SOLVING MEANS The main challenge thereof is to provide a transfer sheet that allows printing with a high printing density, which never causes a blur and a crushing of an image. SOLUTION There is provided a transfer sheet comprising a substrate, as well as a releasing layer and a hot melt colored layer in this order on the substrate, the hot melt colored layer comprising, as a binder resin, a (meth)acrylic resin having a glass transition temperature of not less than 75 C., and a colorant.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a new polymer coating for low temperature plastics and plastic foams that allows for the application of disperse dyes in a sublimation process that preserves the original properties of the underlying plastic substrate. The composition includes an optically clear synthetic organic polymer base holding two layers, a first reflective layer supported by the low temperature plastic substrate that includes IR radiation reflecting additives, and a second layer supported by the first layer having light scattering particulate additives. The disperse dyes utilized in the invention may include additives to absorb IR radiation provided by an external IR source positioned above the disperse dyes causing the dyes to sublimate and diffuse quickly into the light scattering layer. The combination of these layers allows for diffusion of the disperse dye ink into the light scattering layer while protecting the low temperature plastic below.

A thermal transfer sheet and intermediate transfer medium, and a print forming method, capable of forming a thermal transfer image having good transferability when transferring a transfer layer including a receiving layer onto a transfer receiving article, and capable of improving the durability of a print obtained by transferring the transfer layer including the receiving layer, on which the thermal transfer image has been formed, onto a transfer receiving article. The thermal transfer sheet includes a substrate, primer layer and colorant layer, wherein the primer layer contains one or more selected from the group consisting of particles derived from colloidal inorganic particles, polyvinyl alcohol resins, polyvinyl pyrrolidone resins, and polyurethane resins. The intermediate transfer medium includes another substrate, a protective layer, and a receiving layer, wherein the protective layer and the receiving layer are layered in this order on one surface of the another substrate.

A receipt and label roll comprises a core and a web having a longitudinally-extending axis and wound on the core along the axis. The web includes (i) a substrate having a front side and a back side opposite the front side, (ii) a thermally-sensitive coating disposed on the front side of the substrate, (iii) adhesive disposed on a portion of the back side of the substrate along the web axis, and (iv) a release coating disposed on the front side of the substrate along the web axis to prevent the adhesive from sticking to the front side of the substrate when the web is wound on the core. The web further includes (v) a longitudinal weakened structure extending along a direction parallel to the web axis and dividing the web into a first web portion on which the adhesive is disposed and a second web portion which is substantially devoid of adhesive.

The present invention provides a thermal transfer sheet which can provide a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet capable of forming a printed product of high designability, provides a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet capable of forming a printed product of high designability and a method for forming a printed product, and provides a printed product of high designability. In a thermal transfer sheet 100 in which a transfer layer 10 is provided on a substrate 1, the transfer layer 10 has a layered structure in which a receiving layer 2, an intermediate layer 3, and a masking layer 4 are layered in this order from the side of the substrate 1, and the intermediate layer 3 contains inorganic particles.

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 m 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 print flat materials, in particular films and textiles.

A thermal transfer apparatus includes a fixture, a foil securing film, a film retainer, a foil transfer tool, and a carriage conveyor. The fixture retains a transfer object. The foil securing film is disposed above the fixture. The foil securing film allows light to pass therethrough. The foil securing film presses, from above, a thermal transfer foil on the transfer object so as to secure the thermal transfer foil onto the transfer object. The film retainer retains the foil securing film. The film retainer moves the foil securing film in an up-down direction relative to the fixture. The foil transfer tool presses the foil securing film and the thermal transfer foil on the transfer object. The foil transfer tool emits light to the foil securing film. The carriage conveyor moves the foil transfer tool relative to the fixture.

A sublimation thermal transfer sheet and combination of a sublimation thermal transfer sheet and a transfer receiving article that meet the demand for increase in the density of a color image to be formed, that prevent decrease in the adhesiveness of a protective layer optionally formed on the color image, and that also have superior light resistance. In a sublimation thermal transfer sheet including a substrate and yellow, magenta, and cyan colorant layers provided on one surface of the substrate, the yellow and the above magenta colorant layers each contain a predetermined amount of a high- sublimable dye having a molar absorption coefficient of not less than 50000 and a molecular weight of not more than 650, and the cyan colorant layer contains a predetermined amount of a high- sublimable dye having a molar absorption coefficient of not less than 20000 and a molecular weight of not more than 420.

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 laminated film is provided which has excellent shape appearance at winding and also excellent processability and is capable of achieving higher glossiness of printed objects, the laminated film containing a substrate layer (layer A) composed of a biaxially oriented polyester film and a coating layer (layer B) on at least one side of the layer A, wherein the crystal size of the (100) plane of the layer A obtained by an X-ray diffraction measurement is 4.5 nm or more and less than 6.0 nm, a higher heat shrinkage ratio of the laminated film at 150 C. for 30 minutes between a heat shrinkage ratio in the longitudinal direction and a heat shrinkage ratio in the width direction at 150 C. for 30 minutes is 0.5 to 2.5%, the layer B is located on at least one outermost surface layer, and a surface opposite to the surface having the layer B has a center line average roughness (SRa) of 5 to 15 nm.