The invention relates to a compound of the formula (I) Ar(NHSO.sub.2Ar.sup.1)l(SO.sub.2NHAr.sup.1).sub.m(NHC(O)NHAr.sup.2).sub.n (I), wherein l and m independently of one another are 0, 1, 2, 3, and/or 4 and the sum of l+m is equal to or more than 1, n is 2, 3, 4, or 5, Ar is a benzol group which is substituted (l+m+n) times, Ar.sup.1 is an unsubstituted or substituted aromatic group, and Ar.sup.2 is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group or a benzoyl group. The invention also relates to a heat-sensitive recording material comprising a carrier substrate and a heat-sensitive color-forming layer which contains at least one color former and at least said color developer.

An image forming method for forming an image on a cloth with a sublimation coloring material, the image forming method including: pretreatment liquid applying that is applying a pretreatment liquid to the cloth; drying that is drying the cloth after the pretreatment liquid applying; and sublimation coloring material applying that is applying the sublimation coloring material to the cloth after the drying. The pretreatment liquid contains an organic compound, and a heat source and the cloth are not in contact with each other in the drying.

A thermosensitive recording medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a recording layer that includes a coloring compound having electron-donating property, a developer having electron-accepting property, a photothermal conversion agent, and a polymer material; and a protective member that is stacked on the recording layer, and has a convexo-concave shape in a plane.

The invention relates to a heat-sensitive recording material, comprising a carrier substrate and a heat-sensitive colour-forming layer, which contains at least one colour former and at least one phenol-free colour developer, characterised in that the at least one colour developer is the compound of formula (A), Ar(NHCONHCONHAr.sup.1).sub.n (A), wherein Ar is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl or naphthyl group, Ar.sup.1 is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl, naphthyl, pyridyl, thiazolyl or benzothiazolyl group, and n is 1 or 2.

An example of an imaging medium includes an image-receiving substrate, a donor ribbon attached to the image-receiving substrate, and a registration mark. The donor ribbon includes a donor ribbon substrate, a release layer disposed on the donor ribbon substrate, and a color-forming layer disposed on the release layer. The color-forming layer includes a repeated pattern. A repeat of the pattern includes at least three adjacent color-forming stripes including a cyan-forming stripe, a magenta-forming stripe, and a yellow-forming stripe, or a grid of four color-forming sections including i) a color-forming section selected from the group consisting of black-forming, cyan-forming, light cyan-forming, yellow-forming, magenta-forming, and light magenta-forming, ii) a cyan-forming section, iii) a magenta-forming section, and iv) a yellow-forming section. The color-forming layer is in contact with the image-receiving substrate.

Heat sensitive recording material, recording sheets formed from heat sensitive recording material, and methods for forming images using heat sensitive recording material are provided. An exemplary heat sensitive recording material includes a color forming compound, a first non-phenolic color developer, and a second non-phenolic color developer.

A coating composition for producing a heat-sensitive recording material and to a corresponding heat-sensitive recording layer. The coating composition includes one or more color developers, one or more dye precursors, one or more specific fatty acid amides, and one or more (additional) specific sensitizers. A heat-sensitive recording material including a carrier substrate and a heat-sensitive recording layer, to the use of specific fatty acid amides in order to increase the grease resistance of a heat-sensitive recording material or a heat-sensitive recording layer, and to a method for producing a heat-sensitive recording material or a heat-sensitive recording layer.

The content of compound(s) having a molecular weight of 650-670, typically a molecular weight of 660, as measured by mass spectrometry, is reduced to 0.5 mass % or less in a heat-sensitive recording material comprising 3,3-diallyl-4,4-dihydroxy diphenylsulfone, or in a diphenylsulfone or a color-developing agent. Provided is, thereby, a heat-sensitive recording material, a color-developing agent, or a diphenylsulfone which cause less background fogging under moisture and heat conditions and which has excellent preservation stability of a colored image.

The presently claimed invention relates to a color developer, a process for its manufacture and its use as a component in heat sensitive recording material. The heat sensitive recording material is useful for thermographic printing.

A heat-sensitive recording material having i) a supporting substrate and ii) a heat-sensitive recording layer, where the heat-sensitive recording layer comprises a colour former and a colour developer mixture and the colour developer mixture comprises a) N-[2-(3-phenylureido)phenyl]benzenesulfonamide (compound of the formula (I)), where the compound of the formula (I) is in a crystalline form having an absorption band at 3401 20 cm 1 in the IR spectrum, and b) N-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-N-(3-(4-methylphenylsulfonyloxy)phenyl) urea (compound of the formula (II)), where the mass ratio between the compound of the formula (I) and the compound of the formula (II) is 0.5:99.5 to 35:65 or 99.5:0.5 to 65:35.