Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer material which comprises forming a heat-melting ink layer (13) on one surface of a substrate film (11) through an adhesive layer (12) and forming a transfer control layer (14) on said heat-melting ink layer. By forming the adhesive layer which firmly bonds the substrate film and heat-melting ink layer, this invention makes it possible to prevent separation in the interface between the substrate film and the heat-melting ink when printing by transfer and to suitably control the amount of ink transferred through the transfer control layer owing to the function maintenance of the transfer control layer.

Abstract: A process for multi-gradation thermal transfer recording which provides a receptor with an image of multi-gradation, the process comprising placing on the receptor a heat-sensitive transfer material comprised of a substrate film, an adhesive layer on one surface of the substrate film, a heat-melting ink layer thereon and a transfer-control layer formed on the heat-melting ink layer, and charging the heat-sensitive transfer material with various levels of energy depending upon image signals from the substrate side to allow the heat-melting ink of the heat-melting ink layer to transfer to the receptor in an amount that corresponds to the various levels of energy, and a multi-gradation heat-sensitive transfer material to be used in the above process.