A cartridge includes: a cartridge case; a first supply portion including a heat-sensitive medium; and a second supply portion including an adhesive medium. The heat-sensitive medium includes a base material, a plurality of heat-sensitive layers, and at least one heat-insulating layer in a stacked state. The heat-sensitive layers include: a first heat-sensitive layer for producing a first color when heated above a first temperature; and a second heat-sensitive layer for producing a second color when heated above a second temperature higher than. the first temperature. The cartridge case includes: an opening for exposing the heat-sensitive medium; and a guide part positioned downstream of the opening in a conveying direction of the heat-sensitive medium for guiding the heat-sensitive medium and the adhesive medium bonded to a surface of the heat-sensitive medium opposite the base material with respect to the plurality of heat-sensitive layers.

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.

In a seal-type thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, the total thickness thereof is 250 m 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 m 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 m or more.

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.

[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 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.

There is provided a thermal transfer sheet having satisfactory transferability when a transfer layer is transferred on a transfer receiving article over a wide energy range. A thermal transfer sheet 100 for obtaining a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet includes a substrate 1 and a transfer layer 10 provided on the substrate, wherein the transfer layer 10 has a layered structure in which two or more layers are layered, the transfer layer 10 includes at least a receiving layer 2, the layer located nearest to the substrate 1 of the layers constituting the transfer layer 10 is the receiving layer 2, and the receiving layer 2 contains a cellulosic resin.

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 composite support includes a first layer or sheet made from a printable or dyed material, a second layer or flexible polymer layer, and a third layer made from a hydrophilic and film-forming polymer. A method of using the support, in particular in digital printing or in dyeing with sublimation dyes, is also disclosed.