Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet, containing: a base film; a dye layer; and a heat-resistant lubricating layer containing talc particles; wherein, when a projected area corresponding to each of the talc particles in the heat-resistant lubricating layer is obtained from an electron beam image that is obtained by irradiating electron beams accelerated at 20 kV from a side of the heat-resistant lubricating layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet using a scanning electronic microscope, an average projected area of talc particles each having the projected area of 10 square ?m or more is 80 square ?m or less, and a variation coefficient that is obtained by dividing a standard deviation of the projected areas of talc particles each having the projected area of 10 square ?m or more by the average projected area is 0.8 or less.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet, having: a base film; a dye layer; and a heat-resistant lubricating layer; wherein the heat-resistant lubricating layer contains a specific compound, and wherein, when a characteristic X-ray intensity originated from K-line of phosphorus element in the heat-resistant lubricating layer is measured with respect to each points within a 200 ?m square region, the largest value of the characteristic X-ray intensity is at least 2.5 times or more relative to the smallest value of the characteristic X-ray intensity within the 200 ?m square region, and a plurality of maximum regions having a maximum value of the characteristic X-ray intensity exist in the 200 ?m square region, and a variation coefficient that is obtained by dividing a standard deviation of the maximum values of the characteristic X-ray intensity among these maximum regions with an average value of the characteristic X-ray intensities is 0.25 or less.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet containing a base film, a dye layer formed over one surface of the base film and containing a heat-transferable dye and a resin, and a heat-resistant lubricating layer formed over the other surface of the base film and containing a lubricant and a resin, wherein the heat-resistant lubricating layer contains a specific phosphate ester as the lubricant, and the maximum value of the following characteristic X-ray intensities is at least 5 times the minimum value thereof: characteristic X-ray intensities obtained by radiating an electron beam which is accelerated to 20 kV and has a beam diameter of 1 ?m or less onto plural positions of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet from the heat-resistant lubricating layer side of this sheet, and measuring the resultant characteristic X-rays originating from the K-line of the phosphorus element in the heat-resistant lubricating layer by an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet containing a base film, a dye layer formed over one surface of the base film and containing a heat-transferable dye and a resin, and a heat-resistant lubricating layer formed over the other surface of the base film and containing inorganic particles and a resin, wherein the inorganic particles contained in the heat-resistant lubricating layer has a Mohs' hardness of 3 to 7 and a mean particle size of 0.3 to 5 ?m, and the ratio of the maximum width of each of the inorganic particles to the sphere equivalent diameter thereof is from 1.5 to 50.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet, comprising a base film, at least three heat-sensitive transfer layers containing heat-sensitively transferable dyes and a resin, and a heat-resistant slipping layer, in which the at least three heat-sensitive transfer layers contains two or more dyes different from each other; the heat-sensitive transfer layers are provided on one face of the base film so as not to be superposed on one another; the heat-sensitive transfer layers contains, as the resin, at least one of a polyvinylbutyral resin and a polyvinyl acetacetal resin, each having a polymerization degree of 200 to 1,000; and at least one of the heat-sensitive transfer layers contains the polyvinylbutyral resin as described above and the polyvinyl acetacetal resin described above, and has a ratio of the polyvinylbutyral to the polyvinyl acetacetal different from those in the other heat-sensitive transfer layers.

Abstract: A cardboard cylinder for winding a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet having a receptive layer on one surface of a support around the cardboard cylinder, wherein an innermost surface of the cardboard cylinder is composed of a layer containing a polyolefin resin having a number average molecular weight of 12,000 or more in a proportion of at least 80% by mass based on the layer.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image forming method, containing: superposing receptor layer side of image-receiving sheet and dye layer side of ink sheet, making a thermal head contact with the sheets from lubricating layer side of ink sheet, and applying heat while making the head and ink sheet move at 60 mm/s or more relatively, and thereby transferring dye to form an image; wherein image-receiving sheet has heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles, receptor layer and/or heat insulation layer contains a water-soluble polymer; lubricating layer contains inorganic particles in 0.01-5 mass % to the total solid content of lubricating layer, the particles have Mohs' hardness 3-6 and mean particle size 0.3-5 ?m, and the ratio of the maximum width of each particles to the sphere equivalent diameter thereof is 1.5-50; and when 0.7 J/cm2 energy is applied, contact distance between the head and lubricating layer is 350-450 ?m.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet, having: a base film; a dye layer; and a heat-resistant lubricating layer; wherein the heat-resistant lubricating layer contains a specific compound, and wherein, when a characteristic X-ray intensity originated from K-line of phosphorus element in the heat-resistant lubricating layer is measured with respect to each points within a 200 ?m square region, the largest value of the characteristic X-ray intensity is at least 2.5 times or more relative to the smallest value of the characteristic X-ray intensity within the 200 ?m square region, and a plurality of maximum regions having a maximum value of the characteristic X-ray intensity exist in the 200 ?m square region, and a variation coefficient that is obtained by dividing a standard deviation of the maximum values of the characteristic X-ray intensity among these maximum regions with an average value of the characteristic X-ray intensities is 0.25 or less.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet, containing: a base film; a dye layer; and a heat-resistant lubricating layer containing talc particles; wherein, when a projected area corresponding to each of the talc particles in the heat-resistant lubricating layer is obtained from an electron beam image that is obtained by irradiating electron beams accelerated at 20 kV from a side of the heat-resistant lubricating layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet using a scanning electronic microscope, an average projected area of talc particles each having the projected area of 10 square ?m or more is 80 square ?m or less, and a variation coefficient that is obtained by dividing a standard deviation of the projected areas of talc particles each having the projected area of 10 square ?m or more by the average projected area is 0.8 or less.

Abstract: A silver halide color photosensitive material for being subjected to a color development within nine seconds of being imagewise exposed, and comprising a support and a photograph constitution layer provided on the support, the photograph constitution layer containing at least one layer that comprises a yellow dye-forming coupler, at least one layer that comprises a magenta dye-forming coupler, at least one layer that comprises a cyan dye-forming coupler, and at least one non-photosensitive hydrophilic colloid layer. The coupler-comprising layers respectively include silver halide emulsions, and at least one of the silver halide emulsions has the characteristics of: (i) a silver chloride content of 90 mol % or more; and (ii) containing at least one specific metal complexes. The color development is preferably completed within 28 seconds.

Abstract: An image-forming method comprising: employing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material, comprising, on a support, at least one silver halide emulsion layer containing a yellow dye-forming coupler, at least one silver halide emulsion layer containing a magenta dye-forming coupler, at least one silver halide emulsion layer containing a cyan dye-forming coupler, at least one color-mix preventing layer and at least one protective layer, wherein the said silver halide emulsion layer containing a yellow dye-forming coupler includes a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a silver chloride content of 90 mole % or more and containing at least one specific blue-sensitive sensitizing dye; and exposing the said silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material to a blue semiconductor laser of a wavelength shorter by 30 nm to 60 nm than the wavelength at which the said blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion has the spectral sensitivity maximum.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image forming method, containing: superposing receptor layer side of image-receiving sheet and dye layer side of ink sheet, making a thermal head contact with the sheets from lubricating layer side of ink sheet, and applying heat while making the head and ink sheet move at 60 mm/s or more relatively, and thereby transferring dye to form an image; wherein image-receiving sheet has heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles, receptor layer and/or heat insulation layer contains a water-soluble polymer; lubricating layer contains inorganic particles in 0.01-5 mass % to the total solid content of lubricating layer, the particles have Mohs' hardness 3-6 and mean particle size 0.3-5 ?m, and the ratio of the maximum width of each particles to the sphere equivalent diameter thereof is 1.5-50; and when 0.7 J/cm2 energy is applied, contact distance between the head and lubricating layer is 350-450 ?m.

Abstract: A silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material having, on a support, at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, characterized in that at least one of the silver halide emulsion layers contains a silver halide emulsion having a silver chloride content of 90 mole % or above, the silver halide emulsion contains at least one kind of selenium compound, and the silver halide emulsion layer containing the silver halide emulsion has a characteristic curve satisfying the following relation (1); 2.0??H/?L?0.5??Relation (1) wherein ? represents a gradient of the characteristic curve, ?H represents a gradient in the case of 1×10?6-second exposure and ?L represents a gradient in the case of 100-second exposure.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet containing a base film, a dye layer formed over one surface of the base film and containing a heat-transferable dye and a resin, and a heat-resistant lubricating layer formed over the other surface of the base film and containing inorganic particles and a resin, wherein the inorganic particles contained in the heat-resistant lubricating layer has a Mohs' hardness of 3 to 7 and a mean particle size of 0.3 to 5 ?m, and the ratio of the maximum width of each of the inorganic particles to the sphere equivalent diameter thereof is from 1.5 to 50.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet containing a base film, a dye layer formed over one surface of the base film and containing a heat-transferable dye and a resin, and a heat-resistant lubricating layer formed over the other surface of the base film and containing a lubricant and a resin, wherein the heat-resistant lubricating layer contains a specific phosphate ester as the lubricant, and the maximum value of the following characteristic X-ray intensities is at least 5 times the minimum value thereof: characteristic X-ray intensities obtained by radiating an electron beam which is accelerated to 20 kV and has a beam diameter of 1 ?m or less onto plural positions of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet from the heat-resistant lubricating layer side of this sheet, and measuring the resultant characteristic X-rays originating from the K-line of the phosphorus element in the heat-resistant lubricating layer by an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet, comprising a base film, at least three heat-sensitive transfer layers containing heat-sensitively transferable dyes and a resin, and a heat-resistant slipping layer, in which the at least three heat-sensitive transfer layers contains two or more dyes different from each other; the heat-sensitive transfer layers are provided on one face of the base film so as not to be superposed on one another; the heat-sensitive transfer layers contains, as the resin, at least one of a polyvinylbutyral resin and a polyvinyl acetacetal resin, each having a polymerization degree of 200 to 1,000; and at least one of the heat-sensitive transfer layers contains the polyvinylbutyral resin as described above and the polyvinyl acetacetal resin described above, and has a ratio of the polyvinylbutyral to the polyvinyl acetacetal different from those in the other heat-sensitive transfer layers.

Abstract: A cardboard cylinder for winding a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet having a receptive layer on one surface of a support around the cardboard cylinder, wherein an innermost surface of the cardboard cylinder is composed of a layer containing a polyolefin resin having a number average molecular weight of 12,000 or more in a proportion of at least 80% by mass based on the layer.

Abstract: A silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material having, on a support, at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, characterized in that at least one of the silver halide emulsion layers contains a silver halide emulsion having a silver chloride content of 90 mole % or above, the silver halide emulsion contains at least one kind of selenium compound, and the silver halide emulsion layer containing the silver halide emulsion has a characteristic curve satisfying the following relation (1); 2.0??H/?L?0.5??Relation (1) wherein ? represents a gradient of the characteristic curve, ?H represents a gradient in the case of 1×10?6-second exposure and ?L represents a gradient in the case of 100-second exposure.

Abstract: An image-forming method comprising: employing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material, comprising, on a support, at least one silver halide emulsion layer containing a yellow dye-forming coupler, at least one silver halide emulsion layer containing a magenta dye-forming coupler, at least one silver halide emulsion layer containing a cyan dye-forming coupler, at least one color-mix preventing layer and at least one protective layer, wherein the said silver halide emulsion layer containing a yellow dye-forming coupler includes a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a silver chloride content of 90 mole % or more and containing at least one specific blue-sensitive sensitizing dye; and exposing the said silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material to a blue semiconductor laser of a wavelength shorter by 30 nm to 60 nm than the wavelength at which the said blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion has the spectral sensitivity maximum.

Abstract: A silver halide color photosensitive material, which has: at least each one layer of yellow-, magenta- and cyan-color-forming photosensitive silver halide emulsion layers on a reflective support, and at least one non-light-sensitive non-color-forming hydrophilic colloidal layer; wherein at least one of the photosensitive silver halide emulsion layers contains a silver halide emulsion containing 90 mol % or more of silver chloride, and a compound having a repetitive unit of formula (I) is contained: wherein R1 is —OR, —SR or —N—R(—R?), where R and R? are a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclic group, or R and R? may form a saturated carbon ring or a heterocycle; R2 and R3 are a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; Y1 and Y2 are a polymethylene, arylene or cycloalkylene group; Z is —O—, —SO2— or —CH2—; and m is 0 or 1.