Novel ablation-transfer imaging/recording

Abstract

A unique method/system for simultaneously creating and transferring a contrasting pattern of intelligence on and from an ablation-transfer imaging medium to a receptor element in contiguous registration therewith is not dependent upon contrast imaging materials that must absorb the imaging radiation and is well adopted for such applications as, e.g., color proofing and printing, the security coding of various documents and the production of masks for the graphic arts and printed circuit industries; the ablation-transfer imaging medium, per se, comprises a support substrate and an imaging radiation-, preferably a laser radiation-ablative topcoat essentially coextensive therewith, such ablative topcoat having a non-imaging ablation sensitizer and an imaging amount of a non-ablation sensitizing contrast imaging material contained therein.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method for transferring a contrasting pattern of intelligence from an ablation-transfer imaging medium to a receptor element, said ablation-transfer imaging medium comprising a support substrate and an imaging radiation-ablative topcoat, said topcoat comprising a non-imaging sensitizer that absorbs imaging radiation at a rate sufficient to effect the imagewise ablation mass transfer of said topcoat and an imaging amount of a non-ablation sensitizing contrast imaging material, which method comprises imagewise irradiating said ablation-transfer imaging medium according to such pattern of intelligence at a rate sufficient to effect the ablation mass transfer of the imagewise-exposed area of said topcoat securedly onto said receptor element and whereby said imaging material delineates said pattern of intelligence thereon.  
     
     
         2 . A method for transferring a contrasting pattern of intelligence from an ablation-transfer imaging medium to a receptor substrate, said ablation-transfer imaging medium comprising a support substrate and a laser radiation-ablative topcoat, said topcoat comprising a non-imaging sensitizer that absorbs laser radiation at a rate sufficient to effect the imagewise ablation mass transfer of said topcoat, and said topcoat including an imaging amount of a non-ablation sensitizing contrast imaging material, which method comprises imagewise laser-irradiating said ablation-transfer imaging medium according to such pattern of intelligence at a rate sufficient to effect the ablation mass transfer of the imagewise-exposed area of said topcoat securedly onto said receptor element and whereby said imaging material delineates said pattern of intelligence thereon.  
     
     
         3 . The method as defined by  claim 2 , wherein said topcoat comprises at least one laser-ablative binder.  
     
     
         4 . The method as defined by  claim 3 , wherein said topcoat comprises at least one laser absorber/sensitizer.  
     
     
         5 . The method as defined by  claim 4 , wherein said at least one laser absorber/sensitizer comprises at least one near infrared absorber/sensitizer.  
     
     
         6 . The method as defined by  claim 5 , wherein said at least one laser-ablative binder is decomposable by acid catalysis.  
     
     
         7 . The method as defined by  claim 6 , said topcoat further comprising at least one hydrogen atom donor for promoting acid formation for said catalyzed decomposition.  
     
     
         8 . The method as defined by  claim 5 , said support substrate being transparent to near infrared laser irradiation.  
     
     
         9 . The method as defined by  claim 5 , said support substrate being opaque to near infrared laser irradiation.  
     
     
         10 . An ablation-transfer imaging medium comprising a support substrate and an imaging radiation-ablative topcoat, said topcoat comprising a non-imaging sensitizer that absorbs such imaging radiation at a rate sufficient to effect the imagewise ablation mass transfer of said topcoat, and said topcoat including an imaging amount of a non-ablation sensitizing contrast imaging material.