Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material comprises: an image-receiving sheet having an image-receiving layer and a support; and at least four thermal transfer sheets each including a support, a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, in which each of the thermal transfer sheets has a different color, wherein a multicolor image is formed by: superposing the image-forming layer in each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets on the image-receiving layer, such that the image-forming layer is opposed to the image-receiving layer; irradiating the image-forming layer with a laser beam; transferring the irradiated area of the image-forming layer onto the image-receiving layer to form an image; and transferring the image on the image-receiving layer onto an actual printing paper, and each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets has a recording area being defined by a product of a length of 515 mm or more and width of 728 mm or more, and each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets is larg

Abstract: The present invention provides a protective layer thermal transfer sheet in which: a protective layer having a thermal transferring property is placed on at least one portion of one of the faces of a substrate sheet and the protective layer is formed by successively laminating at least a peeling layer, a plasticizer resistant layer and a heat adhesive resin layer on the substrate sheet, and in this structure, the heat adhesive resin layer is made from a polyester-urethane resin; and a printed article with the protective layer transferred thereto.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal transfer paper comprising a metal layer and capable of partially dissolving the metal layer, which comprises a dissolving function formed of at least one resin selected from the group consisting emulsion resins, water-soluble acryl resins, water-soluble polybutyral resins, alcohol-soluble polybutyral resins, water-soluble vinyl resins and alcohol-soluble vinyl resins, water or an alcohol solvent, and sodium hydroxide or an acid on the metal layer. The thermal transfer paper according to the present invention is provided with a dissolving function layer 30 able to dissolve a part of a metal layer 20, preferably an aluminum deposition layer 21 to form a dissolved part according to a desired design or pattern. Therefore, it is possible to produce unique color and texture, unlike a metal layer pattern formed by oxidation of a part on the metal layer.

Abstract: A method of producing a transfer sheet containing an image for transfer to a final surface by heat and pressure, the method including: providing a transfer sheet; providing an image, for example a liquid toner image; and transferring an image to the transfer sheet, using heat and pressure.

Abstract: The present invention includes an image transfer sheet. The image transfer sheet comprises a release layer and a polymer layer. One or more of the release layer and the polymer layer comprise titanium oxide or other white pigment.

Abstract: An image-forming material comprising: an image-receiving sheet comprising an image-receiving layer and a support; and a thermal transfer sheet comprising a light-to-heat conversion layer, an image-forming layer and a support, which is used with laser light, wherein at least one layer in at least one of the image-receiving sheet and the thermal transfer sheet comprises a copolymer comprising monomers represented by the formulae (a), (b) and (c) as defined herein.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to the thermal transfer overcoating of images printed on porous media, and methods of overcoating images printed on porous media. Upon use of the systems and methods of the present invention, a thermally coated print is generated that can comprise a porous media substrate having printed thereon a digitally produced image. The digitally produced image and the porous media substrate is thermally coated by an adhesive protective layer, wherein the adhesive protective layer has a tangent d that is greater than 1 and melt viscosity less than 1×105 Pa.·sec. as applied above its phase transition temperature. Thus, the voids in the porous media substrate can be substantially filled, and further, substantially no tags remain on the print.

Abstract: The present invention provides a selectively thermally transferable blend capable of forming the emissive layer of an organic electroluminescent device. The blend includes a light emitting polymer and an additive selected to promote selective thermal transfer of the blend from a donor element to a proximately located receptor substrate.

Abstract: A thermal sheet transfer having on a support, an image formation layer wherein the image formation layer includes as a colorant, an organic pigment having a melting point not less than 310° C.

Abstract: An image transfer sheet, having a support sheet, an optional barrier layer on the support sheet, a heat release layer on the optional barrier layer or on the support sheet, an optional image-receiving layer on the heat release layer, a design layer having image and non-image areas on the optional image-receiving layer on the heat release layer, an optional non-water-dispersible polymer layer on the design layer, and a transfer blocking overcoat layer on the optional polymer layer or the design layer, is used in a dry heat transfer process to transfer an image area to a receptor.

Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material which comprises an image-receiving sheet comprising a support having thereon a coating layer including at least an image-receiving layer, and a plurality of heat transfer sheets each comprising a support having coating layers including at least a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, wherein the ratio of the optical density (OD) of the image-forming layer in each heat transfer sheet to the layer thickness, OD/layer thickness (&mgr;m unit), is 1.50 or more, the recording area of a multicolor image of the heat transfer sheet is 515 mm or more multiplying 728 mm or more, the definition of a transferred image is 2,400 dpi or more, the coating layer in the image-receiving sheet and/or the coating layers in each heat transfer sheet has at least one layer containing a dispersant and a matting layer having an average particle size of from 0.

Abstract: Transfers, suitable for applying complex designs to articles by the application of heat and pressure, are prepared simply and economically by printing the design onto plain paper or other fusible polymer-free substrate from a conventional ink-jet printer. The avoidance of polymer-coated paper allows the design to be transferred to fabric articles without altering the hand and feel of fabric in non-printed areas without the necessity of cutting the transfer from the substrate.

Abstract: An image transcription method of transcribing an image of the dye on a printing sheet outputted by e.g., a video printer onto a substrate for transcription, such as a cup of pottery or the like. For transcription, a resin is coated on the surface of the substrate for transcription to form a reception layer. This reception layer is dried in an electrical oven to form a support for transcription. A printing sheet carrying an image of a sublimable dye is stacked on the reception layer of the support for transcription and pressured to the reception layer under application of heat and pressure. As the resin for the reception layer, the acrylic resin or the epoxy resin or both are employed. If the resin composed mainly of the acrylic resin is employed, the viscosity of the resin is set to 43 to 52 seconds in terms of the Ford cup viscosity, and the resin discharge pressure from a spray gun is set to 35 kg/m2±0.01 kg.cm2.

Abstract: Articles having a component with a surface defining microstructured features can be formed using thermal transfer elements. One example of a suitable thermal transfer element includes a microstructured layer having a surface defining microstructured features imposed on the microstructured layer. The thermal transfer element is configured and arranged for the transfer of at least a portion of the microstructured layer to a receptor while substantially preserving the microstructured features of that portion.

Abstract: A multicolor image-forming material comprises: an image-receiving sheet having an image-receiving layer and a support; and at least four thermal transfer sheets each including a support, a light-to-heat converting layer and an image-forming layer, in which each of the thermal transfer sheets has a different color, wherein a multicolor image is formed by: superposing the image-forming layer in each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets on the image-receiving layer, such that the image-forming layer is opposed to the image-receiving layer; irradiating the image-forming layer with a laser beam; transferring the irradiated area of the image-forming layer onto the image-receiving layer to form an image; and transferring the image on the image-receiving layer onto an actual printing paper, and each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets has a recording area being defined by a product of a length of 515 mm or more and width of 728 mm or more, and each of the at least four thermal transfer sheets is larg

Abstract: A heat transfer sheet in which a recorded image having excellent stability in storage and manifesting little variation in sensitivity and resolution can be obtained by adding an additive to a light-heat-conversion layer. A heat transfer sheet comprising a light-heat-conversion layer which includes an infrared light absorbing colorant and an image formation layer, the layers being disposed in that order, on a support, wherein the above-mentioned light-heat-conversion layer further comprises at least one compound from any group selected from a) compounds having at least one functional group selected from a phosphate group, a phosphite group, an acid halide group, an acid anhydride group and an isocyanate group, b) compounds having an acidic group, c) compounds represented by the following general formula (10), and tautomers thereof, and compounds represented by the following general formula (13).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermal transfer medium which transfers images to a receiving substrate. The thermal transfer medium includes a laminate, having a substrate and a coating having protrusions with a length/width ratio of not less than about 3 and at a density of not less than about 20 protrusions/100 micrometer squared, and a functional layer positioned substantially on the coating. This coating may include an oil. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a method of making the thermal transfer medium.

Abstract: In a thermal ink-transfer recording material comprising a support, and a primer layer and a thermal transferring ink layer which are superposed on the support in this order, the thermal transferring ink layer comprising a binder and a colorant dispersed in the binder, the primer layer is constituted of at least two types of resins that are not compatible with each other so that the recording material is separable at the interface between the support and the primer layer.

Abstract: To provide a thermal transfer sheet which is not affected by the illumination light source even in comparison with the pigment coloring material or printed matter and upon transfer of the coloring material thin film, ensures excellent sharpness of halftone dots, good sensitivity, reduced film fogging and very stable transfer releasability. A thermal transfer sheet comprising a support having provided thereon at least a light-to-heat conversion layer containing a light-to-heat conversion substance, and an image forming layer in this order, wherein the absolute value of the difference in the solubility parameter (SP values) obtained by the Okitsu' method between the binder in the image forming layer and the binder contained in the underlying layer thereof is 1.5 or more.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protective layer transfer sheet which, when used to thermally transfer a protective layer onto an image-receiving sheet with an image formed thereon, provides a print that does not cause cracking of the protective layer and, even when housed and stored in a vinyl chloride case containing a plasticizer or the like, does not cause the migration of a dye constituting the image to the case, that is, has excellent fastness properties. In a protective layer transfer sheet 7 comprising a substrate sheet 1, a heat-resistant slip layer 3 provided on one side of the substrate sheet 1, and a thermally transferable protective layer 2 releasably provided on at least a part of the surface of the substrate sheet 1 remote from the heat-resistant slip layer 3, the thermally transferable protective layer 2 contains an epoxy resin and, in addition, contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of a butyral resin, an acrylic resin, and an ultraviolet absorber.