Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for producing a print, which is able to prevent damages to the image-receiving sheet and generation of large wrinkles at the edges of the ink ribbon, to reduce printing unevenness, and thus to provide a high-quality print. Disclosed is a method for producing a print, in which a print is made on an image-receiving sheet by use of a specific thermal-transfer printer and an ink ribbon, wherein the ink ribbon has at least one color material layer and a protection layer; the image-receiving sheet has a receptor layer; and after printing all colors of the color material layers, the dynamic friction coefficient between the receptor layer surface of the image-receiving sheet before being coated with the protection layer and the outermost surface on the protection layer of the ink ribbon, is 0.4 or less.

Abstract: Packaging for reliably fixing an irregularly shaped ink ribbon unit includes few components, including a printing paper roll wound with printing paper, an ink ribbon unit having both a sending roll that is wound with an ink ribbon and a winding roll disposed in parallel to the sending roll, a container for holding the printing paper roll and ink ribbon unit, and a partition member that partitions the container into first and second storage regions, into which the printing paper roll and ink ribbon unit are respectively stored. The ink ribbon unit is arranged in such a manner that the direction of the shafts of the sending and winding rolls is parallel to the bottom surface of the second storage region, and the partition member extends with an inclination relative to a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the second storage region.

Abstract: Packaging for reliably fixing an irregularly shaped ink ribbon unit includes few components, including a printing paper roll wound with printing paper, an ink ribbon unit having both a sending roll that is wound with an ink ribbon and a winding roll disposed in parallel to the sending roll, a container for holding the printing paper roll and ink ribbon unit, and a partition member that partitions the container into first and second storage regions, into which the printing paper roll and ink ribbon unit are respectively stored. The ink ribbon unit is arranged in such a manner that the direction of the shafts of the sending and winding rolls is parallel to the bottom surface of the second storage region, and the partition member extends with an inclination relative to a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the second storage region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing method which can form an image having a rainbow color and a metallic luster at a low cost. The printing method comprises the steps of: providing a substrate; forming, on a surface of the substrate, a first image using a pigment- or dye-containing first colorant; and then forming a second image using a pearl pigment-containing second colorant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for image formation, that can yield thermally transferred images which are excellent in various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, and an intermediate transfer recording medium for use in the method for image formation. The method for image formation comprises the steps of: providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a substrate film and a transfer portion provided separably on the substrate film; forming an image on the intermediate transfer recording medium in its transfer portion; transferring the transfer portion onto an object; and, thereafter, again transferring the intermediate transfer recording medium in its next transfer portion once or more onto the object with the image formed thereon. In this case, in the intermediate transfer recording medium, a hologram image is set every at least second image plane, and an image can be formed on the transfer portion having the hologram image.

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: Disclosed is a method for image formation which can improve adhesion, transferability, and print quality. The method for image formation comprises the steps of: providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a separable receptive layer provided on at least one side of a substrate sheet; forming a first image on the receptive layer by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a dye layer; forming a transparent adhesive layer on the receptive layer with the first image provided thereon by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a transparent adhesive layer; forming a second image on the transparent adhesive layer by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a heat-fusion ink layer; and transferring the processed receptive layer from the intermediate transfer recording medium to an object to form an image on the object.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet is provided that can yield thermally transferred images, which possess excellent various fastness or resistance properties even under severe service conditions, and comprises a transferable protective layer having good transferability. In a thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate sheet and a thermally transferable protective layer on the substrate sheet, the thermally transferable protective layer comprises a scratch-resistant layer which is repeatedly provided one by one for each picture plane unit in the thermal transfer sheet. An area of the scratch-resistant layer for each picture plane unit is smaller than an area of an object in its transfer surface. By virtue of this construction, at the time of the transfer of a protective layer onto an object, layer cutting does not occur within the scratch-resistant layer but within other layer (such as peel layer or adhesive layer), and, consequently, the protective layer can be transferred with good transferability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for image formation, that can yield thermally transferred images which are excellent in various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, and an intermediate transfer recording medium for use in the method for image formation. The method for image formation comprises the steps of: providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a substrate film and a transfer portion provided separably on the substrate film; forming an image on the intermediate transfer recording medium in its transfer portion; transferring the transfer portion onto an object; and, thereafter, again transferring the intermediate transfer recording medium in its next transfer portion once or more onto the object with the image formed thereon. In this case, in the intermediate transfer recording medium, a hologram image is set every at least second image plane, and an image can be formed on the transfer portion having the hologram image.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for image formation, that can yield thermally transferred images which are excellent in various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, and an intermediate transfer recording medium for use in the method for image formation. The method for image formation comprises the steps of: providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a substrate film and a transfer portion provided separably on the substrate film; forming an image on the intermediate transfer recording medium in its transfer portion; transferring the transfer portion onto an object; and, thereafter, again transferring the intermediate transfer recording medium in its next transfer portion once or more onto the object with the image formed thereon. In this case, in the intermediate transfer recording medium, a hologram image is set every at least second image plane, and an image can be formed on the transfer portion having the hologram image.

Abstract: There is provided a print which has been produced by providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a substrate film and a transfer portion, comprising at least a receptive layer, provided separably on the substrate film, forming a thermal transfer image onto the transfer portion, and retransferring the transfer portion onto an object while accurately and stably forming a non-transferred portion onto a part of the object and, in addition, does not increase a production cost for providing a final print. The intermediate transfer recording medium comprises a substrate film and a transfer portion comprising at least a receptive layer, the transfer portion being provided separably on the substrate film. The print has on its at least one side a transfer portion-non-retransferred portion.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer recording medium is such one wherein a transferable layer is peelably provided on a substrate, an image is formed on a receptor layer partially constituting the transferable layer by thermal transfer, and then the transferable layer is retransferred onto a transfer-receiving material. In the intermediate transfer recording medium of a first aspect, the peeling strength “a” of the image formed region and the peeling strength “b” of the image non-formed region, the regions being included in the transferable portion after the image is thermally transferred on the receptor layer, satisfies the following inequality (1): |a?b|?b/2. In the intermediate transfer recording medium of a second aspect, the peeling strength of the transferable portion at the time of peeling it from the substrate is from 19.30442 to 96.52215 mN/cm (5 to 25 gf/inch), and the thickness of the transferable portion is 3 ?m or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an intermediate transfer recording medium, that can yield thermally transferred images which are excellent in various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, can transfer a protective layer on an image with good accuracy in a simple manner, and can provide an object with an image formed thereon which is highly difficult to be altered or forged, a process for producing the same, and a method for image formation. The intermediate transfer recording medium comprises: a sheet substrate provided with a resin layer; and a transparent sheet provided with a receptive layer, said transparent sheet provided with the receptive layer having been stacked on the sheet substrate provided with the resin layer, the transparent sheet portion including the receptive layer having been half cut, a hologram formation layer being stacked on the transparent sheet, the resin layer being separable from the transparent sheet.

Abstract: There is provided a holding component for housing or holding a consumption article, which, in use, is detachably mounted in a printing apparatus, can be produced by a relatively simple method, can solve problems of tag separation and deteriorated positional accuracy, and can realize information communication in a stable and highly accurate manner. The in-mold molded component includes a holding component for housing or holding a consumption article, which, in use, is detachably mounted in a printing apparatus. Noncontact information storage means has been in-mold molded onto a part of the holding component so that the noncontact information storage means is bonded integrally to a substrate constituting the holding component.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for image formation using an intermediate transfer recording medium. An object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate transfer recording medium and a method for image formation which can yield a thermally transferred image possessing excellent various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, can transfer a protective layer onto an image on the object without transfer failure in an accurate and simple manner, and, in addition, can yield a highly lightfast image which is not deteriorated upon exposure to ultraviolet light. The intermediate transfer recording medium comprises: a sheet substrate provided with a resin layer; and a transparent sheet provided with a receptive layer, the sheet substrate provided with the resin layer having been put on top of the transparent sheet provided with the receptive layer so that the transfer sheet faces the resin layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for image formation which can improve adhesion, transferability, and print quality. The method for image formation comprises the steps of: providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a separable receptive layer provided on at least one side of a substrate sheet; forming a first image on the receptive layer by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a dye layer; forming a transparent adhesive layer on the receptive layer with the first image provided thereon by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a transparent adhesive layer; forming a second image on the transparent adhesive layer by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a heat-fusion ink layer; and transferring the processed receptive layer from the intermediate transfer recording medium to an object to form an image on the object.

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: The present invention relates to an intermediate transfer recording medium, that can yield thermally transferred images which are excellent in various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, can transfer a protective layer on an image with good accuracy in a simple manner, and can provide an object with an image formed thereon which is highly difficult to be altered or forged, a process for producing the same, and a method for image formation. The intermediate transfer recording medium comprises: a sheet substrate provided with a resin layer; and a transparent sheet provided with a receptive layer, said transparent sheet provided with the receptive layer having been stacked on the sheet substrate provided with the resin layer, the transparent sheet portion including the receptive layer having been half cut, a hologram formation layer being stacked on the transparent sheet, the resin layer being separable from the transparent sheet.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet is provided that can yield thermally transferred images, which possess excellent various fastness or resistance properties even under severe service conditions, and comprises a transferable protective layer having good transferability. In a thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate sheet and a thermally transferable protective layer on the substrate sheet, the thermally transferable protective layer comprises a scratch-resistant layer which is repeatedly provided one by one for each picture plane unit in the thermal transfer sheet. An area of the scratch-resistant layer for each picture plane unit is smaller than an area of an object in its transfer surface. By virtue of this construction, at the time of the transfer of a protective layer onto an object, layer cutting does not occur within the scratch-resistant layer but within other layer (such as peel layer or adhesive layer), and, consequently, the protective layer can be transferred with good transferability.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet is provided that can yield thermally transferred images, which possess excellent various fastness or resistance properties even under severe service conditions, and comprises a transferable protective layer having good transferability. In a thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate sheet and a thermally transferable protective layer on the substrate sheet, the thermally transferable protective layer comprises a scratch-resistant layer which is repeatedly provided one by one for each picture plane unit in the thermal transfer sheet. An area of the scratch-resistant layer for each picture plane unit is smaller than an area of an object in its transfer surface. By virtue of this construction, at the time of the transfer of a protective layer onto an object, layer cutting does not occur within the scratch-resistant layer but within other layer (such as peel layer or adhesive layer), and, consequently, the protective layer can be transferred with good transferability.