Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Satoshi Narita

Yoshinori Kamikubo

Koji Eto

Kazutoshi Awano

Kazunobu Imoto

Takayuki Imai

Takeshi Ueno

Hideshi Hattori

Kozo Odamura

Daisuke Matsuura

Mitsuhiro Hamashima

Junichi Hiroi

Shinji Kometani

Koichi Shirai

There is provided a printing method that can provide an image formed object which can suppress a change in density of a visible dye image and a lowering in fluorescence intensity and, at the same time, is free from concave/convex of the image surface and has a latent image invisible even under visible light. The printing method comprises a first step of forming a latent image of a fluorescent dye by thermal diffusion transfer; and a second step of providing a visible dye on the latent image by thermal diffusion transfer.

Printing method using thermal diffusion transfer, and image formed object

The present invention relates to a method for fluorescent image formation which can form a highly scratch-resistant fluorescent full-color image using a colorless fluorescent agent and can freely regulate the tone of color mixture of a combination of two or more fluorescent colors in order to impart, to articles, a higher level of forgery preventive function than a prior art technique and a print having a high level of forgery preventive function. The invention characterized in that fluorescent inks are provided that are substantially colorless upon visible light irradiation and contain organic fluorescent agents which, upon ultraviolet light irradiation, emit fluorescences in a visible region, and that two or more fluorescent inks, which emit fluorescences having mutually different color tones, are deposited on a printing face in its image formation region according to information on an image to be printed in a dot matrix manner so that dots of one color do not overlap with dots of another color.

Method for fluorescent image formation, print produced thereby and thermal transfer sheet thereof

The present invention provides a sheet for forming an image having an identifying mark, an image forming method, and an image forming apparatus using the same, wherein the identifying mark is useful to identify various information concerning the sheet. The sheet for forming an image is provided with two or more image-formative layers which are defined by frame respectively and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the sheet. The identifying mark comprises a sequence of mark bits which records the information, and the mark bits are respectively allocated to unit frames each of which comprises a single frame or plural frames of the image-formative layer with the mark bits being arranged in order of the sequence recording the information and repeated at least one cycle period of a certain number of the unit frames along with a longitudinal direction of the sheet for forming an image, wherein the sequence of the mark bits constituting the identifying mark is a combination of a sequence of mark bits constituting a first mark A with a sequence of mark bits constituting a second mark B, the first mark A having a cycle period of a natural number X, the second mark B having a cycle period same as said X or of a natural number Y different from said X and relatively prime with said X.

Sheet for forming an image, image forming method, and image forming apparatus

Disclosed is a method for image formation which can improve adhesion, transferability, and print quality. The method for image formation comprises the steps of: providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a separable receptive layer provided on at least one side of a substrate sheet; forming a first image on the receptive layer by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a dye layer; forming a transparent adhesive layer on the receptive layer with the first image provided thereon by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a transparent adhesive layer; forming a second image on the transparent adhesive layer by using a thermal transfer sheet comprising a heat-fusion ink layer; and transferring the processed receptive layer from the intermediate transfer recording medium to an object to form an image on the object.

Image forming method, thermal transfer sheet and intermediate transfer recording medium

The present invention provides a security element which is low in cost, is difficult to forge or alter, and can be applied to objects where a high level of security is required. The security element comprises at least a substrate and a fluorescent colorant layer provided on the substrate, wherein the fluorescent colorant layer comprises N species of fluorescent colorants F, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more and n is an integer of not less than one and not more than N, in the same layer, and the fluorescent colorant Fabsorbs light with a wavelength of &#x3bb;and emits fluorescence with a wavelength of &#x3bb;.

Security element, thermal transfer sheet, intermediate transfer recording medium, and method for formation of security element

The invention provides a carrier device for a thermal transfer medium comprising a spool for winding and supporting a thermal transfer sheet or a thermal transfer receiving sheet, wherein a mark containing a coloring material which absorbs an electromagnetic wave of a predetermined wavelength &#x3bb;and emitting an electromagnetic wave of a wavelength &#x3bb;different from the wavelength &#x3bb;is provided on a region in a surface of the carrier device capable of being irradiated with an electromagnetic wave. The invention provides a discrimination method and a printer each of which utilizes such a carrier device capable of executing at least one process among the kind identification, the fake goods determination and the use amount calculation for the thermal transfer sheet or the thermal transfer receiving sheet based on a detection of the mark.

Carrier device for thermal transfer medium, discrimination method using the same, and printer

A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is provided which can realize composite recording on both sides of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet by image formation respectively by means of a sublimation dye thermal transfer method and, in addition, by printing means different from the sublimation dye thermal transfer method. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprises: a substrate; a first recording layer provided on one side of the substrate, an image being formable on the first recording layer by a sublimation dye thermal transfer method; and a second recording layer provided on the other side of the substrate and comprising a combination of two or more layers, the second recording layer permitting recording to be made by printing means other than the sublimation dye thermal transfer method, whereby composite recording can be made on both sides of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet respectively by a plurality of types of image forming means.

Thermal transfer image-receiving sheet

The present invention provides a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet with a dye receiving layer formed from a powder composition, the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet having a dye receiving layer which gives high-quality transfer images and has satisfactory printing sensitivity, as well as production process whereby the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet can be consistently obtained; the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet,has a dye receiving layer,formed from a powder composition composed mainly of a dye-tingible resin on a base,made of a paper, and the dye receiving layer,is formed to a substantial thickness of 7 &mgr;m or greater.

A method of manufacturing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet which comprises a substrate made of a paper comprising essentially pulp, an intermediate layer disposed on said substrate and a receptor layer disposed on said intermediate layer, comprising steps of: forming said intermediate layer having a structure comprising fine pores on said substrate, and forming said receptor layer on said intermediate layer.

Thermal transfer image receiving sheet and method of manufacturing same

A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is provided which causes none of a dimensional change, curling, misregistration of image and can produce a printed image having satisfactory image quality and density. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprises: a paper substrate; and a dye-receptive layer provided on one side of the substrate, a water vapor barrier layer composed mainly of a resin being provided on at least the side of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet remote from the dye-receptive layer.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo-to, Japan

Satoshi Narita