Konica Corporation

Shigeru Mano

Takao Abe

Kunihiro Koshizuka

Ichiroh Maeda

Toshihisa Takeyama

Hiroshi Watanabe

Yorihiro Yamaya

Kaori Fukumuro

Sota Kawakami

Tatsuichi Maehashi

Shigeo Tanaka

Shigehiro Kitamura

Tsuyoshi Haraguchi

Yutaka Takei

Tomomi Yoshizawa

Ken Okauchi

Masataka Takimoto

Toshiaki Tezuka

Takahiro Ogawa

Harue Ebisawa

Kouji Nishizaki

Eiji Goto

Thermal transfer image recording method

An image forming apparatus, including: a head, having plural heating elements arranged in line, for forming an image on an image forming medium by transmitting ink, which an ink ribbon has, to the image forming medium; a scanner for moving the heating element in relation to the image forming medium; an input system for inputting image data wherein the image data includes data corresponding to an image; a searcher for searching split lines of the image, according to the image data, so that a space between an edge portion of the image and a discontinued image portion on the image or between a discontinued image portion and its adjoining discontinued image portion is not more than a width of the ink ribbon; and a controller for controlling the head and the scanner so that a portion of the image in the space, between an edge portion of the image and a discontinued image portion on the image or between a discontinued image portion and its adjoining discontinued image portion, is formed by one scanning path of the head.

Image forming method and a printer

In an image forming method in that an image-receiving layer of an image-receiving element is in contact with an ink sheet comprising a thermally transferable dye, and the dye is transferred to the image-receiving layer in accordance with imagewise-heating by a thermal head, the image-receiving layer having dye image formed by dye transfer is subjected to re-heating through a thin film material by thermal head.

Image forming method

A thermal transfer recording method is disclosed. The process comprises a recording material comprising a support having thereon an ink layer containing a thermally diffusible chelatable dye and an image-receiving material comprising a support having thereon an image-receiving layer containing a compound having metal ions are superposed so that the ink layer of a recording material and the images-receiving layer of an image-receiving material are brought into contact with each other; the superposed recording material is heated imagewise employing a thermal head, whereby the thermally diffusible chelatable dye is transferred to the image-receiving layer to form an image; the image-receiving material having the image and a releasing agent-containing thin sheet material are brought into contact so that the image-receiving layer is brought into contact with the image-receiving layer; and the image-receiving material is heated through the thin sheet material.

Thermal transfer recording method

In an image forming method in that an image-receiving layer of an image-receiving element is in contact with an ink sheet comprising a thermally transferable dye, and the dye is transferred to the image-receiving layer in accordance with imagewise-heating, the image-receiving layer comprises a metal ion-containing compound and the ink sheet has repeatedly a region comprising both the metal ion-containing compound and a chelatable dye and a region comprising the metal ion-containing compound and no thermally transferable dye and the dye-containing region of the ink sheet is subjected to imagewise-heating, and to the image part formed on the image-receiving layer, the metal ion-containing compound is transferred by heating the region comprising the compound containing the metal ion. (2) In the above-mentioned (1), the image-receiving layer comprises substantially no metal ion-containing compound.

Y image, M image, C image and a mixed-dye image wherein Y, M and C are mixed are prepared by an image forming apparatus, analytical density for each of Y, M and C components in their complementary color wavelength regions is measured by a densitometer for each of Y image, M image and C image, then Y image, M image, C image and a mixed-dye image are read by the aforesaid image reading apparatus and spectral densities for in B, G and R wavelength regions are obtained. A conversion function for obtaining analytical density from spectral density is obtained from the spectral densities obtained by the image reading apparatus and the analytical density obtained through measurement by a densitometer.

Image processing method and image forming method

A method for forming images by providing a first image formed with silver halide photographic material which has been imagewise exposed and developed according to conventional photographic processes. Thereafter, forming a second image by imagewise transferring ink of a heat fusible thermal transfer ink sheet onto the first image. The surface layer of the ink contacting the layer having the first image contains a resin having a hydrophilic group, the color tone of the second image has the relationships in the CIE coordinate, L*.ltoreq.30, -5.ltoreq.a*.ltoreq.+5 and +0.1.ltoreq.b*.ltoreq.+50, and glossiness measured according to JIS-Z8741-1983 is at least 100. The resulting image is a photographic image with a heat transfer image thereon.

Silver halide image with heat transfer image and method of forming

A method of image formation using mask for exposure to form an image on photographic paper is disclosed. The mask is composed of transferred images of the dyes of yellow, cyan and magenta. The spectral absorption peak wavelength of the dye is set in a range close to the wavelength at the maximum value of each of the regular, orthochromatic and panchromatic spectral sensitivities of the photographic paper to be used. In the spectral absorption of cyan of the mask for exposure, the absorbance of the wavelength at the maximum value of each of the regular and orthochromatic spectral sensitivities of the photographic paper to be used, is set at a value not more than a predetermined value. In the spectral absorption of yellow of the mask for exposure, the absorbance of the wavelength at the maximal value of each of the orthochromatic and panchromatic spectral sensitivities of the photographic paper to be used, is set at a value not more than a predetermined value.

In a method of printing an original image on a photographic paper with an exposure device, the exposure device has an reference exposure light, an image corresponding to the original image is formed on a mask sheet and the photographic paper is printed by exposure lights passing through the mask sheet under the reference exposure light, wherein image signals from the original image are processed so as to satisfy the condition that the mask sheet is used under the reference exposure light.

Photographic printing apparatus and an image forming method

A mask for forming an image on a photographic print paper includes a mask sheet, a transparent protective layer, and a transparent intermediate layer. The mask sheet includes a transparent base sheet and an opaque pattern layer formed in a shape of the image on the base sheet. The transparent protective layer is disposed on the mask sheet so as to protect the opaque pattern layer. The transparent intermediate layer is disposed between the mask sheet and the protective layer. The intermediate layer has a softening temperature that is not more than 100.degree. C.

Method of making a printing mask sheet

A heat-transfer recording medium is disclosed, which produces no lowering in transfer density even when the medium is used under such higher-temperature conditions as in a facsimile equipment and is capable of providing an easily readable transferred image having a low surface gloss, as well as having an excellent keep-secrecy and producing few voids. The recording medium comprises a support; a heat-transfer layer, provided on the support, comprising a thermo-fusible substance and a colorant; and a non-transfer layer which is interposed between the support and the transfer layer and comprises a colorant, a thermoplastic polymer selected from the following Group A and a thermoplastic polymer selected from the following Group B:

Heat-transfer image recording medium

There is disclosed a thermal transfer recording medium having excellent resistance to solvent, heat and rubbing. The recording medium has a transfer layer consisting of plural layers and at least one of the plural layers contains a thermoplastic resin having a glass transition point of 120.degree. C. or higher.

Thermal transfer recording medium

A thermal transfer recording medium suitable for multiple setting is disclosed. The recording medium comprises a support and a plurality of heat softening colorant layer provided on said support, and a porous or island-like resin layer having a softning point higher than that of said heat softning colorant layers or having no softning point interposed between said heat softning colorant layers.

An apparatus for transferring an ink pattern image from a thermal transfer medium having an ink layer onto an image receiving medium. The thermal transfer medium is pressed against the image receiving medium and is conveyed together with the image receiving medium to a printing head and to a separating roler, in that order. A heater is provided to heat the thermal transfer medium so that it is at a given temperature when it is separated from the image receiving medium.

Thermal transfer recording apparatus for controlling printing density

A thermal head for transferring heat-sensitive ink material coated on an ink support onto a recording sheet comprises heating elements capable of coming in pressure contact with the support for heating a transfer part of the ink support. A pressing protrusion then presses the heated transfer part of the ink support onto the recording sheet with a pressing force larger than that exerted during the pressure contact with the heating elements. A base plate holds the heating elements and the pressing protrusion such that the pressing protrusion is disposed on the base plate spaced apart from the heating elements. The pressing protrusion protrudes higher from the base plate than does the heating elements.

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Hino, Japan

Shigeru Mano