Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Dan M Weeks

Eric Lee Burch

Vladek P Kasperchik

Shilin Guo

David J Arcaro

Radha Sen

Gary E Hanson

Eric L Ahlvin

Richard J Mcmanus

Maximo Gayoso

J Grady Jurrens

Jaime G Jurrens

Nils Miller

Mutilayer media is being developed which has inner ink-receiving micro-porous layer and an outer sealable porous surface coat, or topcoat. Ink printed on the media passes through the topcoat, and is absorbed by, or reacts with the inner ink-receiving layer. A thermal printhead is attached downstream of the print zone so that it passes over the area that was previously printed, and heats the topcoat. Where the topcoat is heated, the pores are closed and the closed pores provide a protective layer between the inner ink-receiving layer and the environment.

Method of thermally sealing the overcoat of multilayer media

Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in printing devices. In certain implementations, ink is printed to a first area of a print medium and a second area of the print medium. The ink is applied to the first area at a higher density than the second area. A first light scattering intensity value is measured from the first area and a second light scattering intensity value is measured from the second area. The print medium is categorized based on a comparison of the light scattering intensity values.

Methods and apparatuses for categorizing print media

The present invention is drawn to the thermal transfer overcoating of images printed on porous media, and methods of overcoating images printed on porous media. Upon use of the systems and methods of the present invention, a thermally coated print is generated that can comprise a porous media substrate having printed thereon a digitally produced image. The digitally produced image and the porous media substrate is thermally coated by an adhesive protective layer, wherein the adhesive protective layer has a tangent d that is greater than 1 and melt viscosity less than 1&#xd7;10Pa.&#xb7;sec. as applied above its phase transition temperature. Thus, the voids in the porous media substrate can be substantially filled, and further, substantially no tags remain on the print.

Images printed on porous media and coated with a thermal transfer overcoat

A system and method for drying a printed medium includes a heated roll and a transport mechanism which moves the printed medium against the heated roll to dry the printed medium.

Heated roll system for drying printed media

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Poway, CA, United States of America

Dan M Weeks