There is disclosed a heat-sensitive recording material including an undercoat layer formed on one surface of a support and a heat-sensitive recording layer formed on the undercoat layer. The heat-sensitive recording layer contains a leuco dye and a coloring agent. The undercoat layer contains hollow particles and a binding resin. A maximum particle diameter (D100) of the hollow particles is 10 to 30 μm. A particle diameter (D50) of the hollow particles at cumulative 50 volume % is 4.0 to 15 μm. A ratio D100/D50 of the maximum particle diameter (D100) of the hollow particles to the particle diameter (D50) of the hollow particles at cumulative 50 volume % is 1.8 to 3.0. A volume percentage of the hollow particles having particle diameters of 2.0 μm or less is 1% or less.

A thermosensitive recording medium includes a base material; a thermosensitive recording layer; and an under layer disposed between the base material and the thermosensitive recording layer and containing a non-thermally-expandable hollow filler. The thermosensitive recording medium includes a hydrocarbon, where an amount of the hydrocarbon having from 3 through 16 carbon atoms is 0.2 mg/m.sup.2 or more, relative to an area of the thermosensitive recording medium.

A method operates a thermal printer to print on thermal paper. A thermo-reactive layer of the paper forms a first color at a first temperature and a second color at a second, higher temperature. The printer has a printhead with heat sources arranged next to one another transversely to a paper path. The heat sources are selectively controllable. The method includes: a transport roller line by line moving the paper past the printhead; and in each line of the paper, heating selected heat sources. At points at which the second color is formed on the paper, a plurality of adjacent heat sources is heated to a printing temperature. At points at which the first color is to be formed on the paper, a portion of a plurality of the adjacent heat sources is heated to the printing temperature, and the other portion of the adjacent heat sources is not heated.

Hollow resin particles for thermosensitive recording media containing a thermoplastic resin shell and a hollow part surrounded by the shell. The hollow resin particles contain a thermally-vaporizable hydrocarbon in an encapsulation ratio of at least 0.2 wt %. The hollow resin particles preferably have a mean volume particle size ranging from 0.1 to 10 μm.

A recording medium according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a recording layer and an optical thin film. The recording layer includes a heat-sensitive color-developing composition and a photothermal conversion material. The photothermal conversion material absorbs a wavelength in an infrared region and generates heat. The optical thin film is provided on one surface of the recording layer. The optical thin film reflects the wavelength in the infrared region and transmits a wavelength in a visible region.

Direct thermal recording media are designed to operate based on a thermally-induced change of state rather than a thermally-induced chemical reaction between a leuco dye and an acidic developer. The media use two types of scattering particles, one of which changes its state from solid to liquid during printing, and the other of which does not. The former particles, upon melting, fill spaces between the latter particles, thus eliminating or substantially reducing light scattering, which makes an underlying colorant visible at selected print locations where heat is locally applied. The latter, higher melting point particles have a caged morphology and comprise perforated particles. The media can provide high quality thermally-produced images at print speeds at least as high as 10 inches per second (ips).

Paper is disclosed for use in making repositionable or removable adhesive labels. The adhesive can be applied in patches or discrete areas to the paper or to a layer of material that cleans rollers in the manufacturing line and/or in printers. The adhesive can be applied in single or multiple layers. The paper is light weight paper and preferably thermal paper for use in POS printers.

A thermosensitive recording medium 100 includes a support 50, and a first thermosensitive coloring layer 10, a first intermediate layer 15, and a second thermosensitive coloring layer 20 disposed on the support 50 in descending order of distance from the support 50. The first thermosensitive coloring layer 10 and the second thermosensitive coloring layer 20 each contain an electron-donating dye precursor, an electron-accepting compound, a radical-polymerizable compound, and a photoradical polymerization initiator, and the first intermediate layer 15 contains a UV absorber.

In a drawing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when performing drawing on a thermal recording medium that includes, above a recording layer, a light-transmitting member having an uneven shape in a plane, an optical compensator having one surface and another surface is provided on the light-transmitting member to cause the one surface and the light-transmitting member to face each other, and the thermal recording medium is irradiated with a laser beam via the optical compensator. The one surface of the optical compensator has a shape that fits the uneven shape of the light-transmitting member, and the other surface is flat and opposed to the one surface.

Color change compositions that transition from a first to second color state upon application of an applied stimulus are provided. Also provided are substrates having the compositions on a surface thereof, as well as methods of making and using the compositions.