An image is formed on a transfer medium comprising a hydrophilic tackifier. Any portion of the image that is dimensionally insufficient to permanently adhere the image to the receiver substrate is determined, and a colorless liquid ink comprising water is applied to cover and surround the portion of the image that is dimensionally insufficient to permanently adhere the image to the receiver substrate. When heat is applied to the image to transfer the image layer to a receiver substrate, water in the image layer swells the image layer and the hydrophilic tackifier becomes sufficiently tacky to permanently adhere the image to the receiver substrate.

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 according to the present disclosure includes a first substrate and a metallic luster layer containing a metal pigment, the metallic luster layer having a 45-degree specular gloss in the range of 30% to 80%.

An image recording method includes an intermediate image-forming step of forming an intermediate image by applying an ink to an intermediate transfer body, a temperature adjusting step, and a transfer step of transferring the intermediate image onto a recording medium in this order. The ink contains polymer particles and a surfactant which is at least one selected from a compound represented by general formula (1) and a compound represented by general formula (2). In the temperature adjusting step, a temperature of the intermediate image is adjusted to a temperature higher than or equal to a minimum film-forming temperature of the polymer particles. A temperature of the intermediate image in the transfer step is lower than the minimum film-forming temperature of the polymer particles.

There is provided an ink jet ink set for sublimation transfer, including: a first ink composition; and a second ink composition, in which the first ink composition contains a first disperse dye having a molecular weight of 340 or less, and the second ink composition contains a second disperse dye having a molecular weight of 360 or more.

A dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus manufactures a dye-deposited base body. The dye-deposited base body is used in a dyeing step of dyeing a resin body. A dye to be transferred to the resin body is deposited to a base body. The dye-deposited base body manufacturing apparatus is provided with a printing device, a conveyance device, and a base body movement device. The printing device prints a dye for dyeing the resin body on the base body. The conveyance device conveys a dyeing tray on which the dye-deposited resin body on which the dye is printed by the printing device is placed. The base body movement device moves the dye-deposited base body from a printing position by the printing device to a side of the conveyance device.

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 recording method includes a colored ink adhering step of adhering a colored ink composition to an intermediate transfer medium by an ink jet method to form a recording region A, a clear ink adhering step of adhering a clear ink composition to at least a portion of a recording medium to form a region B, and a transfer step of transferring an image formed in the recording region A to the region B of the recording medium by heating in a state where the recording region A of the intermediate transfer medium faces the region B of the recording medium. The colored ink composition contains a sublimation dye, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water, and the intermediate transfer medium has a peeling layer containing a resin having a glass transition point of 100° C. or more and 200° C. or less.

The present invention relates to transfer media for transferring a functional active ingredient to a surface of an article by means of heat, to methods for preparing such transfer media and for providing of a surface of an article with a functional active ingredient. The transfer media can be used in various technical fields.

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.