IMAGE AND PROTECTION LAYER FORMING METHOD AND DEVICE

• Main Authors: YABE, Suguru, SEKIGUCHI, Hideki
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 01.05.2019
• Subjects: COLOUR PRINTING; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS; i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; LINING MACHINES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRINTING; PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS; STAMPS; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS

[Problem to be solved] The present invention provides a thermal transfer method capable of improving the smoothness and the glossiness of the surfaces of the resulting image and protective layer. [Solution] Provided is a method for forming an image and a protective layer on a transfer receiving material, by thermal transfer. This method is characterized in that it comprises: supplying a thermal transfer sheet between a thermal head of a thermal printer and a platen roller disposed opposite to the thermal head, wherein the thermal transfer sheet comprises a plurality of color material layers and a transferable protective layer which are arranged in a face serial manner, and wherein the thermal head comprises a plurality of heat generating portions which are arranged so as to extend substantially in parallel with each other; transferring the color material layers of the thermal transfer sheet onto the transfer receiving material, by heat of the thermal head, to form an image on the transfer receiving material; transferring the transferable protective layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto the transfer receiving material, by heat of the thermal head, to form a protective layer on the transfer receiving material; and shifting the relative positions of the thermal head and the transfer receiving material with respect to each other, in a direction substantially in parallel with a main scanning direction (the direction in which the heat generating portions are arranged), after transferring the color material layers at least once.