-12
Thermal sublimation with intermediate Laser imaging (thermal)
carrier. Diode Optics
a Layer structure of ink donors, intermedi- laser
ate carrier, transfer process onto pro- beam Sublimation/
duction paper; diffusion b1
b Process steps for indirect thermal subli-
mation (printing via intermediate carrier Polyester support
onto substrate); Ink donor
Color dye + IR dye + binder
b1: onto intermediate carrier, Spacer beads Image of the
b2: laminating onto production paper color separation
(Approval, Kodak [5.6-4]) Peel off polymer dye receiver layer
Cushion layer
Intermediate
Aluminum reflective layer carrier with
Polyester support peel-off polymer

Dot Separation area

Print production paper Substrate
Color separation
Peel off polymer dye receiver layer
Separation area
Cushion layer b2
Aluminum reflective layer Intermediate
carrier
Polyester support

a b

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
740 5 Printing Technologies without a Printing Plate (NIP Technologies)

[5.6-4]. In figure 5.6-12 small spacer beads are shown

Paper
between the ink donor layer and the surface of the car- Operation panel outlet Thermal head Ink donor
rier (< 1 µm). A sublimation process takes place in this
gap between the two layers and the ink subsequently
diffuses into the receiving layer of the intermediate car-
rier. In the later transfer process onto the paper the re- Twin belts
ceiving layer (thickness of approximately 2 µm) is also
transferred onto the paper.

Small-format Applications. There are various types of

high-performance small-format thermal sublimation Paper cassette
printers available (A4 and A3 format). Even with rela-
a
tively low resolution of 300 dpi a very good color re-
production can be achieved due to the ability to pro-
duce several gray values (in general with 8 bits, that
means 256 specified gray values, which applies to elec-
tronic drives and potentially results in a fine gradation
in the printed image). This corresponds in many cases
to photographic quality (continuous tone).
A thermography printer is shown in figure 5.6-13.
With a resolution of 300 dpi an A3 proof is produced
in three minutes using three colors (donor sheets are
also available for four colors, including black). This sys-
tem is available as a thermal transfer printer or as a
thermal sublimation printer.
In figure 5.6-14 a further example is shown. This
proofing system was also shown in figure 3.2-71 in con-
junction with a computer to press/direct imaging
printing system.
Thermal sublimation printers are used particularly
often with digital photography. High-performance
equipment is available for small formats of, for exam- b
ple, approximately 10 cm ¥ 15 cm. The equipment can
produce high quality reproductions of images (corre-
Fig. 5.6-13 Multicolor thermography printing systems.
sponding to the so-called “photo quality”); a resolution a Equipment diagram for thermal transfer printing system
of up to 600 dpi and for example 100 gray values per (Mitsubishi Electronic); resolution 300 dpi, (256 addressable gray
pixel can meet the highest photographic standards with values), Format A3+, 3 minutes per A3 print;
thermal sublimation. b Thermal sublimation printer; 300 dpi, 256 addressable gray values
Thermal transfer and in particular thermal sublima- (S6600-30, Mitsubishi Electric)
tion methods are already used for printing on plastic
cards, such as credit cards, membership cards, and sim-
ilar small-format documents with high quality image suitable for both thermal sublimation (dye diffusion
reproduction. The example in figure 5.6-15 shows clear- thermal transfer) and thermal transfer, using the ap-
ly how membership cards are produced with ink propriate ink donor material. Various quantities of ink
donors on web material and a thermal imaging head. can be transferred in variable dot size.
Resolutions of 300 dpi and more than one hundred
gray values per pixel are standard. Comparison with Other NIP-Systems. Admittedly, the
price of the donor material required for thermal subli-
Multifunctional Equipment. As mentioned above it is, mation and thermal transfer is a disadvantage com-
in principle, possible to construct equipment that is pared to toners used in electrophotographic non-im-

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
 5.6 Thermography 741

Fig. 5.6-15
Digital thermal sublimation printer for plastic cards (300 dpi,
Fig. 5.6-14
approx. two cards per minute) for printing with four colors and
Digital proofing system based on thermal sublimation (D2T2 pro-
additional coating film; can also be adjusted for operation as ther-
cess); resolution 300 dpi, 256 gray values, A3+ format, approx. 5 mi-
mal transfer printer (TOP, F&O Electronic Systems)
nutes per A3 proof (DCP 9500 Proofer, Kodak Polychrome Graphics)

pact systems and to ink used in ink jet systems. How- [5.6-2] BIS Strategic Decisions (Ed.): Thermal Printing
ever, the higher cost of ink is to some extent compen- 1995 – New Products, Applications, and Opportunities.
sated by the fact that certain components, such as a de- Norwell (MA) 1995.
[5.6-3] Nakamura, H. et al.: High Quality Halftone
veloping unit for supplying toner in electrophotogra-
Thermal Imaging Technology by “Thin-layer Thermal
phy, is no longer required and that the thermal printing Transfer” (3T) Technology Used for FIRST PROOF™.
heads are of a simpler design than is the case with ink NIP 13: International Conference on Digital Printing
jet systems. Printing systems based on thermal transfer Technologies (Proceedings), The Society for Imaging
have a relatively simple structure. Science and Technology (IS&T), Springfield (VA) 1997,
pp. 769–772.
References in 5.6 [5.6-4] DeBoer, C.: Laser Thermal Media – The New
[5.6-1] BIS Strategic Decisions (Ed.): Thermal Printing in Graphic Arts Paradigm. Journal of Imaging Science and
the 1990s. Overview and Outlook, Norwell (MA) 1992. Technology, vol. 42, 1998, pp. 63–69.

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )
742

5.7 Electrography

Unlike electrophotography, non-impact printing

processes based on electrography use an electric field Dielectric Writing electrode

Imaging signal
to transfer the image information onto the substrate layer (Stylus)
[5.7-1, 5.7-2].
Air gap
If the paper has a dielectric coating (as shown fig.
5.7-1a) it is possible to write the latent charge image di-
rectly onto the paper. A simple three-stage printing Paper
(conductive)
process of imaging, inking, and fixing becomes possi-
ble. Due to the air gap between paper and writing elec- Back
trode high field intensities are required. a electrode
For an efficient, precise charge formation while im-
aging, the writing electrode (stylus) may be in contact
with the coated paper surface (fig. 5.7-1b). Imaging Electrode
Imaging signal

head and paper surface must be resistant to wear and

Writing head
exhibit good sliding properties.
To transmit the charge over the entire width of the Dielectric
page, the imaging system is configured as an electrode layer
array; resolutions of 400 dpi are possible by arranging
the electrode pins in several rows.
Paper
Figure 5.7-2 shows how imaging and inking take b (conductive)
place one after the other. The imaging electrode is
brought into contact with the paper under light pres-
sure. After imaging, the paper web comes into contact Imaging
with the liquid toner, which is kept at a constant color electrode Non-wetting,
concentration in a closed circuit. Paper surface and liq- conductive fluid
uid toner act together in such a way that the toner is
only attracted to the charged areas of the paper surface.
In a subsequent process, similar to other NIP tech-
nologies with liquid toner (e.g., with electrophotogra- Paper
phy or ionography) the toner image must be fixed on
the paper in a fusing unit. Back
c electrode
As per figure 5.7-1c, non-contact imaging could also
take place via a conductive contact fluid [5.7-1]. Fig. 5.7-1 Creating a latent image in electrography.
In the case of electrophotography (see sec. 5.2) an elec- a Writing electrode (stylus) is not in contact with the substrate;
tric charge image is generated on the image carrier b Writing head is in contact with the substrate;
(e.g., photoconductor drum) via photons. The toner is c Writing electrode is in contact with the dielectric layer of the
routed to the charge carrier via the electric field be- substrate via a conductive fluid
tween the developing unit and the imaging surface;
after that the toner is transferred onto the substrate. In

© H a n d b o o k o f P r i n t M e d i a, H . K i p p h a n ( I S B N 3 - 5 4 0 - 6 7 3 2 6 - 1 )