Recording material and method

1. A recording material which comprises a polymeric substrate having two surfaces, wherein one surface is coated with a sealing layer comprising a particulate polymer having a film forming temperature of between 60° C. and 160° C. and an average particle size between 1 μm and 50 μm together with at least one binder; and at least one ink receiving layer; wherein said sealing layer is on top of said ink receiving layer; and the opposite surface is coated with an adhesive layer.

2. The recording material according to claim 1 , wherein a release liner is on top of said adhesive layer.

3. The recording material according to claim 1 wherein the particulate polymer has an average particle size between 5 μm and 20 μm.

4. The recording material according to claim 1 wherein the particulate polymeric dispersion comprises low density polyethylene.

5. The recording material according to claim 1 wherein the binder for the sealing layer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, a copolymer of polyvinyl alcohol, tragacanth gum, casein, starch, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, a polyacrylate, poly vinyl pyrrolidone, and gelatin.

6. The recording material according to claim 1 wherein said ink receiving layer comprises at least one white pigment and a polymeric binder.

7. The recording material according to claim 6 wherein the white pigment is selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, kaolin, talc, calcium sulphate, barium sulphate, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, zinc carbonate, satin white, aluminium silicate, diatomaceous earth, calcium silicate, magnesium silicate, synthetic non-crystalline silica, colloidal silica, colloidal alumina, pseudo boehmite, aluminium hydroxide, alumina, lithopone, zeolite, hydrolyzed halloysite, magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, clays and the like.

8. The recording material according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric substrate is cellulose acetate, poly(ethylene), poly(propylene), poly (vinyl chloride), poly (ethylene terephthalate), poly (butylene terephthalate), and poly (ethylene naphthalate).

9. The recording material according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric substrate is opaque.

10. The recording material according to claim 9 wherein the opaque polymeric substrate is plasticised polyvinyl chloride.

11. The recording material according to claim 2 wherein the release liner comprises kraft paper, glassine paper, impregnated paper, polyester film, or polyamide film.

12. A printing method whereby an image printed on a recording material, wherein said recording material comprises a polymeric substrate having two surfaces, wherein one surface is coated with a sealing layer comprising a particulate polymer having a film forming temperature of between 60° C. and 160° C. and an average particle size between 1 μm and 50 μm together with at least one binder, and at least one ink receiving layer between said sealing layer and said polymeric substrate; and the opposite surface coated with an adhesive layer; wherein the recording material is heated after printing to seal the sealing layer to provide a protective surface.

13. The printing method according to claim 12 , wherein a release liner is on top of said adhesive layer.

14. The printing method according to claim 12 whereby the material is heated to between 80° C. and 180° C.

15. The printing method according to claim 12 whereby the material is printed using the ink jet printing process.

16. The printing method according to claim 12 whereby the printed material is heated under pressure with the image surface in contact with a second, inert sheet which is held against the image protective layer of the material.

17. The printing method according to claim 16 whereby the printed material and inert sheet are heated under pressure by passing them through a laminator.