A thermal transfer sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a substrate and a transfer layer disposed on one surface side of the substrate, in which the transfer layer includes at least a discoloration- or decolorization-imparting layer, and the discoloration- or decolorization-imparting layer contains a compound responsible for discoloration or decolorization.

A thermal transfer sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a substrate and a transfer layer disposed on one surface side of the substrate, in which the transfer layer includes at least a discoloration- or decolorization-imparting layer, and the discoloration- or decolorization-imparting layer contains a compound responsible for discoloration or decolorization.

A thermal transfer sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a substrate and a sublimation transfer discoloration- or decolorization-imparting layer disposed on one surface side of the substrate, in which the sublimation transfer discoloration- or decolorization-imparting layer contains at least a compound responsible for discoloration or decolorization and a binder resin.

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.

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.

Proposed are a thermal transfer ribbon and a sticker printing method using the same, which can form not only full-color images formed by a color ink part but also points, such as pearl, fluorescent, luminous, sparkling, glass, and metal glitters. The thermal transfer ribbon includes: a color ink part having a yellow ink part (Y), a magenta ink part (M), and a cyan ink part (C); an overlay part forming an overlay layer to protect a printed surface; and at least one point ink part provided between the color ink part and the overlay part.

The present disclosure is a thermal transfer sheet including a substrate and a transfer layer, the transfer layer containing a luster pigment, wherein, when an image of the sheet is taken from a side on which the transfer layer is present, the image is analyzed, dark and light portions of the analyzed image are inverted, automatic thresholding is performed in order to determine a threshold value of a brightness distribution, binary representation is subsequently performed, and the number and the total area of the black portions and the total area of the white portions are calculated, the ratio of the total area of the black portions to the total area of the white portions is 0.03 to 0.5, and the black portions have an average area of 100 to 300 μm.sup.2.

The present disclosure is a thermal transfer sheet including a substrate and a transfer layer, the transfer layer containing a luster pigment, wherein, when an image of the sheet is taken from a side on which the transfer layer is present, the image is analyzed, dark and light portions of the analyzed image are inverted, automatic thresholding is performed in order to determine a threshold value of a brightness distribution, binary representation is subsequently performed, and the number and the total area of the black portions and the total area of the white portions are calculated, the ratio of the total area of the black portions to the total area of the white portions is 0.03 to 0.5, and the black portions have an average area of 100 to 300 μm.sup.2.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a printing system is described. The printing system includes a media sensor to detect a presence of media at a particular point within the printing system. A stepper motor moves media through the printing system. A controller 1) monitors, for at least one pass of the media, a number of steps of the stepper motor to pass the media between the media sensor and a print position, 2) stores the number of steps of the stepper motor in a memory device, and 3) adjusts operation of subsequent passes of the media based on stored number of steps. A memory device of the printing system stores the number of steps of the stepper motor, for at least one pass of the media.

A plastic material is useful as an ink receiver or printing medium in dye diffusion thermal transfer printing, wherein the plastic material has a polyamide component (a), and a (co)-polyamide (b) based on ether units and amide units. This plastic material can be used to make a layered structure. The layered structure can be used in dye diffusion thermal transfer printing. A security and/or valuable document with the layered structure can be obtained. Based on the finding that the (co)-polyamide (h) offers sufficient absorbency for the printing ink, the layer produced from the plastic material can be printed on by means of dye diffusion thermal transfer printing with a good color intensity.