It is the object of the present invention to provide a new polymer coating for low temperature plastics and plastic foams that allows for the application of disperse dyes in a sublimation process that preserves the original properties of the underlying plastic substrate. The composition includes an optically clear synthetic organic polymer base holding two layers, a first reflective layer supported by the low temperature plastic substrate that includes IR radiation reflecting additives, and a second layer supported by the first layer having light scattering particulate additives. The disperse dyes utilized in the invention may include additives to absorb IR radiation provided by an external IR source positioned above the disperse dyes causing the dyes to sublimate and diffuse quickly into the light scattering layer. The combination of these layers allows for diffusion of the disperse dye ink into the light scattering layer while protecting the low temperature plastic below.

A device for laser-induced marking of an article having a marking surface comprising a non-flat portion to be marked, the device comprising: a first laser unit for emitting and scanning first laser light over a first transfer area; a first foil unit for providing a first laser transfer foil at the first transfer area; a carrier for providing the article at the first transfer area, the article having a marking surface comprising a non-flat surface area; a first hard adaptor that is transparent for the first laser light, the first hard adapter having a first contacting surface that is essentially a negative of the non-flat surface area of the marking surface; and a contacting unit for bringing the first laser transfer foil in contact with the marking surface by causing the first contacting surface to move one of the first laser transfer foil and the marking surface towards one another.

Provided are an intermediate transfer medium and the like with which a glossy image can be easily formed and which can be used also for a transparent transfer receiving article.

In an intermediate transfer medium comprising at least a substrate and a transfer part provided releasably on one face of the substrate, the transfer part has a layered structure comprising at least an image forming layer that is located on the outermost surface on the opposite side to the substrate and on which an image is to be formed, and a gloss layer that is located closer to the substrate side than the image forming layer, and the transfer part has a maximum transmittance in the wavelength region of 380 nm to 780 nm of 40% or less.

Heat transfer sheets for dye sublimation are provided, along with methods of their formation and use. The heat transfer sheet for dye sublimation may include a base sheet and a dye sublimation coating on a surface of the base sheet. The dye sublimation coating generally includes a plurality of microparticles dispersed in a polymeric binder, with the plurality of microparticles including a mixture of tack-inducing microparticles and oxide microparticles.

In a seal-type thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, the total thickness thereof is 250 μm or less, a seal portion has a layered structure in which a pressure-adhesive layer, a seal portion substrate, and a receiving layer are layered in this order from a release portion side. A release portion has a layered structure in which a surface resin layer, a release portion paper substrate, and a back face resin layer are layered in this order from a seal portion side. One or both of the seal portion substrate and the surface resin layer includes a layer made of polyethylene terephthalate is 50 μm or more. The sum of the thickness of the seal portion substrate and the thickness of the surface resin layer is four times or more the thickness of the back face resin layer, and the thickness of the back face resin layer is 20 μm or more.

A resin dispersion for dye receiving layer of a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, including a polyester resin particle and an aqueous medium. The polyester resin particle includes a polyester resin that is a polycondensate of an alcohol component including at least one of a propylene oxide adduct of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane and an ethylene oxide adduct of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, and a carboxylic acid component including an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid compound having a carbon number of 6 or more and 10 or less. A molar ratio of the propylene oxide adduct of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane to the ethylene oxide adduct of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane in the alcohol component is 0/100 or more and 40/60 or less. A molar ratio of the ethylene oxide adduct of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane to the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid compound having a carbon number of 6 or more and 10 or less is 2.1 or more and 15 or less.

To provide a protective layer transfer sheet that can produce a print having excellent abrasion resistance and an excellent glossiness. A protective layer transfer sheet 100 including a transfer layer 10 provided on one surface of a substrate 1, wherein the transfer layer 10 has a single-layer structure composed only of a protective layer 5 or a layered structure in which the protective layer 10 is located nearest to a side of the substrate 1, and the protective layer 5 contains a styrene resin and a particulate organofluorine compound.

A plastic material is useful as an ink receiver or printing medium in dye diffusion thermal transfer printing, wherein the plastic material has a polyamide component (a), and a (co)-polyamide (b) based on ether units and amide units. This plastic material can be used to make a layered structure. The layered structure can be used in dye diffusion thermal transfer printing. A security and/or valuable document with the layered structure can be obtained. Based on the finding that the (co)-polyamide (h) offers sufficient absorbency for the printing ink, the layer produced from the plastic material can be printed on by means of dye diffusion thermal transfer printing with a good color intensity.

In a seal-type thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, the total thickness thereof is 250 μm or less, a seal portion has a layered structure in which a pressure-adhesive layer, a seal portion substrate, and a receiving layer are layered in this order from a release portion side. A release portion has a layered structure in which a surface resin layer, a release portion paper substrate, and a back face resin layer are layered in this order from a seal portion side. One or both of the seal portion substrate and the surface resin layer includes a layer made of polyethylene terephthalate is 50 μm or more. The sum of the thickness of the seal portion substrate and the thickness of the surface resin layer is four times or more the thickness of the back face resin layer, and the thickness of the back face resin layer is 20 μm or more.

The present invention relates to a printing method for transferring printing substance from an ink carrier to a substrate, in which the printing substance undergoes a change in volume and/or position with the aid of an energy-emitting device that emits energy during a process time in the form of electromagnetic waves wherein the printing substance comprises a high molecular weight binder. In addition, the present invention describes a printing substance for carrying out the method and the use thereof.