Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet for forming an image having an identifying mark, an image forming method, and an image forming apparatus using the same, wherein the identifying mark is useful to identify various information concerning the sheet. The sheet for forming an image is provided with two or more image-formative layers which are defined by frame respectively and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A printing system according to the present invention includes a media terminal box which may be installed on a street. In the box, there are disposed a measuring device that measures the temperature or humidity in the box, a device such as a CPU, and a storage device. The storage device stores correction data including a correction value based on a combination of the temperature and humidity, and history data relating to the temperature and humidity measured by the measuring device. The control device corrects a color tone of image data which is read out from the storage device based on the temperature/humidity history data and the correction data so as to generate corrected image data. The corrected image data is sent to a printer, and then the printer is operated based on the corrected image data.

Abstract: A feeding bobbin including a winding shaft including two ends each having a flange detachable mounted thereon, the shaft being common to various feeding bobbins for a thermal transfer printer, wherein the flanges are separated by a width corresponding to the width of a thermal transfer sheet or image receiving sheet to be wound around the winding shaft, and the winding shaft includes a portion for receiving such sheet wound thereon, the portion having a width regulatable by location of a combination of the flanges according to the width of such sheet.

Abstract: A printing system according to the present invention includes a media terminal box 2 which is installed on a street. In the box 2, there are disposed measuring means 5 that measures the temperature or humidity in the box 20, a control part 1, and storing means 4. The storing means 4 incorporates therein correction data 10 storing a correction value based on a combination of the temperature and humidity, and history data 9 relating to the temperature and humidity measured by the measuring means 5. Correcting means 7 of the control part 1 corrects a color tone of image data 8 which is read out from the storing means 4 based on the temperature/humidity history data 9 and the correction data 10 so as to generate corrected image data 8?. The corrected image data 8? is sent to a printer 6, and then the printer 6 is operated based on the corrected image data 8?.

Abstract: A coreless thermal transfer recording web roll 10 is formed by rolling a thermal transfer recording web 10a in a roll. An inner end part 11 of the thermal transfer recording web 10a of the thermal transfer recording web roll 10 has a tab 11a formed at a substantially middle of the inner end part 11, and sticking parts 11b formed on the opposite sides of the tab 11a, respectively. Pseudoadhesive double-coated tapes 14 are attached to the sticking parts 11b, respectively. The pseudoadhesive double-coated tapes become tack-free after the sticking parts 11b have been separated from the innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web 10a of the thermal transfer recording web roll 10.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet for forming an image having an identifying mark, an image forming method, and an image forming apparatus using the same, wherein the identifying mark is useful to identify various information concerning the sheet. The sheet for forming an image is provided with two or more image-formative layers which are defined by frame respectively and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer includes a thermal transfer recording web roll having a bore and obtained by rolling a thermal transfer web. The segment of the thermal transfer recording web forming the innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web roll is fixed to a part of a segment of the same forming the second innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web roll. A holding device is inserted in the bore of the thermal transfer recording web roll to hold the thermal transfer recording web roll. The thermal transfer recording web roll and the holding device rotate in a unit to feed the thermal transfer recording web to a thermal transfer recording unit that forms images on the thermal transfer recording web. The thermal transfer recording web roll can be prepared at a low cost without requiring much time and effort.

Abstract: A coreless thermal transfer recording web roll 10 is formed by rolling a thermal transfer recording web 10a in a roll. An inner end part 11 of the thermal transfer recording web 10a of the thermal transfer recording web roll 10 has a tab 11a formed at a substantially middle of the inner end part 11, and sticking parts 11b formed on the opposite sides of the tab 11a, respectively. Pseudoadhesive double-coated tapes 14 are attached to the sticking parts 11b, respectively. The pseudoadhesive double-coated tapes become tack-free after the sticking parts 11b have been separated from the innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web 10a of the thermal transfer recording web roll 10.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a feeding bobbin in which, in winding a thermal transfer sheet or image receiving sheet having a different size (width), onto the feeding bobbin, work on the side of a small roll winding device is easy, thermal transfer sheets or image receiving sheets different from each other in size (width) can be used in various thermal transfer printers, and the feeding bobbin can be recycled without the necessity of disposal and without causing any trouble, and to provide a method for recycling the feeding bobbin. The feeding bobbin is a feeding bobbin 1 comprising a common winding shaft 4 and flanges 2 mounted detachably respectively on both ends 61, 62 of the winding shaft 4.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer includes a thermal transfer recording web roll having a bore and obtained by rolling a thermal transfer web. The segment of the thermal transfer recording web forming the innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web roll is fixed to a part of a segment of the same forming the second innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web roll. A holding device is inserted in the bore of the thermal transfer recording web roll to hold the thermal transfer recording web roll. The thermal transfer recording web roll and the holding device rotate in a unit to feed the thermal transfer recording web to a thermal transfer recording unit that forms images on the thermal transfer recording web. The thermal transfer recording web roll can be prepared at a low cost without requiring much time and effort.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer includes a thermal transfer recording web roll having a bore and obtained by rolling a thermal transfer web. The segment of the thermal transfer recording web forming the innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web roll is fixed to a part of a segment of the same forming the second innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web roll. A holding device is inserted in the bore of the thermal transfer recording web roll to hold the thermal transfer recording web roll. The thermal transfer recording web roll and the holding device rotate in a unit to feed the thermal transfer recording web to a thermal transfer recording unit that forms images on the thermal transfer recording web. The thermal transfer recording web roll can be prepared at a low cost without requiring much time and effort.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer includes a thermal transfer recording web roll having a bore and obtained by rolling a thermal transfer web. The segment of the thermal transfer recording web forming the innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web roll is fixed to a part of a segment of the same forming the second innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web roll. A holding device is inserted in the bore of the thermal transfer recording web roll to hold the thermal transfer recording web roll. The thermal transfer recording web roll and the holding device rotate in a unit to feed the thermal transfer recording web to a thermal transfer recording unit that forms images on the thermal transfer recording web. The thermal transfer recording web roll can be prepared at a low cost without requiring much time and effort.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet including: a substrate, a thermal transfer layer provided on one side of the substrate, and a heat-resistant slip layer, containing particles, provided on the other side of the substrate, the shot-type abrasion loss of the particles contained in the heat-resistant slip layer being 15 to 100 mg. A thermal transfer sheet including: a substrate, a heat-transferable colorant layer provided on one side of the substrate; and a heat-resistant slip layer, containing an inorganic filler, provided on the other side of the substrate, the inorganic filler comprising a main component and an impurity, the hardness of the main component and the hardness of the impurity having the relationship: main component<impurity, the ratio of the highest diffraction line intensity Y of the impurity to the highest diffraction line intensity X of the main component in the X-ray diffraction of the inorganic filler being 0.03.ltoreq.Y/X.ltoreq.0.20.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet of the present invention has a heat resistant layer disposed on a back surface thereof and a slip layer disposed on the heat resistant layer. The heat resistant layer contains a binder resin having a molecular structure, one end portion of which is an end group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl and mercapto. The slip layer contains silylisocyanate represented by the following formula (1): R.sub.n --Si--(N C O).sub.4-n ?in the formula (1), R denotes alkyl, aryl or vinyl; and "n" denotes an integer of 0 to 3!. The slip layer is hardened by reacting an isocyanate group of the silylisocyanate contained therein with the end group of the binder resin contained in the heat resistant layer.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet including a substrate, a thermal transfer layer provided on one side of the substrate, and a heat-resistant slip layer, containing particles, provided on the other side of the substrate, the shot-type abrasion loss of the particles contained in the heat-resistant slip layer being 15 to 100 mg. A thermal transfer sheet including a substrate, a heat-transferable colorant layer provided on one side of the substrate, and a heat-resistant slip layer, containing an inorganic filler, provided on the other side of the substrate, the inorganic filler comprising a main component and an impurity, the hardness of the main component and the hardness of the impurity having the relationship: main component<impurity, the ratio of the highest diffraction line intensity Y of the impurity to the highest diffraction line intensity X of the main component in the X-ray diffraction of the inorganic filler being 0.03.ltoreq.Y/X.ltoreq.0.20.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet including: a substrate film, a heat-transferable colorant layer provided on one side of the substrate film, and a heat-resistant slip layer, provided on the other side of the substrate film. The slip layer includes a binder resin and a reaction product between a polyisocyanate and a straight-chain aliphatic hydrocarbon with 8 or more carbon atoms having, at its one end, a group reactive with an isocyanate group.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet including a substrate film, a recording agent layer formed on one surface of the substrate film, and a back surface layer formed on the other surface of the substrate film, the back surface layer containing at least one lubricant having a heat decomposition temperature of 200.degree. C. or above including a thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate sheet, a thermally transferable colorant layer formed on one surface of the substrate sheet and a back surface layer formed on the other surface of the substrate sheet, said back surface layer containing a phosphoric ester surfactant, an alkaline substance and a binder. A thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate sheet, a thermally transferable colorant layer formed on one surface of the substrate sheet and a back surface layer formed on the other surface of the substrate sheet, the back surface layer comprising a resin binder and particles having a Mohs hardness of less than 3.

Abstract: A laminate sheet for protecting a thermally transferred image formed on one of surfaces of a material to be protected including a base material, a first bonding layer having one surface contacting one of surfaces of the base material and a second bonding layer having one surface contacting another surface of the first bonding layer and another surface contacting one surface of the material to be protected on which a thermally transferred image is formed. The base material including a base film having transparency to an extent through which the thermally transferred image can be observed. The first bonding layer is formed of polyethylene resin, ionomer resin, polyamide resin or polypropylene resin, and the second bonding layer is formed of polyamide resin or vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer. The laminate sheet of the structure described above is utilized for the formation of a pouch-card, a flash-card or the like.

Abstract: A laminate sheet for protecting a thermally transferred image formed on one of surfaces of a material to be protected including a base material, a first bonding layer having one surface contacting one of surfaces of the base material and a second bonding layer having one surface contacting another surface of the first bonding layer and another surface contacting one surface of the material to be protected on which a thermally transferred image is formed. The base material including a base film having transparency to an extent through which the thermally transferred image can be observed. The first bonding layer is formed of polyethylene resin, ionomer resin, polyamide resin or polypropylene resin, and the second bonding layer is formed of polyamide resin or vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer. The laminate sheet of the structure described above is utilized for the formation of a pouch-card, a flash-card or the like.

Abstract: A coreless thermal transfer recording web roll 10 is formed by rolling a thermal transfer recording web 10a in a roll. An inner end part 11 of the thermal transfer recording web 10a of the thermal transfer recording web roll 10 has a tab 11a formed at a substantially middle of the inner end part 11, and sticking parts 11b formed on the opposite sides of the tab 11a, respectively. Pseudoadhesive double-coated tapes 14 are attached to the sticking parts 11b, respectively. The pseudoadhesive double-coated tapes become tack-free after the sticking parts 11b have been separated from the innermost layer of the thermal transfer recording web 10a of the thermal transfer recording web roll 10.