METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THERMAL TRANSFER COLOR PRINTING

摘要

A process for color overprinting onto a thermally printable receiving surface (20) includes using a thermal printer (10) and transfer foils (24) to print a first layer of color printing medium (42) onto a portion of the receiving surface, and then using the thermal printer to print at least a second layer of translucent colored printing medium (44) onto the receiving surface on top of the first layer. An index of overprint colors (46) can be created by the process for use in matching colors printable by the overprinting process to the colors on an original graphic. The index may be used manually or in a computerized printing process to determine the number of transfer foils required to reproduce an original graphic, and their order of use.