A thermal transfer sheet according to the present disclosure includes a first substrate and a transfer layer including at least a peeling layer, the peeling layer containing a resin material and antimicrobial particles, the antimicrobial particles having an average particle size in the range of 1 to 8 μm, and the peeling layer having a content of the antimicrobial particles in the range of 2.8 to 8 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the resin material.

A multi-color retransfer single stamping system includes at least one thermal print head configured to print a color from a donor ribbon onto a retransfer film to print indicia on the retransfer film, and thermal stamps configured to apply pressure onto the retransfer film to transfer the indicia from the retransfer film to one or more target objects.

The group of inventions relates to surface printing by transferring an image from an ink ribbon and can be applied in the printing industry. The technical result to be achieved by the group of inventions is to reduce the number of separate stages and operations in hot press printing. The nature of the group of inventions involves the use of a thermal transfer printhead for hot press printing, hot press printing method and a printing unit.

An intermediate transfer medium having a first transfer layer releasably provided on a support, a thermal transfer sheet in which a first colorant layer, a second transfer layer, and a second colorant layer are provided on one surface of a substrate so as being frame sequentially, and the second transfer layer is releasably provided from the substrate, and a transfer receiving article. The first colorant layer is used to form a first image on the first transfer layer of the intermediate transfer medium. The second transfer layer is transferred onto the first transfer layer on which the first image is formed, and then, the second colorant layer is used to form a second image on the second transfer layer. The first transfer layer is transferred together with the second transfer layer transferred on the first transfer layer onto the transfer receiving article to obtain a print having a stereoscopic image.

The present invention provides a thermal transfer sheet that can accurately remove a transfer layer, and a combination of a transfer foil and the thermal transfer sheet. A thermal transfer sheet 10 comprising a peel-off layer 4 on a substrate 1, wherein the peel-off layer 4 (i) contains at least a vinyl chloride-type resin and an acrylic-type resin, and a mass of the vinyl chloride-type resin based on a total mass of the peel-off layer 4 is more than 50% by mass and not more than 95% by mass, or the peel-off layer 4 (ii) contains a polyester-type resin having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of not more than 17000, and having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of not less than 50° C. and not more than 120° C.

The present invention relates to a printing method for transferring printing substance from an ink carrier to a substrate, in which the printing substance undergoes a change in volume and/or position with the aid of an energy-emitting device that emits energy during a process time in the form of electromagnetic waves wherein the printing substance comprises a high molecular weight binder. In addition, the present invention describes a printing substance for carrying out the method and the use thereof.

A thermal transfer sheet is provided that accurately removes a transfer layer. The thermal transfer sheet includes a peel-off layer affixed to a substrate. The peel-off layer (i) contains at least a vinyl chloride-type resin and an acrylic-type resin, and a mass of the vinyl chloride-type resin based on a total mass of the peel-off layer is more than 50% by mass and not more than 95% by mass, or the peel-off layer (ii) contains a polyester-type resin having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of not more than 17000 and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of not less than 50 C. and not more than 120 C.

A thermal transfer sheet, a combination of an intermediate transfer medium and a thermal transfer sheet, method for producing a printed material using the thermal transfer sheet, and a decorative material, wherein the thermal transfer sheet includes a transfer layer on one surface of a substrate, the transfer layer having a single layer structure consisting only of a heat seal layer or a multilayer structure including a heat seal layer, and in a case where the transfer layer has the multilayer structure, the heat seal layer among the layers constituting the transfer layer is positioned closest to the substrate. The heat seal layer contains one or both of (i) a polyester having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 55 C. or more and a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 15000 or less, and (ii) a polyester having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 55 C.

Provided are a combination of a thermal transfer sheet and an intermediate transfer medium which is capable of accurately transferring only a transfer layer of the intermediate transfer medium desired to be transferred onto a transfer receiving article in the production of a print, and a thermal transfer sheet which is used in combination with an intermediate transfer medium. Also provided are a method for producing a print, comprising accurately transferring only a transfer layer of an intermediate transfer medium desired to be transferred onto a transfer receiving article, and a thermal transfer printer which is used in this method for producing a print. In the thermal transfer sheet which is used in combination with an intermediate transfer medium, inhibit layer 2 is disposed on substrate 1, and the inhibit layer 2 contains a carnauba wax.

Retransfer printing methods and systems are described where a variable stripping process is utilized while stripping all or a portion of the retransfer film (also known as intermediate transfer media) from the surface of a substrate. The variable stripping process includes stripping the retransfer film from different sections of the substrate surface while applying different tensions to the retransfer film and/or at different transport speeds of the retransfer film and the substrate.