Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Mihoko Akiyama

Keiichi Shiokawa

Yoji Ide

Youji Ide

Yoshihiko Hiyoshi

Masahiro Sato

Kumi Surizaki

A multiple-use thermal image transfer recording method includes the step of transferring a thermal image transfer ink component a plurality of times to an image-receiving medium from at least an identical portion of a thermal image transfer recording medium composed of a support and a thermal image transfer ink layer formed thereon, with the application of heat thereto. The thermal image transfer ink layer is composed of the thermal image transfer ink component mainly containing a coloring agent and a thermofusible material, and a porous resin component which is not thermally transferable, with both components having mutual releasability. The image-receiving medium has a recording surface, with the product of the absorption coefficient (Ka) of the recording surface measured by the Bristow Method (J. TAPPI. No. 51 - 87) at a pressure of 0.1 MPa, using an extra pure liquid paraffin, and the gradient (fc) of a linear portion of a load curve measured by a three-dimensional surface roughness analysis, being in the range of 2.0 to 6.0.

Multiple-use thermal image transfer recording method

A multiple-use thermal image transfer recording medium is composed of a heat-resistant support, a thermal image transfer layer formed on the heat-resistant support, which thermal image transfer layer is composed of a plurality of thermofusible ink layers overlaid on the heat-resistant support, and a porous resin layer formed on the thermal image transfer layer. The thermal image transfer layer contains a thermofusible ink component containing as the main components a coloring agent and a thermofusible material. The melt viscosity of the thermofusible ink component in each of the thermofusible ink layers is in such a relationship that the melt viscosity increases toward the heat-resistant support.

Multiple-use thermal image transfer recording medium

An image receiving sheet for use in a thermal image transfer recording system, has an absorption coefficient (Ka) of 0.05 to 0.75 ml/m.sup.2 .multidot.(msec).sup.1/2 with respect to extra pure liquid paraffin at a pressure of 0.1 MPa when measured by the Bristow's Method (J.TAPPI No. 51-87). As such an image receiving sheet, an image receiving sheet having a recording surface with the product of (a) the absorption coefficient (Ka) with respect to the liquid paraffin (extra pure reagent) measured by the Bristow's Method (J.TAPPI No. 51-87) at a pressure of 0.1 MPa and (b) the gradient (fc) of a linear portion of a load curve obtained by a three-dimensional surface roughness analysis being in the range of 0.5 to 6.0 can be used. An image receiving sheet having a recording surface with the amount (V) of an ink transferred to the receiving sheet during 100 msec being in the range of 2.3 to 11.5 ml/m.sup.2 can also be used. The amount (V) is obtained from (a) the absorption coefficient (Ka) and (b) the surface roughness index (Vr) of the recording surface, which are measured by the Bristow's Method (J.TAPPI No. 51-87) at a pressure of 0.1 MPa, with respect to the liquid paraffin (extra pure reagent).

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Susono, Japan

Mihoko Akiyama