Disclosed is an apparatus to generate heated air to sublimate a sublimating printing substance. The apparatus comprises: a self-regulating heating element; an air retaining device to retain air in the apparatus for heating by the self regulating heating element; and an airflow generating device arranged selectively to urge heated air to leave the retaining device. Also disclosed is a method to sublimate a sublimating printing substance deposited on a printing medium and a system to produce printing content on a printing substrate using a sublimating printing substance.

Disclosed is an apparatus to generate heated air to sublimate a sublimating printing substance. The apparatus comprises: a self-regulating heating element; an air retaining device to retain air in the apparatus for heating by the self regulating heating element; and an airflow generating device arranged selectively to urge heated air to leave the retaining device. Also disclosed is a method to sublimate a sublimating printing substance deposited on a printing medium and a system to produce printing content on a printing substrate using a sublimating printing substance.

Dye-sublimation printers and methods are disclosed for porous substrates or for polyester-coated substrates. In an example the device comprises a substrate path, a printhead, over a print zone of the substrate path, to transfer a print fluid on the substrate; a narrow band radiation source, over a sublimation zone of the substrate path to sublimate a portion of the transferred print fluid to form an image on the substrate; and an advancing mechanism, to transfer the substrate from the print zone to the sublimation zone.

To stabilize image quality of a printed image. A thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a thermal head and a platen roll and forms an image on printing paper by causing the thermal head to heat an ink ribbon including a plurality of consecutive ink layers, each of which includes sequential panels of a yellow layer, a magenta layer, and a cyan layer and thereby transfer ink while transporting, between the thermal head and the platen roll, the ink ribbon and the printing paper that are superimposed on each other. The thermal transfer printing apparatus includes a sensor that detects ink content of the ink layers and a controller that controls energy applied to the thermal head during image formation on a basis of a result of the detection of the sensor.

To stabilize image quality of a printed image. A thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a thermal head and a platen roll and forms an image on printing paper by causing the thermal head to heat an ink ribbon including a plurality of consecutive ink layers, each of which includes sequential panels of a yellow layer, a magenta layer, and a cyan layer and thereby transfer ink while transporting, between the thermal head and the platen roll, the ink ribbon and the printing paper that are superimposed on each other. The thermal transfer printing apparatus includes a sensor that detects ink content of the ink layers and a controller that controls energy applied to the thermal head during image formation on a basis of a result of the detection of the sensor.

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 1, a release layer 2 provided on the substrate 1, and a transfer layer 10 provided on the release layer 2, wherein the transfer layer 10 is provided peelably from the release layer 2, and the release layer 2 contains a silsesquioxane.

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 1, a release layer 2 provided on the substrate 1, and a transfer layer 10 provided on the release layer 2, wherein the transfer layer 10 is provided peelably from the release layer 2, and the release layer 2 contains a silsesquioxane.

An intermediate transfer medium that allows formation of high-density images on a transfer layer while suppressing printing unevenness and provides good foil cutting properties of the transfer layer, a combination of the intermediate transfer medium and a thermal transfer sheet, and a method for forming a print using the intermediate transfer medium. In an intermediate transfer medium having a transfer layer on a substrate, the transfer layer has a single layer structure including only a receiving layer or a layered structure including the receiving layer. When the transfer layer has the layered structure, the receiving layer is located furthest from the substrate among layers constituting the transfer layer. The receiving layer contains a binder resin having a number average molecular weight of 8000-32000 and a release agent. The content of the release agent based on the total mass of the receiving layer is 6% by mass or more.

Provided is a releasing member-integrated transfer sheet capable of improving both the conveyability on forming an image on a transfer layer and the transferability on transferring the transfer layer onto a transfer receiving article. A releasing member-integrated transfer sheet includes a releasing member including a first support and an adhesive layer provided on the first support, and a transfer sheet including a second support and a transfer layer provided on the second support, the transfer sheet being integrated with the releasing member such that the adhesive layer is opposed to the second support. The transfer layer is peelable from the second support, and the adhesive force between the second support and the adhesive layer is smaller than the adhesive force between the first support and the adhesive layer to thereby make the releasing member separable from the transfer sheet.

An intermediate transfer medium that allows formation of high-density images on a transfer layer while suppressing printing unevenness and provides good foil cutting properties of the transfer layer, a combination of the intermediate transfer medium and a thermal transfer sheet, and a method for forming a print using the intermediate transfer medium. In an intermediate transfer medium having a transfer layer on a substrate, the transfer layer has a single layer structure including only a receiving layer or a layered structure including the receiving layer. When the transfer layer has the layered structure, the receiving layer is located furthest from the substrate among layers constituting the transfer layer. The receiving layer contains a binder resin having a number average molecular weight of 8000-32000 and a release agent. The content of the release agent based on the total mass of the receiving layer is 6% by mass or more.