US3900633A

US3900633A - Patterned transfer sheet

Info

Publication number: US3900633A
Application number: US342584A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jean Gustave Jules Piron
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-03-28
Filing date: 1973-03-19
Publication date: 1975-08-19
Anticipated expiration: 1992-08-19
Also published as: FR2178591A5; BE795727A; DE2315295A1; GB1423506A

Abstract

A transfer sheet according to the invention comprises a lighttransmitting temporary support sheet carrying a plurality of elements or points which together form a transferable pattern, coated with a coating of polymer containing microcapsules whose content liberated by rupture of the microcapsules under transfer pressure reacts with a top layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive to adhere and transfer the elements of pattern to a receptor surface.

Description

United States Patent Piron Aug. 19, 1975 [54] PATTERNED TRANSFER SHEET 3,684,544 8/1972 Piron I 17/3.] 3,728,210 4/1973 Piron 161/162 [76] Inventor: Jean Gustave Jule? 3,741,787 6/1973 Tordjman 117 3.1

Ploche, 1-l4()() Nivelles, Belgium 22 Filed; Man 19 1973 Primary Examiner-Thomas J. Herbert, Jr.

Appl. No.: 342,584

Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 28, 1972 United Kingdom 14491/72 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/l972 Karl-an ll7/3.l

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn and Macpeak [5 7 ABSTRACT A transfer sheet according to the invention comprises a light-transmitting temporary support sheet carrying a plurality of elements or points which together form a transferable pattern, coated with a coating of polymer containing microcapsules whose content liberated by rupture of the microcapsules under transfer pressure reacts with a top layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive to adhere and transfer the elements of pattern to a receptor surface.

11 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATTERNED TRANSFER SHEET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a transfer sheet for transferring patterns such as shades, hatchings, hachures, crosshatches, grains, stipples, textile designs.

Until now, grey images of that kind used for shading or decorating surfaces drawn on paper have been printed on self-supporting sheets of plastic material the back side of which was provided with a pressuresensitive adhesive.

For use, the sheet carrying the pattern was cut out coat lely by means of scissors so as to form a piece which, when applied onto the surface to be shaded, would have parts overlapping the contours of said surface. Said piece was applied with its adhesive surface against the surface of paper to be shaded and was adhered to the latter by the pressure-sensitive adhesive. Using a sharp stylus, the draftsman followed the outer edge of the surface to be shaded and cut the patterned plastic piece. The overlapping portions of the pattern applied were then removed This cutting operation required a great skill from the draftsman. It was necessary to estimate exactly the pressure to be applied on the sharp cutting stylus to pierce and cut out the patterned piece. Often, not only the patterned piece but also the underlying receptor surface of paper was cut out.

In addition, such patterned sheets often are used in making architectural drafts. These drafts made on tracing paper or similar sheets are duplicated several times. The duplicating machine comprises a cylinder of glass with which said patterned sheets are contacted. Said cylinder may reach temperatures up to 125C. It has often been found that even under temperatures below 100C, the pressure-sensitive adhesive coating of said sheets became less cohesive. For that reason, the pattern was detached from the paper and was either transferred onto the glass cylinder or moved on the paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of this invention is a new form of patterned sheet, wherein the pattern or any selected portion thereof can be transferred and adhered to a receptor surface under a pressure such as applied by means of a pencil or a spatula, the adhesion of the transferred pattern to the receptor surface, which may be of tracing paper or of similar material, being unaffected by contact at temperatures up to 150C.

For this purpose, there is provided in accordance with this invention a patterned sheet comprising a lighttransmitting temporary support having printed thereon a pattern of the kind described, the elements or points of the pattern being of a printing ink having two main components, at least the areas of said elements, and preferably the entire pattem-carrying surface of the support. being covered with a light-transmitting film made of one of the main components of the ink and containing dispersed microcapsules, said microcapsules containing a solvent of said light-transmitting film, said solvent having no solubilizing action on the temporary support and the ink of the pattern, said film being covered with a coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive whose components are miscible with said film and are soluble in the solvent of the microcapsules.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION More particularly, the light-transmitting support is transparent and characterized by a surface tension less than 36 dynes/cm and an insolubility at room temperature in the solvent contained in the microcapsules.

For example, when the solvent contained in the microcapsules is selected from the group consisting of aromatic, aliphatic, or ketone solvents, the temporary support may be polyethylene, tetrafluorethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, artificial parchment paper coated with silicone.

In addition to the main components referred to above, the ink printed on the temporary support to form the pattern comprises pigments.

The first main component is a polymer soluble in the solvent contained in the microcapsules and the second main component is a substance which reduces the solubility of the first main component in said solvent and may be a resin or another polymer. The mixture of the two main components is adjusted in such a way that the action of the solvent may not dissolve the ink and can at most swell the ink so that each printed point or element keeps its shape and the pigments or dyestuffs may not escape from the binders by transfer.

For example, when the solvent contained in the microcapsules is toluene or xylene, the ink may be composed as follows:

Parts by weight Pigments: Carbon black Soluble polymer (first main component): low viscosity ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose 40 Insoluble polymer (second main component): nitrocellulose V2 second 60 Another composition of ink for use with the same Parts by weight Resin which reduces the solubility of the above polymer (second main component):

Glycerophthalic resin with 52% of soy bean oil 58 cobalt naphthenate l and lead naphthenate I The ink composition is adjusted so as to adhere moderately to the temporary support.

The film of light-transmitting unplastified polymer covering the printed pattern is of the same nature as the first main component of the ink of the pattern, namely the polymer soluble in the solvent of the microcapsules.

In that way there are strong afi'inities between the ink of the pattern and the film of polymer so that they cannot be separated from one another but can be separated from the temporary support.

Microcapsules having a diameter less than microns are embedded in said light-transmitting polymer film and contain a solvent for said polymer. The

amount of said microcapsules is to be adjusted for the purpose of obtaining two effects:

1. Under a pressure sufficient for rupturing the walls of the microcapsules, the polymer film in which the microcapsules are embedded should be sheared at the places where the pressure is applied. Such effect was noted when the weight of microcapsules reaches at least 40% of the weight of the polymer.

2. When the solvent is liberated from the ruptured microcapsules, the amount of solvent should be sufficient for dissolving or softening the polymer and the fine layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive superimposed thereto to a sufficient extent for obtaining a new combination of adhesive whose characteristics will be given hereafter. This effect is obtained when the weight of microcapsules reaches at least 40% of the weight of the polymer and when the volume content of solvent of the microcapsules reaches at least 85% of the total volume of the microcapsules.

The solvent is, of course, selected depending on the polymer of said light-transmitting film. Thus, when the solvent of the microcapsules is toluene, said polymer may be ethylhydroxyethylcellulose or chlorinated rubber; when the solvent is acetone, said polymer may be nitrocellulose.

Suitable microcapsules are described in Applicants US. Pat. No. 3,728,210.

As stated above, adequate mixture of polymer and microcapsules makes that the polymer film and the pattern shear at those place where pressure is applied. However, in the absence of a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, the transfer of the film and pattern onto the receptor surface cannot be obtained satisfactorily. When a polymer is brought into contact with a solvent, it takes a somewhat longer or shorter time for the solvent to penetrate between the macromolecular chains, to swell the polymer, to soften and to bring it to a sufficient dissolution to allow the macromolecules of the polymer to establish points where the polymer is bonded to the receptor surface. It is thus necessary to wait some time after bursting of the microcapsules until the polymer film and pattern can adhere to the receptor surface and be transferred. in addition, even if one waits, the adhesion to the receptor surface, appears not satisfactory everywhere. Indeed, when the microcapsules are ruptured, a more or less important part of the solvents is directly absorbed by the receptor surface so that the polymer is not always sufficiently softened and adheres very weakly.

Therefore, it has been found necessary to cover the polymer film containing the microcapsules with a fine coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive to obtain that the pattern be immediately transferred and definitively adhered uniformly and strongly throughout the transferred surface.

For this purpose, the pressure-sensitive adhesive should be as follows: soluble in the solvent of the microcapsules; compatible with the polymer containing the microcapsules; applied as a layer whose thickness is not greater than one-third of the thickness of the light-transmitting polymer layer (this ratio does not take into account the diameter of the microcapsules contained in the polymer).

Preferably also, the rate of solubility of the pressuresensitive adhesive in the solvent of the microcapsules is less than the rate of solubility of the light-transmittin g polymer film which contains the microcapsules.

A suitable pressure-sensitive adhesive meeting the above indicated requirements is disclosed in Applicants US. Pat. No. 3,684,544.

In this way, when on the back side of the patterned, a pressure is applied to a sufficient extent for rupturing the microcapsules, that part of the pattern which undergoes the pressure is transferred unstantaneously onto the receptor surface due to the effect of the pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Normally, in the absence of any reaction, the instantaneous adhesion and the definitive adhesion of a pressure-sensitive adhesion are almost identical to one another and the cohesion of said adhesive does not change. On the contrary, in this invention, due to the solvents liberated by rupture of the microcapsules, the light-transmitting polymer film and the pressuresensitive adhesive react with one another which causes an important modification of the adhesion of the adhesive after transfer. After evaporation of the solvents the definitive adhesion becomes substantially greater than that of the original adhesive which is no longer pressure-sensitive. The cohesion of the transformed adhesive is also increased to a higher level.

In addition, the transferred and transformed adhesive keeps its adhesion unaffected at temperatures up to C eg when the patterned film transferred on tracing paper is brought into contact with the hot cylinder of a draft-duplicating machine.

DESCRIPTTON OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing shows in cross-section at enlarged scale an embodiment of the invention.

A support sheet 1 carries on its one surface called front surface, printed elements 2 of ink forming a pattern of shades, hatchings, hachures, crosshatches, grains, stipples, textile design. It is to be understood that these elements are not necessarily identical with one another and are distributed on the front surface of the support sheet. The purpose of the transfer operation is to detach any selected portion of the pattern, thus comprising at least one and often a plurality of elements 2, from the support 1 and to transfer said portion of the pattern onto a receptor surface, eg. the area of a tracing paper on which shades are to be provided, by contacting said front surface with said receptor surface and applying a local pressure on the back surface of the support in the area where transfer is desired. In the areas of the elements 2 as well as in the areas without element, the front surface of the support 1 has a layer of light-transmitting polymer film 3 containing microcapsules 4. The polymer of said layer 3 is similar to one of the main components of the elements 2 so that the layer 3 and the elements 2 adhere strongly to one another. On the other hand, the materials of the elements 2 and layer 3 are selected for adhering moderately to the support. A layer 5 of the pressure-sensitive adhesive covers the layer 3 of polymer and forms thus the top layer of the transfer sheet. When a local transfer pressure is applied as described above, the transferable part becomes adhered to the receptor surface within the limits of the area of pressure. In said area, the microcapsules rupture, their solvent content permits the transferable part to shear along the limits of the area of pressure and within said limits causes the pressuresensitive adhesive to interact with the polymer layer 3 to make a stronger adhesive as described above. At the same time, the transferable part is separated from the support 1 in said area of pressure so that the pattern is transferred to the extent desired.

EXAMPLE Onto a temporary support made of transparent parchment paper coated with silicone, pattern elements of an ink composed as follows are printed by a silk screen process:

Components Parts by weight Pigments: Carbon black Polymers: Ethylhydroxyethyk cellulose 60 Nitrocellulose V2 second 30 Solvents: Ethylglycol 170 Butylglycol 100 Xylene 30 After drying of the ink, the temporary ,support and the ink elements of pattern are covered with a transparent coating composed as follows:

Components Parts by weight Ethylhydroxycthylcellulose I00 Microcapsules (diameter less than 100 60 microns; containing toluene) Solvents: Butylglycol 200 White spirit 250 Components Parts by weight Polyisobutylene, number average molecular weight 300,000 l0 Polyisobutylene, number average molecular weight 8,000 Polyisohutylene, number average molecular weight 820 I0 Methylcyclohcxane resin 13 SiO: (primary particles of size less than 50 millimicrons) l0 Mineral spirit 160 Xylene 40 What l claim is:

l. A patterned transfer sheet carrying on one surface thereof a plurality of elements or points which together form patterns, any selected portion of one or more of said patterns, being transferable and adherable to a receptor surface, comprising 1. a light-transmitting temporary support, carrying on its surface,

2. an unplasticized transferable film comprising:

a. a pigmented layer forming the elements or points of the patterns and being composed of a printing ink with two main components;

b. a light-transmitting layer formed of one of the main components of said ink and containing dispersed microcapsules covering at least the portion of the pattern carrying surface of said temporary support, said microcapsules containing a solvent for said light-transmitting film with said solvent having at the very most a swelling action on said printing ink and no solubilizing action on the tempo rary support, and

3. a coating of a pressure-sensitive adhesive covering said light-transmitting layer, the organic components of said pressure-sensitive adhesive being miscible with said light-transmitting layer and soluble in the solvent contained within said microcapsules so that ,upon transfer, the light-transmitting layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive interreactable with one another to provide, after transfer to said receptor surfaces, a strong adhesion to said receptor surface, pressure application to the surface of said sheet 0pposite the surface carrying said transferable film enabling the transfer to a receptor surface in contact with said film the portion of the patterns, composed of one or more of said elements or points, corresponding to the area of applied pressure.

.2. A transfer sheetas inclaim l, in which the first main component of the ink is a polymer soluble in the solvent contained in the microcapsules and the second main component of the ink is a substance which reduces the solubility of the first main component in said solvent, the ratio between the first and second main component being such that said solvent contained in the microcapsules cannot, dissolve the ink.

3. A transfer sheet as in claim 2, in which the solvent contained in the microcapsules is an aromatic solvent, the first main component of the ink is a low viscosity ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, the second main component of the ink is a nitrocellulose one-half second, the weight ratio between the first and second main components of the ink being from about /3 to about 2/1.

4. A transfer sheet as in claim 2, in which the solvent contained in the microcapsules is an aromatic solvent, the first main component of the ink is a chlorinated rubber of viscosity 20 centipoises, the second main component of the ink is a glycerophthalic resin containing 52% of soybean oil, the weight ratio between the first and second main components of the ink being of about /s.

5. A transfer sheet as in claim 1, in which the microcapsules have a diameter less than microns, are present in a proportion of at least 40% by weight of the light-transmitting film which contains the microcapsules, and their solvent content amounts to at least of their total volume.

6. A transfer sheet as in claim 1, in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive is soluble in the solvent of the microcapsules at a slower rate than the lighttransmitting film which contains the microcapsules, is compatible with said light-transmitting film and is applied as a layer whose thickness does not exceed onethird of that of said light-transmitting film, without tak ing into account the diameter of the microcapsules contained in said light-transmitting film.

7. A transfer sheet according to claim 1, in which the temporary support has a surface tension less than 36 dynes/cm, is not soluble in the solvent content of the microcapsules at room temperature and is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, tetrafluorethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate and artificial parchment paper which may be coated with silicone.

8. A transfer sheet according to claim 1, in which the solvent contained in the microcapsules is selected from the group consisting of aromatic, aliphatic and ketone solvents.

9. The transfer sheet of claim 3 wherein the aromatic 5 solvent is toluene or xylene.

10. The transfer sheet of claim 4 wherein the aromatic solvent is toluene or xylene.

11. A patterned transfer sheet carrying on one surits surface,

2. an unplasticized transferable film comprising:

b. a light-transmitting layer formed of one of the main components of said ink and containing dispersed microcapsules covering at least the portion of the pattern carrying surface of said temporary support, said microcapsules containing a solvent for said light-transmitting film with said solvent having at the very most a swelling action on said printing ink and no solubilizing action on the temporary support, and

3. a coating of a pressure-sensitive adhesive covering said light-transmitting layer, the organic components of said pressure-sensitive adhesive being miscible with said light-transmitting layer and soluble in the solvent contained within said microcapsules so that upon transfer, the light-transmitting layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive interreactable with one another to provide, after transfer to said receptor surfaces, a strong adhesion to said receptor surface, pressure application to the surface of said sheet opposite the surface carrying said transferable film enabling the transfer to a receptor surface in contact with said film the portion of the patterns, composed of one or more of said elements or points, corresponding to the area of applied pressure, said temporary support being parchment paper coated with silicone, said ink comprising 10 parts by weight of pigments, 60 parts by weight of ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, 30 parts by weight of nitrocellulose 1/2 seconds, said light-transmitting film comprising parts by weight of ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, 100 parts by Weight of microcapsules having a diameter less than 60 microns, said layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive having a thickness of at most 25% of that of said lighttransmitting film without taking into account the size of the microcapsules contained in said lighttransmitting film, the pressure-sensitive adhesive comprising 10 parts by weight of polyisobutylene having a number average molecular weight of 300,000, 20 parts by weight of polyisobutylene havin a number average molecular weight of 8000, 10 parts by weight of polyisobutylene having a number average molecular weight of 820, 13 parts by weight of methylcyclohexane resin and 10 parts by weight of primary particles of silica having a diameter less than 50 millimicrons.

Claims

1. A LIGHT-TRANSMITTING TRANFERABLE FILM COMPRISING: FACE,

1. A LIGHT-TRANSMITTING TEMPORARY SUPPORT, CARRYING ON ITS SURFACE,

1. A PATTERNED TRANFER SHEET CARRYING ON ONE SURFACE THEREOF A PLURALITY OF ELEMENTS OR POINTS WHICH TOGETHER FORM PATTERNS, ANY SELECTED PORTION OF ONE OR MORE OF SAID PATTERNS, BEING TRANSFERABLE AND ADHERABLE TO A RECEPTOR SURFACE, COMPRISING

2. AN UNPLASTICIZED TANSFERABLE FILM COMPRISING: A. A PIGMENTED LAYER FORMING THE ELEMENTS OR POINT OF THE PATTERNS AND BEING COMPOSED OF A PRINTING INK WITH TWO MAIN COMPONENTS, B. A LIGHT-TRANSMITTING LATER FORMED OF ONE OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF SAID INK AND CONTAINING DISPERSED MICROCAPSULES COVERING AT LEAST THE PORTION OF THE PATTERN CARRYING SURFACE OF SAID TEMPORARY SUPPORT, SAID MICROCAPSULES CONTAINING A SOLVENT FOR SAID LIGHT-TRANSMITTING FILM WITH SAID SOLVENT HAVING AT THE VERY MOST A SWELLING ACTION ON SAID PRINTING INK AND NO SOLUBILIZING ACTION ON THE TEMPORARY SUPPORT, AND

2. AN UNPLASTICIZED TRANSFERABLE FILM COMPRISING: A. A PIGMENTED LAYER FORMING THE ELEMENTS OR POINTS OF THE PATTERNS AND BEING COMPOSED OF A PRINTING INK WITH TWO MAIN COMPONENTS, B. A LIGHT-TRANSMITTING LAYER FORMED OF ONE OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF SAID INK AND CONTAINING DISPERSED MICROCAPSULES COVERING AT LEAST THE PORTION OF THE PATTERN CARRYING SURFACE OF SAID TEMPORARY SUPPORT, SAID MICROCAPSULES CONTAINING A SOLVENT FOR SAID LIGHT-TRANSMITTING FILM WITH SAID SOLVENT HAVING AT THE VERY MOST A SWELLING ACTION ON SAID PRINTING INK AND NO SOLUBILIZING ACTION ON THE TEMPORARY SUPPORT, AND

2. an unplasticized transferable film comprising: a. a pigmented layer forming the elements or points of the patterns and being composed of a printing ink with two main components; b. a light-transmitting layer formed of one of the main components of said ink and containing dispersed microcapsules covering at least the portion of the pattern carrying surface of said temporary support, said microcapsules containing a solvent for said light-transmitting film with said solvent having at the very most a swelling action on said printing ink and no solubilizing action on the temporary support, and

2. A transfer sheet as in claim 1, in which the first main component of the ink is a polymer soluble in the solvent contained in the microcapsules and the second main component of the ink is a substance which reduces the solubility of the first main component in said solvent, the ratio between the first and second main component being such that said solvent contained in the microcapsules cannot dissolve the ink.

3. a coating of a pressure-sensitive adhesive covering said light-transmitting layer, the organic components of said pressure-sensitive adhesive being miscible with said light-transmitting layer and soluble in the solvent contained within said microcapsules so that upon transfer, the light-transmitting layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive interreactable with one another to provide, after transfer to said receptor surfaces, a strong adhesion to said receptor surface, pressure application to the surface of said sheet opposite the surface carrying said transferable film enabling the transfer to a receptor surface in contact with said film the portion of the patterns, composed of one or more of said elements or points, corresponding to the area of applied pressure, said temporary support being parchment paper coated with silicone, said ink comprising 10 parts by weight of pigments, 60 parts by weight of ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, 30 parts by weight of nitrocellulose 1/2 seconds, said light-transmitting film comprising 100 parts by weight of ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, 100 parts by weight of microcapsules having a diameter less than 60 microns, said layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive having a thickness of at most 25% of that of said light-transmitting film without taking into account the size of the microcapsules contained in said light-transmitting film, the pressure-sensitive adhesive comprising 10 parts by weight of polyisobutylene having a number average molecular weight of 300,000, 20 parts by weight of polyisobutylene havin a number average molecular weight of 8000, 10 parts by weight of polyisobutylene having a number average molecular weight of 820, 13 parts by weight of methylcyclohexane resin and 10 parts by weight of primary particles of silica having a diameter less than 50 millimicrons.

3. a coating of a pressure-sensitive adhesive covering said light-transmitting layer, the organic components of said pressure-sensitive adhesive being miscible with said light-transmitting layer and soluble in the solvent contained within said microcapsules so that upon transfer, the light-transmitting layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive interreactable with one another to provide, after transfer to said receptor surfaces, a strong adhesion to said receptor surface, pressure application to the surface of said sheet opposite the surface carrying said transferable film enabling the transfer to a receptor surface in contact with said film the portion of the patterns, composed of one or more of said elements or points, corresponding to the area of applied pressure.

3. A transfer sheet as in claim 2, in which the solvent contained in the microcapsules is an aromatic solvent, the first main component of the ink is a low viscosity ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, the second main component of the ink is a nitrocellulose one-half second, the weight ratio between the first and second main components of the ink being from about 2/3 to about 2/1.

3. A COATING OF A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE COVERING SAID LIGHT-TRANSMITTING LAYER, THE ORGANIC COMPONENTS OF SAID PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE BEING MISCIBLE WITH SAID LIGHTTRANSMITTING LAYER AND SOLUBLE IN THE SOLVENT CONTAINED WITH SAID MICROCAPSULES SO THAT UPON TRANSFER, THE LIGHTTRANSMITTING LAYER AND SOLUBLE IN THE SOLVENT CONTAINED INTERREACTABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER TO PROVIDE, AFTER TRANSFER TO SAID RECEPTOR SURFACE, A STRONG ADHESION TO SAID RECEPTOR SURFACE, PRESSURE APPLICATION TO THE SURFACE OF SAID SHEET OPPOSITE THE SURFACE CARRYING SAID TRANSFERABLE FILM ENABLING THE TRANSFER TO A RECEPTOR SURFACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FILM THE PORTION OF THE PETTERNS, COMPOSED OF ONE OR MORE OF SAID ELEMENTS OR POINTS, CORRESPONDING TO THE AREA OF APPLIED PRESSURE, SAID TEMPORARY SUPPORT BEING PARCHMENT PAPER COATING WITH SILICONE, SAID INK COMPRISING 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF PIGMENTS, 60 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF ETHYLHYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE, 30 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF NITROCELLULOSE 1/2 SECONDS, SAID LIGHT-TRANSMITTING FILM COMPISING 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF ETHYLHYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE, 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF MICROCAPSULES HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN 60 MICRONS, SAID LAYER OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE HAVING A THICKNESS OF A MOST 25% OF THAT OF SAID LIGHT-TRANSMITTING FILM WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SIZE OF THE MICROCAPSULES CONTAINED IN SAID LIGHT-TRANSMITTING FILM, THE PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE COMPRISING 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF POLYISOBUTYLENE HAVING A NUMBER AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF 300,000, 20 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF POLYISOBUTYLENE HAVING A NUMBER AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF 8000, 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF POLYISOBUTYLENE HAVING A NUMBER AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF 820, 13 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF METHYLCYCLOHEXANE RESIN AND 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF PRIMARY OF PARTICLES OF SILICA HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN 50 MILLIMICRONS.

3. A COATING OF A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE COVERING SAID LIGHT-TRANSMITTING LAYER, THE ORGANIC COMPONENTS OF SAID PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE BEING MISCIBLE WITH SAID LIGHTTRANSMITTING LAYER AND SOLUBLE IN THE SOLVENT CONTAINED WITHIN SAID MICROCAPSULES SO THAT UPON TRANSFER, THE LIGHTTRANSMITTING LAYER AND THE PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE INTERREACTABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER TO PROVIDE, AFTER TRANSFER TO SAID RECEPTOR SURFACES, A STRONG ADHESION TO SAID RECEPTOR SURFACE, PRESSURE APPLICATION TO THE SURFACE OF SAID SHEET OPPOSITE THE SURFACE CARRYING SAID TRANSFERABLE FILM ENABLING THE TRANSFER TO A RECEPTOR SURFACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FILM THE PORTION OF THE PATTERNS, COMPOSED OF ONE OR MORE OF SAID ELEMENTS OR POINTS, CORRESPONDING TO THE AREA OF APPLIED PRESSURE.

4. A transfer sheet as in claim 2, in which the solvent contained in the microcapsules is an aromatic solvent, the first main component of the ink is a chlorinated rubber of viscosity 20 centipoises, the second main component of the ink is a glycerophthalic resin containing 52% of soybean oil, the weight ratio between the first and second main components of the ink being of about 2/3 .

5. A transfer sheet as in claim 1, in which the microcapsules have a diameter less than 70 microns, are present in a proportion of at least 40% by weight of the light-transmitting film which contains the microcapsules, and their solvent content amounts to at least 85% of their total volume.

6. A transfer sheet as in claim 1, in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive is soluble in the solvent of the microcapsules at a slower rate than the light-transmitting film which contains the microcapsules, is compatible with said light-transmitting film and is applied as a layer whose thickness does not exceed one-third of that of said light-transmitting film, without taking into account the diameter of the microcapsules contained in said light-transmitting film.

9. The transfer sheet of claim 3 wherein the aromatic solvent is toluene or xylene.

11. A PATTERNED TRANSFER SHEET CARRYING ON ONE SURFACE THEREOF A PLURALITY OF ELEMENTS OR POINTS WHICH TOGETHER FORM PATTERNS, SAID PATTERNS, OR ANY SELECTED PORTION OF ONE OR MORE OF SAID PATTERNS, BEING TRANSFERABLE AND ADHERAVLE TO A RECEPTOR SURFACE, COMPRISING