An ink is used for forming a photothermal conversion layer used for causing expansion of at least a portion of a thermal expansion layer of a thermally-expandable sheet. The ink includes an inorganic infrared absorbing agent having a higher absorptivity in at least one region of an infrared light spectrum than in a visible light spectrum. A base of the ink is white.

A method and equipment to form a digital image on a surface by applying a powder layer including color pigments on the surfaces, bonding a part of the powder and removing the non-bonded powder from the surface.

A method and equipment to form a digital image on a surface by applying a powder layer including color pigments on the surfaces, bonding a part of the powder and removing the non-bonded powder from the surface.

An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional image, the apparatus including a cartridge that stores ink which a printing head discharges and which has a photothermal conversion property; a conveying unit that conveys a thermally expandable material so as to pass the thermally expandable material through a first position where the printing head faces and so as to form an image on the thermally expandable material with the ink discharged by the printing head; and a light irradiating unit that emits light toward a second position which is in a downstream side from the first position in a conveying path of the conveying unit, so as to perform photothermal conversion. The cartridge is disposed at a position which deviates from an extending line of an irradiation path of the light irradiation unit.

Curable compositions are based on ethoxylated triacrylates and alkylglycidyletheracrylates which can be employed to obtain printing products with a soft touch coating. The curable compositions are processed in conventional printing machines where sheets of glossy and matt paper have the curable compositions applied thereto with an anilox roller and then the paper is dried by UV lamps.

A decorative material that has higher scratch resistance while preventing defects generated during lamination of a gloss-adjusting layer. In a decorative material according to an embodiment of the present invention, a resin component that constitutes a first gloss-adjusting layer is a mixture of a urethane-based thermosetting resin having a polyol and an isocyanate, and an ionizing radiation-curable resin having an acrylic group or a methacrylic group; and the urethane-based thermosetting resin is contained in an amount within a range of 3 parts by mass or more and 100 parts by mass or less relative to 100 parts by mass of the ionizing radiation-curable resin.

A decorative material that has higher scratch resistance while preventing defects generated during lamination of a gloss-adjusting layer. In a decorative material according to an embodiment of the present invention, a resin component that constitutes a first gloss-adjusting layer is a mixture of a urethane-based thermosetting resin having a polyol and an isocyanate, and an ionizing radiation-curable resin having an acrylic group or a methacrylic group; and the urethane-based thermosetting resin is contained in an amount within a range of 3 parts by mass or more and 100 parts by mass or less relative to 100 parts by mass of the ionizing radiation-curable resin.

An irradiation device for causing distension of a thermally distensible sheet that distends due to heat, comprising: a temperature sensor; a humidity sensor; an irradiation unit that irradiates the thermally distensible sheet with electromagnetic waves; and a controller configured to: estimate an amount of moisture contained in the thermally distensible sheet on the basis of values of measurements from the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor, set a relative speed between the irradiation unit and the thermally distensible sheet in accordance with the estimated amount of moisture in the thermally distensible sheet, and cause the irradiation unit or the thermally distensible sheet to move relative to each other at the relative speed that has been set while irradiating the thermally distensible sheet with the electromagnetic waves.

A method for creating a greater pattern (12) comprising creating a first repeating line pattern (14a) comprising printing a first line (16a) onto a substrate, the first line having a weight of from about 0.2 point to about 0.6 point, printing a second line (16b) onto the substrate at least about 0.3 point and less than about 0.8 point from the first line (16a), the second line (16b) having a weight of from about 0.2 point to about 0.6 point, and printing a third line (16c) onto the substrate at least about 0.3 point and less than about 0.8 point from the second line (16b), the third line (16c) having a weight of from about 0.2 point to about 0.6 point, wherein the first, second and third lines (16a, 16b, 16c) are all printed at a first angle.

An irradiator that emits electromagnetic waves through a lattice-like or net-like protective member, and a controller that causes the irradiator to irradiate an irradiation target with the electromagnetic waves while causing relative movement between the irradiation target and the irradiator in a first direction. The protective member is configured or disposed such that no more than one lattice of a plurality of lattices and no more than one node of a plurality of nodes that are formed in the protection member exist in a row along the first direction.