Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yasumitsu Kuga

Tetsuji Kunitake

Mihoko Matsumoto

Yoji Ide

Tadafumi Tatewaki

Shigeru Miyajima

Junko Yamaguchi

Mitsuru Maeda

Kazuyoshi Inamura

Yoshiaki Yamada

Keiichi Shiokawa

Naoshi Yamamoto

A thermal image transfer recording method includes the steps of holding a thermal image transfer recording medium including a support material and a thermal image transfer layer provided on the support material, and an image recording material between a line edge thermal head and a platen roller, with a contact pressure being applied therebetween; transferring the thermal image transfer recording layer imagewise from the thermal image transfer recording medium to the image recording material with imagewise application of heat by use of the line edge thermal head; and taking up the thermal image transfer recording medium after the image transfer, with the take-up tension applied to the thermal image transfer recording medium being set larger than both the shearing strength and peeling strength at 70.degree. C. of the thermal image transfer layer. A thermal image transfer recording medium including a thermal image transfer layer with a shearing strength of 200 g/cm or more at 25.degree. C. provided on a support material is provided for use in this thermal image transfer recording method.

Thermal image transfer recording method and thermal image transfer

A thermal image transfer recording sodium includes a support and a thermal image transfer ink layer formed on the support. The thermal image transfer ink layer contains a coloring agent, a resin with a melting point of 120.degree. C. or more and an SP value of 10.5 to 12.5, and a melt viscosity lowering material for lowering the melt viscosity of the resin, with the compatibility of the resin and the malt viscosity lowering material, measured by a transparency measurement method, being 0.20 or less, or with the melt viscosity at 150.degree. C. of the thermal image transfer ink layer being in the range of 1.times.10.sup.2 to 5.times.10.sup.6 poise.

Thermal image transfer recording medium

A thermal image transfer recording method includes the steps of holding a thermal image transfer recording medium including a support material and a thermal image transfer layer provided on the support material, and an image recording material between a line edge thermal head and a platen roller, with a contact pressure being applied therebetween; transferring the thermal image transfer recording layer imagewise from the thermal image transfer recording medium to the image recording material with imagewise application of heat by use of the line edge thermal head; and taking up the-thermal image transfer recording medium after the image transfer, with the take-up tension applied to the thermal image transfer recording medium being set larger than both the shearing strength and peeling strength at 70.degree. C. of the thermal image transfer layer. A thermal image transfer recording medium including a thermal image transfer layer with a shearing strength of 200 g/cm or more at 25.degree. C. provided on a support material is provided for use in this thermal image transfer recording method.

A thermal image transfer recording medium includes a heat resistant substrate; an intermediate layer with a voidage of 20% or less, which includes a granular thermofusible material and a thermoplastic resin, formed on the heat resistant substrate; and a thermal image transfer ink layer containing a coloring agent, formed on the intermediate layer.

Thermal image transfer recording method

A thermal image transfer recording medium includes a support and a thermal image transfer ink layer formed on the support. The thermal image transfer ink layer contains a coloring agent, a resin with a melting point of 120.degree. C. or more and an SP value of 10.5 to 12.5, and a melt viscosity lowering material for lowering the melt viscosity of the resin, with the compatibility of the resin and the melt viscosity lowering material, measured by a transparency measurement method, being 0.20 or less, or with the melt viscosity at 150.degree. C. of the thermal image transfer ink layer being in the range of 1.times.10.sup.2 to 5.times.10.sup.6 poise.

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Numazu, Japan

Yasumitsu Kuga