Abstract: An inkjet ink including water; a particulate pigment; a dispersant; and an emulsion, wherein the particulate pigment has an average particle diameter (D50) not greater than 100 nm, and the standard deviation of particle diameter distribution of the particulate pigment is less than one half of the average particle diameter (D50). An inkjet cartridge containing the inkjet ink. An inkjet recording apparatus including the inkjet cartridge and a carriage configured to carry the ink cartridge. An inkjet recording method including discharging the inkjet ink from a nozzle of a recording head to form an ink image on a recording paper. An image formed on a recording material in accordance with the inkjet recording method.

Abstract: A pigment dispersion including a pigment; a dispersant; and a dispersion medium including water, wherein the pigment is dispersed in the dispersion medium, wherein the average particle diameter D50 of the pigment is not greater than 50 nm and the standard deviation of the pigment particle diameter distribution thereof is less than the average particle diameter D50. An inkjet ink including the pigment dispersion and at least one of water, a water-soluble organic solvent and a surfactant. A method and apparatus for forming an image using the inkjet ink. An image produced by the image forming method and apparatus.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording medium possesses an ink layer. The ink layer comprises a first thermally fusible material layer stacked on one surface of a heat resistant supporting material, at least one second thermally fusible material layer stacked on the first thermally fusible material layer, and a third thermally fusible material layer stacked on the second thermally fusible material layer. An elongation rate of the second thermally fusible material layer at 20.degree. C. is higher than the respective elongation rates of the first and third thermally fusible material layers at 20.degree. C.

Abstract: A thermosensitive image transfer recording medium having a support, a release layer formed thereon containing as the main components an unvulcanized rubber and a thermofusible wax component, and a thermofusible ink layer containing a coloring agent and a thermofusible resin component, with addition of a thermofusible wax component thereto when necessary, formed on the release layer. Further, the release layer may consist of two sub-release layers which are successively overlaid on the support, with one of the sub-release layers containing the thermofusible wax component, and the other sub-release layer containing the unvulcanized rubber and the thermofusible wax component.

Abstract: A thermal image transfer recording medium is disclosed which comprises a substrate, a first image transfer layer formed thereon comprising as the main components styrene resin particles having a melting or softening point ranging from 72.degree. to 140.degree. C., and a wax component having a melting or softening point ranging from 70.degree. C. to 130.degree. C., and a second image transfer layer formed on the first image transfer layer, comprising as the main components a dye or a pigment, and adhesiveness-providing resin particles having a melting or softening point ranging from 60.degree. C. to 110.degree. C., and a wax component having a melting or softening point ranging from 70.degree. C. to 130.degree. C.

Abstract: A thermal image transfer recording medium is disclosed, which comprises a substrate, a first image transfer layer formed thereon comprising as the main components styrene resin particles having a melting or softening point ranging from 75.degree. C. to 140.degree. C., and a wax component having a melting or softening point ranging from 70.degree. C. to 130.degree. C., and a second image transfer layer formed on the first image transfer layer, comprising as the main components a dye or a pigment, and adhesiveness-providing resin particles having a melting or softening point ranging from 60.degree. C. to 110.degree. C., and a wax component having a melting or softening point ranging from 70.degree. C. to 130.degree. C.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of recording an image, characterized by superposing a heat-sensitive transfer medium on a plain paper and heating the medium thereby transferring a leuco dye from a leuco dye-containing transfer layer and a developer from a developer-containing transfer layer respectively onto the plain paper to react the leuco dye and the developer, said heat-sensitive transfer medium being prepared by having a transfer layer containing a leuco dye as the main component and a transfer layer containing a developer as the main component respectively applied on a single substrate or two separate substrates.

Abstract: A multi-colored image recording method capable of producing in repetition clear multi- and full-colored images having high density on a number of receiving sheets is disclosed, in which a thermosensitive image transfer sheet including four leuco dye layers respectively containing yellow, magenta, cyan and black leuco dyes that can be respectively colored in yellow, magenta, cyan and black, and a color developer layer containing a color developer capable of developing the leuco dyes in the four colors is superimposed on a receiving sheet and heat is applied to the thermosensitive image transfer sheet in accordance with the desired color tone information, whereby the leuco dyes and the color developer are transferred from the image transfer sheet onto the receiving sheet so as to selectively overlap the leuco dyes and the color developer, thereby producing multi-colored images by the coloring reaction therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method for carrying out heat sensitive transfer which comprises using a transfer sheet having a leuco dye-containing transfer layer and a receiving sheet having a receiving layer containing a bisphenol-system compound and a porous filler whose oil absorption is 50 ml/100 g or more and transferring the transfer sheet against the thermal head in the range of 1/N of the length of a picture dot or more (N denotes the number of specified repetitive use of the transfer sheet) to not more than the length of the picture dot per one picture dot recording.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer medium of this invention comprises the combination of a transfer sheet which has on one surface of a substrate a transfer layer consisted essentially of a leuco dye and a binder resin and is provided on its opposite surface with a 0.2-5 .mu.m-thick polyfluorocarbon-containing layer with a receiving sheet which is provided on the substrate with a receiving layer consisting essentially of a developer for the leuco dye and the binder resin, and further comprises adding a porous filler (oil absorption: 50-300 ml/100 g) to the receiving layer and/or the transfer layer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a heat-sensitive transfer medium comprising a transfer sheet having a transfer layer containing a leuco dye as the main component and a receiving sheet having a receiving layer containing a developer for said leuco dye as the main component, characterized in that said receiving layer contains porous filler having an oil absorption amount of at least 50 ml/100 g and a phenolic compound expressed by the general formula, ##STR1## wherein R represents an alkylene group and X represents hydrogen or a halogen atom.

Abstract: The heat sensitive transfer medium according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a transfer sheet having a transfer layer consisted essentially of a leuco-dye color former and a receiving sheet having a receiving layer consisted essentially of a developer for said leuco-dye and a binder and that said transfer layer further contains 0.01 to 1 part by weight of polyester resin which has a melting point of 50.degree. to 130.degree. C. and a repetition unit represented by the formula: ##STR1## together with 0.01 to 1 part by weight of a porous filler which has an oil absorption of 50 ml or more/100 g, respectively per part by weight of said leuco-dye.