Fujicopian Co., Ltd.

Fuji Kagakushi Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Yasuo Tago

Kenji Kurokawa

Jun Sogabe

Shinya Yamamoto

Yoshiyuki Obata

Naohiro Ikeda

Tomoaki Yamanaka

Hitomi Kawabata

Seiji Tsuboi

Akio Shimomine

Tsuneo Kawabata

Seiko Suenaga

A thermal transfer sheet providing printed images less susceptible to deterioration over time of their gloss is provided comprising a foundation, and at least a release layer containing a paraffin wax as a principal component thereof, an intermediate layer containing a wax and a heat-meltable color ink layer which are stacked on the foundation in this order, the intermediate layer containing an isoparaffin wax and/or transparent inorganic particles.

Thermal transfer sheet

Image receptor for tape printer

A thermal transfer sheet is provided which includes: a base film; and a filling ink layer formed side by side on one side of the base film; the filling ink layer containing an n-paraffin wax in an amount of not less than 10% by weight and an isoparaffin wax in an mount of 20% to 80% by weight of the total amount of the n-paraffin wax and the isoparaffin wax.

A thermal transfer printing medium is provided which includes a foundation, and a transfer layer provided on one side of the foundation and comprising a heat-meltable color ink layer, a heat-meltable transparent ink layer, a metal deposition layer and an adhesive layer which are stacked in that order from the foundation side. The thermal transfer printing medium is capable of forming print images in a color inherent to the color ink layer, free from the influences of the color of the image-receiving medium and the metal deposition layer serving as a hiding layer.

Thermal transfer printing medium

Provided is an image receptor for a thermal transfer ink, including a plastic film, and a coating layer which is formed on the plastic film and composed of a polyester resin of which glass transition point is 40.degree. to 6.0.degree. C., the amount of the coating layer when dried being 0.08 to 0.8 g/m.sup.2. This image receptor is adaptable for a tape printer and assures good fixing property and fastness of a printed image while exhibiting a satisfactory anti-blocking property when stored. Also provided is a thermal transfer ink sheet for forming a printed image on the image receptor, including a sequential lamination of a foundation, a release layer, a barrier layer composed of a polyester resin, and a colored layer containing 40 to 60% by weight of a polyester resin and 30 to 60% by weight of a coloring agent. This thermal transfer ink sheet is advantageously used to form on the above image receptor a printed image of good fixing property and fastness.

Method of using image receptor and thermal transfer sheet

An ink ribbon for thermal transfer printer comprising a foundation and a thermal transfer layer, said thermal transfer layer comprising a colored layer containing a wax-like substance as a main component of the vehicle thereof, and a thermoplastic adhesive layer having a film-forming property provided on the surface of the colored layer, said thermoplastic adhesive layer having a melt viscosity of 1.times.10.sup.4 to 5.times.10.sup.6 cP at a temperature by 40.degree. C. higher than the softening temperature of the adhesive layer, a softening temperature of 45.degree. to 90.degree. C., a solidifying temperature of 25.degree. to 65.degree. C. and a temperature difference of at least 10.degree. C. between said softening temperature and said solidifying temperature. The thermal transfer ink ribbon provides clear images not only on a smooth paper but also on a rough paper even in a high-speed printing or even on printers with different peeling conditions.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Yasuo Tago