There is provided a thermal transfer sheet capable of being identified by a thermal transfer printing apparatus, as well as being capable of preventing color property changes in high-resolution printing and reducing production cost. The thermal transfer sheet 5 of an embodiment includes a dye layer 52 and a protective layer 54 on one surface of a substrate 50. The protective layer 54 contains an invisible light absorbing material and is provided with an identification mark 55 having at least one of a recessed portion and a protruding portion.

An example of an imaging medium includes an image-receiving substrate, a donor ribbon attached to the image-receiving substrate, and a registration mark. The donor ribbon includes a donor ribbon substrate, a release layer disposed on the donor ribbon substrate, and a color-forming layer disposed on the release layer. The color-forming layer includes a repeated pattern. A repeat of the pattern includes at least three adjacent color-forming stripes including a cyan-forming stripe, a magenta-forming stripe, and a yellow-forming stripe, or a grid of four color-forming sections including i) a color-forming section selected from the group consisting of black-forming, cyan-forming, light cyan-forming, yellow-forming, magenta-forming, and light magenta-forming, ii) a cyan-forming section, iii) a magenta-forming section, and iv) a yellow-forming section. The color-forming layer is in contact with the image-receiving substrate.

An example of an imaging medium includes an image-receiving substrate, a donor ribbon attached to the image-receiving substrate, and a registration mark. The donor ribbon includes a donor ribbon substrate, a release layer disposed on the donor ribbon substrate, and a color layer disposed on the release layer. The color layer includes a repeated pattern. A repeat of the pattern includes at least adjacent color stripes including a cyan stripe, a magenta stripe, and a yellow stripe, or a grid of four color sections including i) a colored section selected from the group consisting of black, cyan, light cyan, yellow, magenta, and light magenta, ii) a cyan section, iii) a magenta section, and iv) a yellow section. The color layer is in contact with the image-receiving substrate.

There is provided a thermal transfer sheet capable of being identified by a thermal transfer printing apparatus, as well as being capable of preventing color property changes in high-resolution printing and reducing production cost. The thermal transfer sheet 5 of an embodiment includes a dye layer 52 and a protective layer 54 on one surface of a substrate 50. The protective layer 54 contains an invisible light absorbing material and is provided with an identification mark 55 having at least one of a recessed portion and a protruding portion.

The present application provides an overprint orientation system. The overprint orientation system may include a first printer for printing on a substrate a first field and one or more orientation indicators within a second field, a second printer for overprinting the second field, and an orientation sensor. The orientation sensor determines whether the orientation indicators are visible.

An intermediate transfer film for use in a transfer lamination device includes a carrier layer, a transfer layer on the carrier layer, and a plurality of alignment marks supported on the carrier layer. The transfer section is configured to be transferred from the carrier layer to a substrate through a transfer lamination operation. Each alignment mark is substantially transparent to visible light and absorbs infrared light.

The present application provides an overprint orientation system. The overprint orientation system may include a first printer for printing on a substrate a first field and one or more orientation indicators within a second field, a second printer for overprinting the second field, and an orientation sensor. The orientation sensor determines whether the orientation indicators are visible.

An intermediate transfer film for use in a transfer lamination device includes a carrier layer, a transfer layer on the carrier layer, and a plurality of alignment marks supported on the carrier layer. The transfer section is configured to be transferred from the carrier layer to a substrate through a transfer lamination operation. Each alignment mark is substantially transparent to visible light and absorbs infrared light.

The disclosure relates to a method for processing an object, in which a printed image is printed onto the object by a digital printing facility and the object is then further processed in at least one work station. The at least one work station being controlled by an electric control unit, where at least one control character is applied to the object by the digital printing facility, the control character being detected in or upstream of the work station by at least one sensor and transmitted to the electric control unit, which controls the at least one work station depending on the control character transmitted.