[Problem] To provide a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet that makes it possible to produce an image-printed item having high smoothness.

[Solution] In a first embodiment of the present invention, a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is characterized by comprising a receiving layer, a first resin layer, a paper substrate, and a second resin layer in this order, wherein the paper substrate has a thickness of 95 m or more and 135 m or less, the first resin layer has a weight of 20 g/m.sup.2 or more and 60 g/m.sup.2 or less, the second resin layer has a weight of 19 g/m.sup.2 or more and 35 g/m.sup.2 or less.

An object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate transfer medium having high durability, as well as high smudge resistance and image stability. The intermediate transfer medium of the present invention includes: a substrate, and a transfer layer including a first intermediate layer, a second intermediate layer and a receiving layer; in which the first intermediate layer contains a (meth)acrylic polyol resin with a glass transition temperature of 80 C. or higher; in which the second intermediate layer contains a polyester with a glass transition temperature of 45 C. or higher and a filler with a mean particle diameter of 2 m or more and 5 m or less; and in which the content of the filler in the second intermediate layer is 0.5% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less.

A sublimation transfer sheet assembly including a first layer and an dye or ink layer positioned on a first side of the first layer. The first layer and the dye or ink layer being positioned such that when the sublimation transfer sheet assembly is wrapped about an object with the dye or ink layer facing the object, a first edge portion of the sublimation transfer sheet assembly is overlapped by a second edge portion of the sublimation transfer sheet assembly, and the first edge portion is interposed between the second edge portion and the object.

The present application is directed to a transferable film for dye sublimation, the film comprising, in an example implementation, a carrier film; and a dye sublimation-receptive layer comprising a base resin that undergoes crosslinking at elevated temperatures. In an example implementation, the dye sublimation-receptive layer comprises an acrylic copolymer with acrylate reactive groups. Methods of using the transferrable film to create a dye sublimation-receptive surface are also provided, as are substrates having a substantially non-receptive to dye sublimation inks onto which is formed a thermally crosslinked layer to the substrate surface.

A thermal transfer sheet including a dye layer and a transfer layer on a substrate. The transfer layer has a protective layer and an adhesive layer containing two or more resin components. One of the resin components is a copolymer of a reactive ultraviolet absorbing agent and an acrylic monomer. In the copolymer, the copolymerization ratio of the reactive ultraviolet absorbing agent is in the range of 10% or more and 50% or less on a molar ratio basis and the copolymerization ratio of the acrylic monomers is in the range of 50% or more and 90% or less on a molar ratio basis. The content of the copolymer of the reactive ultraviolet absorbing agent and the acrylic monomer is specified in the range of 50% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less on the basis of the total mass of the adhesive layer.

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.

Provided is a combination of a thermal transfer sheet and a seal-type printing sheet, the combination being capable of preventing occurrence of wrinkles in a print.

In a combination of a thermal transfer sheet including a substrate and a colorant layer provided on one surface of the substrate and a seal-type printing sheet including a releasing substrate and a printing paper sheet with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer provided on a portion of one surface of the releasing substrate, the difference between the dynamic friction coefficient between the colorant layer in the thermal transfer sheet and the printing paper sheet with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer in the seal-type printing sheet and the dynamic friction coefficient between the colorant layer in the thermal transfer sheet and the releasing substrate in the seal-type printing sheet is 1.0 or less.

A method for creating an identification document that includes: defining a debossed region on a surface of a card blank, the debossed region having a pre-determined pattern being indented into the card blank; and applying, as part of a lamination process, an overlay on the surface of the card blank to cover the defined debossed region such that an air gap is formed on the card blank's surface during the lamination process and is sealed and removed after the lamination process, and that a tactile pattern thus created on the surface of the overlay substantially duplicates the pre-determined pattern of the defined debossed region.

A thermal transfer recording medium that is capable of dealing with the requirement for an increase in thermal transfer printing speed, and high density and high quality of a thermally transferred image, capable of preventing the occurrence of abnormal transfer at high temperature and high humidity, and capable of improving transfer sensitivity in printing. A thermal transfer recording medium includes a heat-resistant lubricating layer on one surface of a base material, and an undercoat layer and a dye layer in that order on the other surface of the base material. The undercoat layer includes a copolymer of a polyester having a sulfonic acid group and an acrylic polymer having at least one of a glycidyl group and a carboxyl group, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and an oxazoline group-containing polymer. A binder resin of the dye layer is an acid-modified polyvinyl acetoacetal resin.

A laminated film is provided which has excellent shape appearance at winding and also excellent processability and is capable of achieving higher glossiness of printed objects, the laminated film containing a substrate layer (layer A) composed of a biaxially oriented polyester film and a coating layer (layer B) on at least one side of the layer A, wherein the crystal size of the (100) plane of the layer A obtained by an X-ray diffraction measurement is 4.5 nm or more and less than 6.0 nm, a higher heat shrinkage ratio of the laminated film at 150 C. for 30 minutes between a heat shrinkage ratio in the longitudinal direction and a heat shrinkage ratio in the width direction at 150 C. for 30 minutes is 0.5 to 2.5%, the layer B is located on at least one outermost surface layer, and a surface opposite to the surface having the layer B has a center line average roughness (SRa) of 5 to 15 nm.