Abstract: Provided is a photothermographic material comprising, on a support, at least a non-photosensitive layer, and an image forming layer comprising at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, wherein a content of the binder in the image forming layer is from approximately 55.6% to approximately 47.6% by mass ratio. A photothermographic material capable of rapid thermal development and having excellent film quality is provided.

Abstract: An image-forming method, containing the steps of: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet so that the following at least one receptor layer of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet can be contacted with the following thermal transfer layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet; and providing thermal energy given by a thermal head in accordance with image signals, thereby to form an image; wherein the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet is transported at a speed of 125 mm/s or more during the image formation, and wherein the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet contains, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing a polymer latex, and at least one heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles but free of any resins having poor resistance to an organic solvent except for the hollow polymer particles, and the heat-sensitive transfer sheet contains, on a support, a thermal transfer layer.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, which has a substrate, and a dye receptor layer provided at least one side of the substrate, wherein the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet contains at least one compound represented by formula (L1): wherein R01 represents —C(?O)R or a hydrogen atom, in which R represents an aliphatic group which may have a substituent, and a plurality of R01's are the same as or different from each other, but at least one of R01's is —C(?O)R, and n represents 0 or 1; and a method of producing the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material having, on one side of a support, at least an image forming layer and at least one non-photosensitive layer, wherein 50% by weight or more of a binder in the image forming layer is a polymer latex, and the image forming layer includes a viscosity increasing agent represented by the following formula (T): wherein at least two from among R16, R13, and R12 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, or a hydroxyalkyl group including a repeating unit of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide; and n1 represents an average polymerization degree, which is from 100 to 3000.

Abstract: A novel optical film is disclosed. The film comprises an optically anisotropic layer formed of a composition comprising at least one liquid crystal compound and at least one polymer having a fluoro-aliphatic group and a hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group (—COOH), a sulfo group (—SO3H), a phosphono group {—PO(OH)2} and salts thereof; and a substrate supporting the layer.

Abstract: An image-forming method, having: superposing an ink sheet on an image-receiving sheet so that a dye layer of the ink sheet can be contacted with at least one receptor layer of the image-receiving sheet; and providing thermal energy according to image signals given from a thermal head to the superposed two sheets, thereby to form images; wherein the ink sheet has a dye layer that contains a thermally transferable color material on one surface of a substrate, wherein the ink sheet further has (a) a heat-resistant sliding layer on the other surface of the substrate or (b) at least one polyester as a binder component, in which at least a half (molar ratio) of an acid component of the polyester is terephthalic acid; and wherein the image-receiving sheet has, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing e.g., a polymer having at least one vinyl chloride repeating unit.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, containing, on a support, a receptor layer containing at least one of vinyl chloride polymers, and an intermediate layer containing hollow polymer particles between the support and the receptor layer.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, having: on a support, at least one receptor layer which contains at least one silicone compound and at least one polymer having repeating units derived from vinyl chloride; and, at least one heat insulating layer which contains hollow polymer particles, between the receptor layer and the support, in which the heat insulating layer does not contain a resin having no resistance to an organic solvent other than the hollow polymer particles.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet having at least one receptor layer containing a latex polymer which has a glass transition temperature of 50° C. or less, a latex polymer which has a glass transition temperature more than 50° C., and a wax dispersion, wherein at least one of the latex polymers is present in a particulate state without forming film; and a method of forming an image using the same.

Abstract: An image-forming method, having: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet so that at least one receptor layer of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet can be contacted with a thermal transfer layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet; and providing thermal energy in accordance with image signals given from a thermal head, thereby to form an image; wherein the heat-sensitive transfer sheet has the thermal transfer layer that contains a thermally transferable colorant on one surface of a substrate film, and a heat-resistant sliding layer that is formed so as to contain a hardener on the other surface; and wherein the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet has, on a support, the at least one receptor layer that contains a latex polymer, and at least one heat insulation layer that contains hollow polymer particles but does not contain a resin having poor resistance to an organic solvent.

Abstract: An image-forming method: by superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet so that a receptor layer can be contacted with a thermal transfer layer; and providing thermal energy in accordance with image signals; in which the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet comprises the receptor layer containing one of polyester and/or polycarbonate polymers, vinyl chloride polymers and/or a polymer latex; and in which the heat-sensitive transfer sheet comprises the thermal transfer layer containing a dye represented by formula (1) or (2): wherein, X141 represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or NR146; X142 represents a hydroxyl group, a mercapto group, or NHR147; R141 to R154 each represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent; A151 represents a group of atoms necessary to form a hetero ring together with the two carbon atoms; and n153 represents an integer of 0 to 4.

Abstract: An image-forming method, containing the steps of: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet so that the following at least one receptor layer of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet can be contacted with the following thermal transfer layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet; and providing thermal energy given by a thermal head in accordance with image signals, thereby to form an image; wherein the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet is transported at a speed of 125 mm/s or more during the image formation, and wherein the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet contains, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing a polymer latex, and at least one heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles but free of any resins having poor resistance to an organic solvent except for the hollow polymer particles, and the heat-sensitive transfer sheet contains, on a support, a thermal transfer layer.

Abstract: An image-forming method having: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on an image-receiving sheet so that a receptor layer can be contacted with a thermal transfer layer; and providing thermal energy in accordance with image signals given from a thermal head; in which the heat-sensitive transfer sheet is a sheet containing the thermal transfer layer that contains a colorant and at least one polyester as a binder component of the thermal transfer layer, in which at least one-second by molar ratio of the acid component of said polyester is terephtharic acid, or a sheet containing a thermal transfer layer that contains a colorant on one surface of a substrate film and a heat-resistant sliding layer formed so as to contain a hardener on the other surface of the substrate film; and the image-receiving sheet contains, on a support, the receptor layer that contains one of polyester and/or polycarbonate polymers.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet having, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing at least one kind of latex polymer having repeating units of vinyl chloride component and at least one kind of microcrystalline wax dispersion, wherein the melting temperature of a base wax of the microcrystalline wax dispersion is higher than a glass transition temperature of the latex polymer by at least 15° C.; and a method of forming an image using the same.

Abstract: An image-forming method, containing the steps of: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet so that the following at least one receptor layer of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet can be contacted with the following thermal transfer layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet; and providing thermal energy in accordance with image signals, thereby to form a thermal transfer image; in which the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet comprises, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing a polymer latex, and at least one heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles but free of any resins having poor resistance to an organic solvent except for the hollow polymer particles, and the heat-sensitive transfer sheet comprises, on a support, a thermal transfer layer containing at least any one of a compound represented by formula (Y), a compound represented by formula (M) and a compound represented by formula (C): in w

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, having a support and a receptor layer containing at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyester polymers and polycarbonate polymers, and further having between the support and the receptor layer an intermediate layer containing hollow polymer particles.

Abstract: An image-forming method, containing the steps of: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet so that the following receptor layer can be contacted with the following thermal transfer layer; and providing thermal energy in accordance with image signals, thereby to form a thermal transfer image; in which the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet comprises, on a support, a receptor layer containing a polymer latex, and a heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles, and the heat-sensitive transfer sheet comprises, on a support, a thermal transfer layer containing any one of compounds represented by formulas (1) to (7): ?in which, one of Z1 and Z2 represents ?N— and the other represents ?C(R95)—; Z3 and Z4 each independently represents ?N— or ?C(R96)—; R51 to R114 each independently represent a substituent, or a hydrogen atom or a substituent; n8 to n18 each independently represent an integer of 0 to 5, 0 to 4 or 0 to 2.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet comprising at least one heat insulating layer containing a hollow polymer and at least one receiving layer containing a polymer latex on a support in this order wherein the support comprises raw paper and a polyolefin resin layer provided on the receiving layer side of the raw paper or on the both sides thereof.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet comprising at least one receiving layer containing a polymer latex and at least one heat insulating layer containing a hollow polymer on a support, wherein the polymer latex contained in the receiving layer comprises a copolymer containing a repeating unit derived from an acrylic or methacrylic acid ester and the acrylic or methacrylic acid ester has an alcohol moiety having 8 or more carbon atoms.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet comprising at least one receiving layer containing a polymer latex and at least one heat insulating layer containing a hollow polymer on a support, wherein the polymer latex contained in the receiving layer comprises two or more dyable polymers having different glass transition temperatures.