An object is to provide a transfer film having a support, a protective layer, an image receiving layer, and an ink permeation layer, in which the support can be suitably peeled off after the transfer film is caused to adhere to a printing material, and interference fringes can be suppressed in a case where an image is observed, and an image forming method using this transfer film. The transfer film has the support, the protective layer that is formed on one surface of the support, the image receiving layer that is formed on a surface of the protective layer, and the ink permeation layer that is formed on a surface of the image receiving layer, in which the protective layer contains a polymer having a glass transition temperature of 0 C. or higher and a cellulose nanofiber.

An aqueous treatment composition for ITM (Intermediate transfer member) of a printing system and a method of printing comprising the step of applying said treatment composition to the surface of an ITM, wherein said treatment composition comprising: at least 3% wt quaternary ammonium salt, at least 1% wt water soluble polymer, and at least 65% wt water. Also disclosed, a printing system comprising a an ITM and treatment station for forming a thin layer of liquid treatment formulation on the ITM surface.

To provide a coating liquid for release layer with which a release layer having a small variation in the performance difference can be stably formed, to provide a method for producing a thermal transfer sheet using this coating liquid for release layer, and to provide a thermal transfer sheet having stable releasability. A thermal transfer sheet having a substrate, a release layer provided on the substrate, and a transfer layer provided on the release layer, wherein the transfer layer is provided peelably from the release layer, and the release layer contains a silsesquioxane.

A recording method includes a colored ink adhering step of adhering a colored ink composition to an intermediate transfer medium by an ink jet method to form a recording region A, a clear ink adhering step of adhering a clear ink composition to at least a portion of a recording medium to form a region B, and a transfer step of transferring an image formed in the recording region A to the region B of the recording medium by heating in a state where the recording region A of the intermediate transfer medium faces the region B of the recording medium. The colored ink composition contains a sublimation dye, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water, and the intermediate transfer medium has a peeling layer containing a resin having a glass transition point of 100? C. or more and 200? C. or less.

Techniques are described for obscuring residual images on print ribbons that have been used to print on plastic cards in order to prevent access to sensitive or personalized data appearing in the residual images. An image is printed on a retransfer film using the print ribbon, thereby creating a residual image of the printed image on the print ribbon. The retransfer film is then used to obscure some or all of the residual image on the print ribbon by transferring ink from the section of the print ribbon containing the residual image onto the retransfer film. In some embodiments, obscuring the residual image on the print ribbon occurs before the printed image on the retransfer film is transferred to the plastic card.

A printable overlaminate for attachment to a substrate permits application of decorative and/or informative printing on materials that normally are not receptive to ordinary inks. The overlaminate has a release liner releasably attached to a protective layer. On the protective layer is an ink acceptable adhesive, the exposed surface of which receives ordinary ink. After printing the ink acceptable layer is transferred to a substrate through the use of heat and pressure. Then the release liner is removed, leaving the ink visible through the protective layer.

Provided is a textile printing paper for use in a paper printing method, which textile printing paper has an ability to produce a high-resolution image and enables favorable color development on a printing substrate and is excellent in adhesiveness of a printed paper to a printing substrate. The textile printing paper has a base sheet and a glue layer on a surface of the base sheet, the base sheet having a compression layer on at least a glue layer side, the compression layer at least comprising a pigment and a binder, wherein the base sheet has a compression ratio of 1.5 or more as calculated by the formula given below from the smoothness measured using a soft backing at clamp air supply pressures of 300 kPa and 2000 kPa according to JIS P 8151:2004.

Compression ratio=[smoothness of base sheet at 300 kPa]/[smoothness of base sheet at 2000 kPa]

A transfer material, a printed material, and a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method for the printed material are provided in which water resistance of the printed material can be enhanced. A protective sheet allows moisture in a color material receiving layer to be discharged to the outside through passages through which the moisture can be discharged.

There is provided a process for heat transfer printing, comprising: electrostatically printing a transparent release composition onto a transfer material (1) to form a release layer (2) disposed on the transfer material; (1) electrostatically printing an electrostatic ink composition to form an image layer (3) disposed on the release layer (2); applying a heat-activatable adhesive composition to the image layer to form a heat-activatable adhesive layer (4); contacting the heat-activatable adhesive layer (4) with a target substrate (5) under conditions such that the heat-activatable adhesive layer (4) is activated to adhere to the target substrate and the release layer (2) is softened; and separating the target substrate (5) and the transfer material (1) such that the heat-activatable layer (4), image layer (3) and release layer (2) are transferred to the target substrate.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a reflective transfer material from a transfer component onto the surface of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. In some cases, the reflective transfer material may include a dispersion of reflective metallic particles, which may be in the form of nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the method may utilize printers such as inkjet printers to deposit one or more of: an adhesive; the dispersion of reflective metallic particles; and one or more optional deposits of ink. The optional deposits of ink may lie on either side, or on both sides, of the deposit of metallic particles.