Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Dai Nippon Insatsu Kabushiki Kaisha

Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd.

Dai Nippon Insatsu K.k.

Masanori Torii

Katsuyuki Oshima

Jitsuhiko Ando

Hideo H Fujimura

Hitoshi Saito

Jun Hasegawa

Ryohei Takiguchi

Mitsuru Maeda

Mineo M Yamauchi

Shigeki Chujo

Fumihiko Mizukami

Tamami T Iwata

Yoshinori Nakamura

Hiroshi Yamada

Shigeo Mori

Michiyuki Kono

Tetsuo Shiraiwa

Eriko Hayashi

R Takiguchi

A thermal transfer film comprises a coloring layer formed on a substrate film via an intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer contains a thermally fusible substance and a non-transferable binder resin, the melt viscosity of the thermally fusible substance in the temperature range 15 to 25&#xb0; C. higher than the fuse peak temperature of the thermally fusible substance is in the range of 100 to 1000 mPa&#xb7;s, the fuse peak temperature of the thermally fusible substance is in the range of 50 to 110&#xb0; C., the crystallization peak temperature of the thermally fusible substance is in the range of &#x2212;20 to 100 &#xb0; C., the crystallization peak temperature of the thermally fusible substance is lower than the fuse peak temperature by 10&#xb0; C. or more, and the softening temperature of the binder resin measured by the ring and ball method is in the range of 130 to 400&#xb0; C. This thermal transfer film is capable of forming a printed product with a good printing quality.

Thermal transfer film and image forming method

The present invention relates to a heat transfer cover film characterized in that a specific transparent resin layer () is releasably provided on a substrate film (). This transparent resin layer () can be easily laminated on the surface of the resulting image (Y,M andC) by heat transfer means, making it possible to provide expeditious provision of image representations which are improved in terms of such properties as durability, gloss and color development and is curl-free.

Heat transfer cover films

The present invention relates to a heat transfer cover film characterized in that a specific transparent resin layer ( ) is releasably provided on a substrate film ( ). This transparent resin layer ( ) can be easily laminated on the surface of the resulting image ( Y, M and C) by heat transfer means, making it possible to provide expeditious provision of image representations which are improved in terms of such properties as durability, gloss and color development and is curl-free.

A thermal transfer film comprises a coloring layer formed on a substrate film via an intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer contains a thermally fusible substance and a non-transferable binder resin, the melt viscosity of the thermally fusible substance in the temperature range 15 to 25&deg; C. higher than the fuse peak temperature of the thermally fusible substance is in the range of 100 to 1000 mPa&middot;s, the fuse peak temperature of the thermally fusible substance is in the range of 50 to 110&deg; C., the crystallization peak temperature of the thermally fusible substance is in the range of &minus;20 to 100&deg; C., the crystallization peak temperature of the thermally fusible substance is lower than the fuse peak temperature by 10&deg; C. or more, and the softening temperature of the binder resin measured by the ring and ball method is in the range of 130 to 400&deg; C. This thermal transfer film is capable of forming a printed product with a good printing quality.

The present invention is for providing a thermal transfer film capable of providing a vivid print without generation of a void, and an image forming method using the same. The thermal transfer film comprises a coloring layer formed on a substrate film via an intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises materials according to either one of the following combinations: (1) a polycaprolactone resin having a 100-1,000 mPa&middot;s melt viscosity at 75&deg; C., and a binder resin having a 130-400&deg; C. extrapolation fuse starting temperature; (2) a thermally fusible substance having a 100-1,000 mPa&middot;s melt viscosity at 75&deg; C., and a binder resin having a 150-400&deg; C. extrapolation fuse starting temperature, (3) a polycaprolactone resin having a 100-1,000 mPa&middot;s melt viscosity at 75&deg; C., and a non-transferable binder resin having a 130-400&deg; C softening temperature; and (4) a thermally fusible substance having a 100-1,000 mPa&middot;s melt viscosity at 75&deg; C., and a non-transferable binder resin having a 130-400&deg; C. softening temperature.

The present invention relates to a heat transfer cover film characterized in that a specific transparent resin layer (,) is releasably provided on a substrate film (,). This transparent resin layer (,) can be easily laminated on the surface of the resulting image (,Y,,M and,C) by heat transfer means, making it possible to provide expeditious provision of image representations which are improved in terms of such properties as durability, gloss and color development-and is curl-free.

The present invention provides a heat transfer printing sheet comprising a substrate sheet, and a thermally-expandable ink layer formed thereon, comprising as an expanding agent a thermally-expandable micro-capsule containing therein an easily-volatilizable hydrocarbon, and a binder resin having a number-average molecular weight of 1,000 to 30,000. The present invention also provides a heat transfer printing sheet comprising a substrate sheet, a release-property-controlling layer and a thermally-expandable ink layer comprising an expanding agent and a binder, in the mentioned order. The present invention further provides a process for producing raised images, comprising the steps of superposing, on an image-receiving sheet, a heat transfer printing sheet comprising a substrate sheet and a thermally-expandable ink layer formed thereon, heating image-wise the thermally-expandable ink layer and bringing the heat transfer printing sheet into pressure contact with the image-receiving sheet, releasing the heat transfer printing sheet from the image-receiving sheet, thereby separating image-wise the thermally-expandable ink layer from the heat transfer printing sheet and transferring it to the image-receiving sheet, applying light to the thermally-expandable ink layer which has been transferred image-wise to the image-receiving sheet to expand it, thereby obtaining raised images.

Heat transfer printing process for producing raised images

A heat transfer sheet comprising a polyester film substrate sheet, an adhesive layer formed on one surface of the substrate sheet by applying the adhesive layer to the substrate sheet and biaxially stretching both the layer and the sheet simultaneously, and at least two heat transfer layers formed on said adhesive layer, a first layer comprising a thermally migratable dye and an untransferable binder, and second layer comprising a dyed or pigmented, heat-meltable binder.

Heat transfer printing sheet for producting raised images

The present invention relates to a heat transfer cover film characterized in that a specific transparent resin layer (2) is releasably provided on a substrate film (1). This transparent resin layer (2) can be easily laminated on the surface of the resulting image (7Y, 7M and 7C) by heat transfer means, making it possible to provide expeditious provision of image representations which are improved in terms of such properties as durability, gloss and color development and is curl-free.

The present invention relates to a heat transfer recording medium in which a substrate has items of information such as an image and characters formed on a surface thereof by heat transfer and a transparent protective layer is provided on at least a part of the surface of the thus recorded information through an adhesive layer, if required, characterized in that the adhesive layer and/or protective layer function to provide security against counterfeiting. Combining information recorded by heat transfer with a function to provide security against counterfeiting, the present invention provides greater security against falsifying or counterfeiting.

Heat transfer recording media

A heat transfer recording medium usable for producing an image by employing thermal printing means such as a thermal head, in which a dye layer of a heat transfer sheet or a dye-receiving layer of a heat transfer image-receiving sheet comprises therein or thereon a dye-transfer promoting agent comprising a compound which is in a crystalline state at room temperature and can be fused by thermal energy which is applied when heat transfer recording is conducted. A heat transfer recording method using a heat transfer sheet and an image-receiving sheet, in which a dye-transfer promoting agent comprising a compound which is in a crystalline state at room temperature and can be fused by thermal energy which is applied when heat transfer recording is conducted is given to a dye layer and/or a dye-receiving layer before the formation of an image.

Heat transfer recording medium and heat transfer recording method

A heat transfer image-receiving sheet including a substrate sheet and a dye-receiving layer provided on at least one surface thereof. The dye-receiving layer comprises a polyester resin and a polyurethane resin whose diol component comprises a compound having the following formula: ##STR1## wherein u, w, x, y and z respectively represent an integer of 0 to 10, provided that at least one of u, w, x, y and z is not 0, R is an alkylene group, a phenylene group or an alkylene oxide group.

Heat transfer image-receiving sheet

The present invention relates to a heat transfer recording medium in which a substrate has items of information such as an image and characters formed on the surface thereof by heat transfer and a transparent protective layer is provided on at least a part of the surface of the thus recorded information through an adhesive layer, if required, characterized in that the adhesive layer and/or protective layer function to provide security against counterfeiting. Combining information recorded by heat transfer with a function to provide security against counterfeiting, the present invention provides greater security against falsifying or counterfeiting.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Masanori Torii