A method for forming a print obtained by transferring a transfer layer from which a removal region has been accurately removed onto a transfer receiving article and a method for peeling off a transfer layer by which a removal region of the transfer layer can be accurately removed. The method for forming a print comprises, by using a transfer film in which a transfer layer is provided on one surface of a support, a thermal transfer sheet in which a peel-off layer is provided on one surface of a substrate, and a transfer receiving article, a step of removing a removal region of the transfer layer of the transfer film by means of the peel-off layer of the thermal transfer sheet and a step of transferring the transfer layer from which the removal region has been removed onto the transfer receiving article.

A method for printing uses at least one ink. The method includes: a step of focusing a laser beam so as to generate a cavity in an ink film; a step of forming at least one ink droplet from a free surface of the ink film; and a step of depositing the droplet onto a depositing surface of a receiving substrate positioned at a given distance from the film. The laser beam is oriented in the direction opposite the gravitational force. The free surface of the film is oriented upwards towards the depositing surface placed above the ink film.

A method of forming a patterned metal unit on an article. The method includes the steps of: providing an article that has an insulating surface; transferring a catalyst layer onto the insulating surface of the article, the catalyst layer including a catalytic material; removing a part of the catalyst layer to form a patterned catalyst layer; and forming a patterned metal layer on the patterned catalyst layer by an electroless plating technique to obtain a patterned metal unit that is constituted by the patterned catalyst layer and the patterned metal layer.

A plastic card is printed on by transferring an adhesive to a surface of the plastic card from a thermal transfer ribbon using a thermal printhead. A donor material is then applied over the transferred adhesive to adhere the donor material to the card surface with portions of the card surface not containing the transferred adhesive not being covered by the donor material. The techniques described herein permit the addition of high value features, such as three dimensional features, matte finishes, metallic or metallic appearing features, optical structures, and the like, to the surfaces of plastic cards. In addition, the techniques described herein can be integrated into existing card processing systems, such as central issuance card processing systems, that use thermal printing technology.

Provided is a thermal transfer sheet which has satisfactory printability and provides a printed matter having excellent boiling resistance. Disclosed is a thermal transfer sheet which is provided with a substrate, at least a transferable protective layer and a transferable color layer in this order on one side of the substrate, and is provided with a back face layer on the other side of the substrate, characterized in that the transferable protective layer contains a cyclic olefin-based polymer having a glass transition temperature of 100 C. or more as a main component and further contains an incompatible resin with the cyclic olefin-based polymer, and the transferable color layer contains a colorant and a phenolic resin having a softening point of 100 C. or more.

A method of forming a patterned metal unit on an article. The method includes the steps of: providing an article that has an insulating surface; transferring a catalyst layer onto the insulating surface of the article, the catalyst layer including a catalytic material; removing a part of the catalyst layer to form a patterned catalyst layer; and forming a patterned metal layer on the patterned catalyst layer by an electroless plating technique to obtain a patterned metal unit that is constituted by the patterned catalyst layer and the patterned metal layer.

Method for protecting printed data on a varnish area of a transfer film of a heat-transfer machine, including: a varnishing step during which the varnish area and a plastic card advance simultaneously under the thermal head and during which the thermal head heats in order to deposit the varnish on the plastic card, generating a deformation of the transfer film at a text printed on the plastic card; a rewinding step during which the transfer film is rewound in order to position the varnish area upstream of the thermal head, and the plastic card is repositioned upstream of the thermal head; and a defacing step during which the varnish area and the plastic card advance simultaneously under the thermal head and during which the thermal head heats at the level of the text and at the deformation in accordance with a sign scheme making the deformation illegible.

In a thermal transfer sheet in which a transfer layer is provided on a substrate, the transfer layer has a layered structure in which a receiving layer, an intermediate layer, and a masking layer are layered in this order from the side of the substrate, the receiving layer is a solvent-based receiving layer containing a solvent-based resin and a silicone oil, the intermediate layer is a water-based intermediate layer containing a water-based resin, and the masking layer is a solvent-based masking layer containing a solvent-based resin and a colorant.

A panel includes a thermoset material, and an image comprising sublimation ink. The sublimation ink is absorbed in the thermoset material. The rigid component may be a rigid structure formed by the thermoset material. The panel may be for a bath or shower enclosure.

A thermal transfer sheet including a primer layer and a peel-off layer provided in this order on a substrate. The primer layer is allowed to contain at least one of: (1) inorganic particles derived from sol-based inorganic particles having a primary particle size of 200 nm or less, (2) scale-like inorganic particles, (3) a polyvinyl pyrrolidone type resin having a glass-transition temperature (Tg) of 60 C. or more, (4) a polyester type resin having a glass-transition temperature (Tg) of 60 C. or more, (5) a polyurethane type resin having a thermal melting temperature of 100 C. or more, (6) a resin formed by curing a thermoplastic resin having a glass-transition temperature (Tg) of 40 C. or more, and (7) a resin formed by curing a polyvinyl alcohol type resin.