Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an image-recording material that may prevent a flocculation of a coating liquid for image-recording layer that contains a water-dispersible emulsion and a water-soluble polymer compound, and that may exhibit an enhanced stability, present an improved film-forming performance, and provide superior surface conditions. In order to achieve the object, an image-recording material according to the present invention is provided, in which the image-recording material comprises a support and at least one image-recording layer on the support, wherein the image-recording layer is formed from a water-dispersible emulsion of which volume-average particle size is 55 nm or more and a water-soluble polymer compound of which weight-average molecular weight (Mw) is 400,000 or less. Preferably, the water-dispersible emulsion is a polyester emulsion. Preferably, the water-soluble polymer compound is polyethyleneoxide.

Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material comprises: an image-receiving sheet having an image-receiving layer; and at least four thermal transfer sheets each including a support, a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, in which each of the thermal transfer sheets has a different color, wherein an image is formed by: superposing the image-forming layer in each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets on the image-receiving layer in the image-receiving sheet, in which the image-forming layer is opposed to the image-receiving layer; irradiating the image-forming layer in the thermal transfer sheet with a laser beam; and transferring the irradiated area of the image-forming layer onto the image-receiving layer in the image-receiving sheet, and each of the light-to-heat converting layers in the at least four thermal transfer sheets has a ratio of an optical density (OD) to a layer thickness: OD/layer thickness (&mgr;m unit) of 0.57 or more.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image receiving sheet for use in an electrophotography has a toner image receiving layer having breaking extension greater than 0.2%. The toner image receiving layer contains preferably a water-soluble polymer or a water-dispersant polymer as a major component.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming method, comprising transferring a toner image to an electrophotographic recording sheet, layering the electrophotographic recording sheet on a fixing belt and heating and pressing the sheet, and cooling the electrophotographic recording sheet and separating the sheet from the fixing belt. The electrophotographic recording sheet comprises a support comprising cellulose pulp-containing base paper and a toner image-receiving layer comprising a thermoplastic resin disposed on the support. A shrinkage percentage of the electrophotographic recording sheet in a CD direction in the heating step is 1.3% or less. The support preferably further comprises either a polyolefin-containing layer or a coating that contains at least one selected from the group consisting of kaolin, a pigment, a resin, a rubber latex, or a polymer material and that is provided on one or both surfaces of the base paper.

Abstract: In the image forming process of the present invention wherein a toner is fixed on an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet using a belt fixing and smoothing device, the relationship among the temperature of a heating and fixing roller, the melting point of a toner wax, and the glass transition point of a toner binder, the relationship among the temperature of a heating and fixing roller, the melting point of a wax in the image-receiving layer, and the glass transition point of a binder in the image-receiving layer, and the relationship between the polar components of surface free energy of the toner-image-receiving layer before and after image fixing are optimized. The present invention is to prevent offset in the toner and the toner-image-receiving layer of the electrophotographic image-receiving sheet upon releasing of the belt and to avoid deterioration in image quality especially in operation over the long run.

Abstract: An image-receiving sheet for electrophotography having improved gloss is provided, which sheet is capable of preventing reverse transferring of a toner image to the fixing part, i.e., offset. The image-receiving sheet is capable of improving peeling of the image-receiving sheet and the fixing part from each other to provide stable paper feeding ability and a stable image. The image-receiving sheet comprises a toner image-receiving layer containing a polymer, wherein relationship between a surface tension of said polymer (&ggr;p)(mN/m) determined at a toner fixing temperature and a surface tension of a toner (&ggr;t)(mN/m) determined at said toner fixing temperature meets the following formula; &ggr;p−&ggr;t≧8.

Abstract: Brittleness of a coating substance such as a coating film that is too brittle and/or too thin to be independently removed or handled is rated on the basis of an outcome of detection of acoustic emissions which are produced when a test film piece prepared by laminating a support with the coating substance is deformed by a compression transverse test device and detected by an AE sensor attached to the test film.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image receiving sheet with a toner image receiving layer containing a release agent and formed on a support sheet for use in a fixing belt type electrophotography is disclosed.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image-receiving sheet which includes a support, a toner-receiving layer which contains thermoplastic resin. The fixing belt electrophotographic sheet has an optimized separation force at a surface of the electrophotographic image-receiving sheet from the toner-receiving layer. Having a highly improved long-run properties, the fixing belt electrophotographic sheet realizes a stable paper feed without offset, and provides a good quality image with rich photographic features.

Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material of recording an image using an image-receiving sheet comprising a support having thereon at least an image-receiving layer, and thermal transfer sheets for forming four or more different colors each comprising a support having thereon at least a light-to-heat conversion layer and an image-forming layer, said image being recorded by superposing each said thermal transfer sheet and said image-receiving sheet such that the image-forming layer of the thermal transfer sheet and the image-receiving layer of the image-receiving layer come to face each other, irradiating laser light and transferring the image-forming layer in the region irradiated with the laser light onto the image-receiving layer of the image-receiving sheet, wherein the adhesive tape peeling strength on the image-receiving layer surface of said image-receiving sheet is from 800 to 20,000 mN/cm at room temperature.

Abstract: A multicolor itage-forming material comprising: an image-receiving sheet comprising a support and an image-receiving layer; and at least four thermal transfer sheets each comprising a support, a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, and each having a different color, wherein an image is formed by the method comprising the steps of: superposing each one of the at least four thermal transfer sheets on the image-receiving sheet to be in a state of the image-forming layer being in contact with the image-receiving layer; and irradiating the thermal transfer sheet with a laser beam to transfer an image in an area of the image-forming layer subjected to irradiation onto the image-receiving layer, the image-receiving sheet has both lengthwise and breadthwise lengths of 50 cm or more, and an area (length×breadth) of 3,000 cm2 or more, and a spectral reflectance of a surface of the image-receiving layer to the laser beam is 65% or more.

Abstract: An image-receiving sheet for electrophotography having improved gloss is provided, which sheet is capable of preventing reverse transferring of a toner image to the fixing part, i.e., offset. The image-receiving sheet is capable of improving peeling of the image-receiving sheet and the fixing part from each other to provide stable paper feeding ability and a stable image.

Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material comprises: an image-receiving sheet having an image-receiving layer; and at least four thermal transfer sheets each including a support, a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, in which each of the thermal transfer sheets has a different color, wherein an image is formed by: superposing the image-forming layer in each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets on the image-receiving layer in the image-receiving sheet, in which the image-forming layer is opposed to the image-receiving layer; irradiating the image-forming layer in the thermal transfer sheet with a laser beam; and transferring the irradiated area of the image-forming layer onto the image-receiving layer in the image-receiving sheet, and each of the light-to-heat converting layers in the at least four thermal transfer sheets has a ratio of an optical density (OD) to a layer thickness: OD/layer thickness (&mgr;m unit) of 0.57 or more.

Abstract: A coated material comprising a substrate which has micropores and a reaction product coated thereon along the surface configuration of the substrate and an inner wall of the micropores thereof. The coated material is preferably produced by performing a supercritical coating step wherein a reaction precursor is dissolved in a supercritical fluid to form a precursor fluid and then the precursor fluid is brought into contact with a substrate in the presence with a reaction initiator to allow a reaction between the reaction precursor and the reaction initiator, thereby coating a reaction product onto the substrate.

Abstract: A method of producing a photographic polyester laminate support having a laminate of layers of at least two kinds of polyesters can provide low formation of scratches in a camera and a curl in the film's width direction. In the support, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of each polyester of the laminate is within the range of from 90.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. and the laminate is subjected to heat-fixing in a temperature range as defined by formula (1):Heat-fixing temperature (.degree.C.)=(Tm(L)-50) to (Tm(H)-10)formula (1)wherein Tm(H)(.degree.C.) means the highest melting temperature of polyesters that constitute the laminate support, and Tm(L)(.degree.C.) means the lowest melting temperature of polyesters that constitute the laminate support.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat sensitive ink sheet having a support sheet and a heat sensitive ink layer having a thickness of 0.2 to 1.0 .mu.m which is formed of a heat sensitive ink material comprising 30 to 70 weight % of colored pigment, 25 to 65 weight % of amorphous organic polymer having a softening point of 40.degree. to 150.degree. C. and 0.1 to 20 weight % of nitrogen-containing compound. Further, thermal transfer recording methods by area gradation using the heat sensitive ink sheet and an image receiving sheet are also disclosed.