A thermal transfer sheet which can prevent a kick and a scumming, and can form a photographic tone color image of high quality with a continuous tone image by sublimation transfer; a coating liquid for colorant layer to be used for forming the colorant layer of this thermal transfer sheet; a method for manufacturing this thermal transfer sheet; and image forming method employing this thermal transfer sheet. The problem is solved by a thermal transfer sheet (1) in which at least a colorant layer (3) is layered on a substrate sheet (2), wherein the colorant layer (3) contains a predetermined solvent, a colorant (10x) dispersible in the predetermined solvent, a dispersant, and a binder resin, and the dispersant being one or more selected from the group consisting of polyether-based dispersants, graft type polymer dispersants, acryl-based block type polymer dispersants, urethane-based polymer dispersants and azo-based dispersants.

A thermal transfer sheet which can prevent a kick and a scumming, and can form a photographic tone color image of high quality with a continuous tone image by sublimation transfer; a coating liquid for colorant layer to be used for forming the colorant layer of this thermal transfer sheet; a method for manufacturing this thermal transfer sheet; and image forming method employing this thermal transfer sheet. The problem is solved by a thermal transfer sheet (1) in which at least a colorant layer (3) is layered on a substrate sheet (2), wherein the colorant layer (3) contains a predetermined solvent, a colorant (10x) dispersible in the predetermined solvent, a dispersant, and a binder resin, and the dispersant being one or more selected from the group consisting of polyether-based dispersants, graft type polymer dispersants, acryl-based block type polymer dispersants, urethane-based polymer dispersants and azo-based dispersants.

A thermal transfer recording medium comprises a heat-resistant lubricating layer laminated on a first surface of a substrate, and an undercoat layer and a dye layer laminated in this order on a second surface of the substrate. The dye layer contains, as binders, a polyvinyl acetal resin, a phenoxy resin, and a graft copolymer having a main chain comprising polycarbonate and a side chain comprising a vinyl-based polymer, and also contains Compounds I, II, and III as cyan dyes.

A thermal transfer recording medium comprises a heat-resistant lubricating layer laminated on a first surface of a substrate, and an undercoat layer and a dye layer laminated in this order on a second surface of the substrate. The dye layer contains, as binders, a polyvinyl acetal resin, a phenoxy resin, and a graft copolymer having a main chain comprising polycarbonate and a side chain comprising a vinyl-based polymer, and also contains Compounds I, II, and III as cyan dyes.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer sheet which can prevent a kick and a scumming, and can form a photographic tone color image of high quality with a continuous tone image by sublimation transfer, while expanding the range of choices for colorants to be included in a colorant layer; a coating liquid for colorant layer to be used for forming the colorant layer of this thermal transfer sheet; a method for manufacturing this thermal transfer sheet; and image forming method employing this thermal transfer sheet. The problem is solved by a thermal transfer sheet (1) in which at least a colorant layer (3) is layered on a substrate sheet (2), wherein the colorant layer (3) contains a predetermined solvent, a colorant (10x) dispersible in the predetermined solvent, a dispersant, and a binder resin, and the dispersant being one or more selected from the group consisting of polyether-based dispersants, graft type polymer dispersants, acryl-based block type polymer dispersants, urethane-based polymer dispersants and azo-based dispersants.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer sheet which can prevent a kick and a scumming, and can form a photographic tone color image of high quality with a continuous tone image by sublimation transfer, while expanding the range of choices for colorants to be included in a colorant layer; a coating liquid for colorant layer to be used for forming the colorant layer of this thermal transfer sheet; a method for manufacturing this thermal transfer sheet; and image forming method employing this thermal transfer sheet. The problem is solved by a thermal transfer sheet (1) in which at least a colorant layer (3) is layered on a substrate sheet (2), wherein the colorant layer (3) contains a predetermined solvent, a colorant (10x) dispersible in the predetermined solvent, a dispersant, and a binder resin, and the dispersant being one or more selected from the group consisting of polyether-based dispersants, graft type polymer dispersants, acryl-based block type polymer dispersants, urethane-based polymer dispersants and azo-based dispersants.

The invention relates to recording material for dye sublimation printing comprising base paper (1) having a front and a rear side, at least one synthetic resin layer (4) on at least the rear side of the base paper (1), a dye-receiving layer (2) which is arranged on the front side of the base paper (1), at least one plastic film (3) which is arranged between the base paper (1) and the dye-receiving layer (2) and optionally a barrier layer which is arranged between the plastic film (3) and the dye-receiving layer (2), wherein the synthetic resin layer (4) has an elastic modulus of at least 0.8 GPa.

The invention relates to recording material for dye sublimation printing comprising base paper (1) having a front and a rear side, at least one synthetic resin layer (4) on at least the rear side of the base paper (1), a dye-receiving layer (2) which is arranged on the front side of the base paper (1), at least one plastic film (3) which is arranged between the base paper (1) and the dye-receiving layer (2) and optionally a barrier layer which is arranged between the plastic film (3) and the dye-receiving layer (2), wherein the synthetic resin layer (4) has an elastic modulus of at least 0.8 GPa.

A thermal transfer sheet includes a dye layer disposed on a first surface of a substrate film. The dye layer includes a decolorizable dye. The decolorizable dye has a color difference ?E*ab between a color A and a color B of 10 or less, where the color A is a color of a transfer-receiving body before the decolorizable dye is transferred to the transfer-receiving body, the color B is a color of a portion of the transfer-receiving body with the decolorizable dye having been transferred thereto, and the color of the portion is a color after the portion is irradiated by a xenon lamp at an irradiation intensity of 1.2 (W/m.sup.2) for 50 hours, the portion having a reflection density of 0.5 or greater before being irradiated by the xenon lamp.

A thermal transfer sheet includes a dye layer disposed on a first surface of a substrate film. The dye layer includes a decolorizable dye. The decolorizable dye has a color difference ?E*ab between a color A and a color B of 10 or less, where the color A is a color of a transfer-receiving body before the decolorizable dye is transferred to the transfer-receiving body, the color B is a color of a portion of the transfer-receiving body with the decolorizable dye having been transferred thereto, and the color of the portion is a color after the portion is irradiated by a xenon lamp at an irradiation intensity of 1.2 (W/m.sup.2) for 50 hours, the portion having a reflection density of 0.5 or greater before being irradiated by the xenon lamp.