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.

Printing process in which a substrate to be printed is disposed opposite an ink carrier having an ink layer, the ink layer being irradiated regionally by a laser beam, said layer accelerating by absorption of the laser beam in the substrate direction, wherein for laser absorption the ink layer is admixed with reflective particles and as soluble polymer having a weight average (Mw) molecular weight of greater than 250 000 g/mol.

Printing process in which a substrate to be printed is disposed opposite an ink carrier having an ink layer, the ink layer being irradiated regionally by a laser beam, said layer accelerating by absorption of the laser beam in the substrate direction, wherein for laser absorption the ink layer is admixed with reflective particles and as soluble polymer having a weight average (Mw) molecular weight of greater than 250 000 g/mol.

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.

A thermal transfer recording medium which includes a dye layer having storage stability and sufficient color development properties, and enables improvement in image quality of the printed matter. The thermal transfer recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate, a heat-resistant lubricating layer provided on a first surface of the substrate, and a dye layer provided on a second surface of the substrate, wherein the dye layer includes a dye, a binder A, and a binder B which contains at least one of polyvinyl butyral and polyvinyl acetal, a solubility parameter of the binder A is within a range of 9.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 or more and 12.0 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 or less, and a melting viscosity of the binder A at 200 C. is 400 Pa sec or less.

A thermal transfer recording medium which includes a dye layer having storage stability and sufficient color development properties, and enables improvement in image quality of the printed matter. The thermal transfer recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate, a heat-resistant lubricating layer provided on a first surface of the substrate, and a dye layer provided on a second surface of the substrate, wherein the dye layer includes a dye, a binder A, and a binder B which contains at least one of polyvinyl butyral and polyvinyl acetal, a solubility parameter of the binder A is within a range of 9.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 or more and 12.0 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 or less, and a melting viscosity of the binder A at 200 C. is 400 Pa sec or less.

A thermally expandable sheet according to the present invention includes a stress buffer layer provided on one surface of a base material and having an elastic property, a thermal expansion layer provided on the stress buffer layer and containing a first thermally expandable material that expands according to heat and a first binder, and a cover layer provided on the thermal expansion layer and having an elastic property.

A method of creating a three-dimensionally shaped object, the method having: a creation step for creating image data for printing an image on a thermally expandable sheet; a printing step for printing an image on the thermally expandable sheet on the basis of the image data created in the creation step; and a protuberation step for partially protuberating the thermally expandable sheet via thermal expansion by irradiating light toward the image printed on the thermally expandable sheet in the printing step. The creation step creates image data such that a grayscale of an image is set so that a fastening portion that fastens a thermally expandable sheet is either intermittently or continuously surrounded by a region where a protuberation height resulting from the thermal expansion is high.

A method of creating a three-dimensionally shaped object, the method having: a creation step for creating image data for printing an image on a thermally expandable sheet; a printing step for printing an image on the thermally expandable sheet on the basis of the image data created in the creation step; and a protuberation step for partially protuberating the thermally expandable sheet via thermal expansion by irradiating light toward the image printed on the thermally expandable sheet in the printing step. The creation step creates image data such that a grayscale of an image is set so that a fastening portion that fastens a thermally expandable sheet is either intermittently or continuously surrounded by a region where a protuberation height resulting from the thermal expansion is high.