US Patent 7524048 Meltable reactive ink and process of using same

A process for printing images and subsequently bonding the image to a substrate by activating bonding through the application of energy. An ink may comprise reactive functional groups that are blocked to prevent reaction of reactive components during printing of the image by the digital imaging device. The ink is solid at ambient temperature, and may be liquefied after the ink is installed in the digital imaging device. Heat used to achieve phase change of the ink does not disable, by removal or otherwise, the blocking agent. After the image is printed by the imaging device, the reactive components are activated by an energy source, which may be heat, to promote chemical cross-linking and bonding of the image permanently onto a substrate. The substrate may be an intermediate substrate that provides a transfer sheet for subsequent transfer of the image to a final substrate. The formed image, including the colorant, is bonded to the substrate by the reactive components.