Pattern transfer sheets and methods are provided for printing paste patterns (e.g., thin fingers) with a high aspect ratio and for increasing throughput in pattern transfer printing. Trenches in the pattern transfer sheets, that are configured to be filled with printing paste and to enable releasing the printing paste from the trenches onto a receiving substrate upon illumination by a laser beam—are coated internally by a coating configured to disintegrate upon the illumination. The coating is configured to enhance the releasing of the paste—increasing throughput and printing accuracy. The receiving substrate may be cleaned after paste deposition by removing disintegration products of the coating therefrom. Alternatively or complementarily, laser absorbing dye may be mixed into the printing paste to facilitate its release from the trenches.

A visual security feature is provided that is disposed on a target. The visual security feature includes two substantially transparent layers. At least one of the two substantially transparent layers is present in an image-wise pattern.

A printing device is configured to print a multi-layer thermal printing medium. The printing device includes a thermal head and a controller. The thermal head has a heat generating elements configured to form images on a heat sensitive multi-layer. The controller is configured to perform detecting whether a viewing direction of the heat sensitive multi-layer is a thickness direction to view from a second surface toward a first surface or a direction opposite the thickness direction to view from the first surface toward the second surface. The controller is configured to further perform creating print data to be applied to each of the heat generating elements. The created print data is such that color development states of a first color and a second color according to the detected viewing direction are differentiated from color development states of the first color and the second color according to an undetected viewing direction.

The invention relates to a thermal sublimation paper which can be printed with inks containing a sublimatable dye, in particular ink-jet inks, in which paper a hydrophilic thermal transfer layer to be printed is formed on a porous base paper. Thermoplastic particles with an average particle size of between 0.3 and 5 μm and a melting point of between 35° C. and 190° C. are present in the thermal transfer layer. This thermal sublimation paper can be advantageously produced as follows: an aqueous coating slip is applied to a porous base paper having a Cobb value of between 55 and 150 g/m.sup.2, in particular between 70 and 150 g/m.sup.2, in a paper-making or coating machine, online or offline, said aqueous coating slip containing thermoplastic particles and constituents suitable for forming a hydrophilic thermal transfer layer, and a drying step is subsequently carried out in order to obtain the thermal sublimation paper. The thermal sublimation paper can be used advantageously to mint flat materials, in particular films and textiles.

There is provided a transfer sheet with improvement in smudges and blurs of a transfer layer when printed matters are produced even after storing the transfer sheet under high temperatures. The transfer sheet according to the present invention comprises a substrate, and in the order a peel layer and a transfer layer on the substrate, wherein the peel layer contains a binder resin, a silicone oil and/or a wax component and the total contents of the silicone oil and the wax component in the peel layer is 0.1 mass % or more and 15 mass % or less, based on the solid content of mass of the binder resin.

An image transfer article can include an image-imparting member and a removable substrate disposed adjacent to the image-imparting member. The image-imparting member can have a softening point temperature less than about 220° C. The image-imparting member can include at least one surface configured to receive and carry indicia to be transferred and at least one portion comprising a pigment providing an opaque background for received indicia. In some examples, the image-imparting member can comprise a first polymer including the indicia and at least a second polymer including the pigment. In some examples, the image-imparting member can comprise a polymer including the indicia and the pigment. The indicia and the opaque background can be arranged to concurrently transfer to a woven- or fabric-based article or paper in contact with the image-imparting member, upon application of iron pressing temperatures.

To provide a thermal transfer sheet enabling production of a print having extremely good abrasion resistance and a print having extremely good abrasion resistance.

A thermal transfer sheet 100 in which a transfer layer 10 is provided on one surface of a substrate 1, wherein the transfer layer 10 has a single-layer structure composed only of a protective layer 5 or a layered structure including a protective layer 10 located nearest from a side of the substrate, and the protective layer 5 contains an acrylic resin and an ethoxylated alcohol.

A thermal transfer sheet includes a back face layer provided on one surface of a substrate, and a transfer layer provided on the other surface of the substrate. The transfer layer has a single-layer structure or a layered structure including a protective layer, and the back face layer contains a resin component including Si in the structure. When the thermal transfer sheet is subjected to the test described in the specification, the mass reduction ratio of the thermal transfer sheet between before and after the test is 1% or less.

Provided is an image transfer material, comprising a support, optionally at least one barrier layer, a melt transfer layer, and an image receiving layer. Also provided is a process for preparing the image transfer material. Further provided is a heat transfer process using the disclosed material. In the heat transfer process, after imaging, the image receiving layer and melt transfer layer are peeled away from the optionally barrier-coated support material and placed, preferably image side up, on top of a receptor element. A non-stick sheet is then optionally placed over the imaged peeled material and heat is applied to the top of the optional non stick sheet. The melt transfer layer then melts and adheres the image to the receptor element. A composition comprising: at least one self-crosslinking polymer, and at least one dye retention aid.

A laminate that possesses dye sublimation properties, particularly for use as tagless labels and embellishments for garments, apparel, fabric items and so forth such as sportswear fabrics, clothing and accessories is provided. The laminate includes a dye sublimation ink layer that overlies a substrate in which the dye sublimation ink interacts with the substrate's chemical make-up.