JP2008132773A - Thermal transfer recording method, image forming method, and image formed product - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided an image forming method capable of realizing a metallic gloss image having excellent design and high expressive power even when observed with transmitted light and / or reflected light.
A thermal transfer sheet provided with a metallic gloss layer on a substrate is prepared, and the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to a transfer target to form a metallic gloss image and formed on the transfer target. The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the transfer object at least once so that the metallic gloss image area partially overlaps with the metallic gloss image area but does not become the same. Form an image.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is a thermal transfer recording method and an image forming method that can be observed with both transmitted light and / or reflected light, has an excellent design, and can realize an image formed product that can be used in many applications, and an image obtained by the method. Concerning formation.

  A printed matter or molded product having a metallic luster that is observed using transmitted light or reflected light is manufactured by printing various hues and designs by a method such as screen printing or gravure printing.

  In these printing methods, when solvent-based ink is overprinted, if the second and subsequent colors are wet processes, the ink that has already been applied may blur or bleed. In particular, when an ink having a low transmittance is used, there is a case where an image having a high design effect cannot be reproduced as intended because the influence of blurring and blurring is larger.

  In order to suppress the influence of blurring and blurring when overprinting, for example, in gravure printing, a solvent block layer can be provided between the ink layers to be overprinted when printing in a wet process. There is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases.

  Further, for example, in screen printing, it is necessary to provide a thick metallic gloss layer in order to suppress the above-described influence. However, if the metallic luster layer is overprinted or a colored layer is printed on the lower surface of the metallic luster layer in order to increase the thickness of the metallic luster layer, the difference in transmittance due to transmitted light and the difference in reflectance due to reflected light Is very small, and there is a problem that a printed matter having excellent design properties cannot be obtained.

  By the way, there is a thermal transfer system in which various colors and images can be recorded only by a heating device such as a thermal head and thermal transfer conditions without using a wet printing system. This thermal transfer system uses a thermal transfer sheet in which a colored layer in which a colorant such as a pigment or dye is dispersed in a binder such as a heat-meltable wax or resin is carried on a base sheet such as a plastic film. In this method, energy corresponding to image information is applied by a heating device such as a thermal head, and a colorant is transferred together with a binder onto an image receiving sheet such as paper or a plastic sheet.

  A print image formed by this melt transfer method has high density and excellent sharpness, and is suitable for recording binary images such as characters and line drawings. In addition, by using a thermal transfer sheet with colored layers such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, each color layer is superimposed on the image receiving sheet and printed and recorded, so that multicolor or full color images can be formed by subtractive color mixing. is there.

  An attempt has been made to obtain a printed matter having a metallic luster and excellent design by utilizing such a high-density melt transfer method having excellent sharpness.

  For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-39399, a metallic glossy thermal transfer recording material having a metallic glossy layer provided on one side of a substrate is used to transfer the metallic glossy layer to a transfer target, In addition, a recording method has been proposed in which a color thermal transfer recording material having a metallic luster is obtained by transferring a color ink layer by using a molten thermal transfer recording material. In the thermal transfer recorded matter obtained by the proposed recording method, the ink layer (colored layer) is provided on the surface of the metallic gloss layer, and the colored layer is located on the outermost surface of the recorded matter.

  The recorded matter obtained by the recording method as described above is premised on observing the metallic gloss layer mainly as a reflected image. That is, a metallic gloss image is realized by overlaying a metallic gloss layer or providing a colored layer under the metallic gloss layer to enhance the concealment of the metallic gloss layer.

However, in applications such as printed materials and molded products that observe metallic gloss images using transmitted light, if the concealability of the metallic gloss layer increases, the difference in transmittance due to transmitted light and the reflectivity due to reflected light In some cases, the printed matter with excellent designability could not be obtained.
JP-A-9-39399

  The inventors of the present invention are now able to realize a metallic gloss image with high designability by the order of printing a metallic gloss image and a normal colored image on a transfer object when forming an image by a thermal transfer method. Obtained knowledge. In addition, even when the metallic gloss layer is overlaid and printed, if the transmittance and reflectance of the metallic gloss layer are within a specific range, a more expressive and excellent metallic gloss image can be realized. And gained knowledge. The present invention is based on such knowledge.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming method capable of realizing a metallic gloss image having excellent design and high expressive power even when observed with transmitted light and / or reflected light.

  Another object is to provide an image formed product that can be observed with transmitted light and / or reflected light, has excellent design properties, and can be used in many applications.

An image forming method according to the present invention is a method of forming an image on a transfer medium using a thermal transfer sheet,
Prepare a thermal transfer sheet with a metallic luster layer on the substrate,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to a transfer target to form a metallic gloss image,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is applied to the transferred body at least once so that the metallic gloss image area partially overlaps with the metallic gloss image formed on the transferred body but does not become the same. It is characterized by forming a metallic gloss image by thermal transfer.

An image forming method according to another aspect of the present invention is a method of forming an image on a transfer medium using an intermediate transfer recording medium,
Prepare an intermediate transfer recording medium provided with a transfer part consisting of at least a receiving layer on a substrate in a peelable manner,
Prepare a thermal transfer sheet with a metallic luster layer on the substrate,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium to form a metallic gloss image,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the transfer section of the intermediate transfer recording medium at least once so as to cover the entire metallic gloss image area on the metallic gloss image formed on the transfer section. To form a metallic gloss image,
The transfer portion on which the metallic gloss image is formed is re-transferred to the transfer body to form a glossy metal image on the transfer body.

An image forming method according to another aspect of the present invention is a method for forming an image on a transfer medium using a thermal transfer sheet,
Prepare a thermal transfer sheet with a metallic gloss layer on the substrate and a thermal transfer sheet with a color thermal transfer layer on the substrate,
The color thermal transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet is partially thermally transferred to the transfer target to form a color image,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred onto the color image formed on the transfer object to form a metallic gloss image.

An image forming method according to another aspect of the present invention is an image forming method in which a metallic gloss image is formed on a transfer medium using an intermediate transfer recording medium,
Prepare an intermediate transfer recording medium provided with a transfer part consisting of at least a receiving layer on a substrate in a peelable manner,
Prepare a thermal transfer sheet with a metallic gloss layer on the substrate and a thermal transfer sheet with a color thermal transfer layer on the substrate,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium to form a metallic gloss image,
On the metallic gloss image formed on the transfer portion, the color thermal transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet is partially thermally transferred to form a color image,
The transfer portion on which the metallic gloss image and the color image are formed is re-transferred to a transfer target member to form a metallic gloss image on the transfer target member.

Furthermore, an image formed product according to another aspect of the present invention is an image formed product in which a sublimation type and / or a melt type thermal transfer image is formed on a transfer target,
A second metallic gloss image is formed on the first metallic gloss image so that the first metallic gloss image and the first metallic gloss image area partially overlap but are not the same.
The light reflectance difference between the second metallic gloss image area and the other image areas on the surface of the image formed product is determined by the International Illumination Commission (CIE) L ^* a ^* b ^* color system L ^* value. As a difference, it is 0-10.

An image formed article according to another aspect of the present invention is an image formed article in which a sublimation type and / or a melt type thermal transfer image is formed on a transfer target,
An image region in which at least one selected from the group consisting of a color image, a black image, a white image, and a gray image is formed, and an image region in which a metallic gloss image is formed so as to cover the entire image region , Formed in this order on the transferred material,
The reflectance of light between the image area on which the surface of the image formed object is formed with at least one selected from the group consisting of a color image, a black image, a white image, and a gray image and the other image areas is international The difference in L ^* value in the L ^* a ^* b ^* color system of the lighting committee (CIE) is 0 to 20.

Further, an intermediate transfer recording medium according to another aspect of the present invention is an intermediate transfer recording medium provided with a transfer portion composed of at least a receiving layer on a base material so as to be peelable,
In the transfer part, a sublimation type and / or a melt type thermal transfer image is formed,
The thermal transfer image includes, in order from the base material side, an image area in which a metallic gloss image is formed, and a metallic gloss image, a color image, a black image, a white image, and a gray image formed in a part of the image area. And an image region in which at least one kind selected from the group is formed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a thermal transfer recording method uses a thermal transfer sheet having a metallic gloss layer provided on a substrate, and heat-transfers the metallic gloss layer to a transfer target a plurality of times to form an image having metallic gloss. In a thermal transfer recording method for obtaining a product,
The transfer part area thermally transferred at the first time of the metallic gloss layer and the transfer part area thermally transferred at the second and subsequent times partially overlap but are not the same.

Further, the thermal transfer recording method according to another aspect of the present invention uses a thermal transfer sheet in which a metallic gloss layer is provided on a substrate, and a release layer, an overcoat layer, and an adhesive layer are provided on the substrate. In a thermal transfer recording method, a metallic gloss layer is thermally transferred to a transparent transfer film, and the thermal transfer transfer layer is re-transferred to a transfer target to obtain an image formed product having a metallic gloss.
The transfer part area thermally transferred at the first time of the metallic gloss layer and the transfer part area thermally transferred at the second and subsequent times partially overlap but are not the same.

Further, a thermal transfer recording method according to another aspect of the present invention is a thermal transfer recording method for forming an image on a transfer target using a thermal transfer sheet.
Using a thermal transfer sheet having a color thermal transfer layer on a substrate, the thermal transfer layer is partially thermally transferred to the transfer target, and further using a thermal transfer sheet having a metallic gloss layer on the transfer target, The metallic gloss layer is thermally transferred onto the transferred thermal transfer layer.

The thermal transfer recording method according to another aspect of the present invention uses a thermal transfer sheet to thermally transfer an image to a transparent transfer film provided with a release layer, an overcoat layer, and an adhesive layer on a substrate, In the thermal transfer recording method in which the thermally transferred image is re-transferred to a transfer target to form an image.
Using a thermal transfer sheet having a metallic gloss layer on a substrate, thermally transferring the metallic gloss layer to the transparent transfer film, and further using a thermal transfer sheet having a color thermal transfer layer on the substrate, the transfer film The thermal transfer layer is partially thermally transferred onto the transferred metallic luster layer.

  According to the image forming method using the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention, after forming a metallic gloss image on the transfer object, another metallic gloss image is formed so as to partially overlap the metallic gloss image area but not the same. By forming, the boundary area between the two metallic gloss images can be clearly visually recognized by transmitted light and / or reflected light, so that an image-formed product with excellent design can be obtained. In particular, according to the present invention, even when a fine metal gloss image such as a hairline is formed on a metal gloss image with the same resolution as the conventional one, the image expressive power is improved and the texture is excellent. A metallic gloss image can be formed.

  Further, according to the image forming method using the intermediate transfer recording medium of the present invention, the metallic gloss image and another metallic gloss image so as to cover the entire metallic gloss image are formed on the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium. By forming in this order, the boundary between both metallic gloss images can be clearly recognized by transmitted light and / or reflected light, and thus an image-formed product excellent in design can be obtained. In particular, according to the present invention, even when a fine metal gloss image such as a hairline is formed on a metal gloss image with the same resolution as the conventional one, the image expressive power is improved and the texture is excellent. A metallic gloss image can be formed.

  In addition, according to the image forming method using the thermal transfer sheet according to another aspect of the present invention, a metallic gloss image is formed on a color image, and therefore an image having excellent design characteristics in either transmitted light or reflected light. A formation can be obtained.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, according to the image forming method using the intermediate transfer recording medium, a metallic gloss image and a color image partially on the metallic gloss image are transferred to the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium. By forming the image forming material, it is possible to obtain an image formed product having excellent design properties in either transmitted light or reflected light.

Furthermore, the image formed product according to the present invention is an image formed product in which a sublimation type and / or a melt type thermal transfer image is formed on a transfer target,
A second metallic gloss image is formed on the first metallic gloss image so that the first metallic gloss image and the first metallic gloss image area partially overlap but are not the same.
The light reflectance difference between the second metallic gloss image area and the other image areas on the surface of the image formed product is determined by the International Illumination Commission (CIE) L ^* a ^* b ^* color system L ^* value. As a difference, it is 0-10.

The image-formed product according to the present invention includes an image region in which at least one selected from the group consisting of a metallic gloss image, a color image, a black image, a white image, and a gray image is formed, and other metal gloss images By setting the reflectance of light to the area to 0-20 as the difference in L ^* value in the L ^* a ^* b ^* color system of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), the metallic luster image is excellent in design. Image formation can be realized.

  In addition, the intermediate transfer recording medium according to the present invention includes, in order from the substrate side, an image area where a metallic gloss image is formed, and a metallic gloss image, a color image, a black image, a white color formed on a part of the image area. An image and an image region in which at least one selected from the group consisting of gray images is formed, and when the image is retransferred to the transfer medium using this intermediate transfer recording medium, transmitted light or With any of the reflected light, an image-formed product excellent in the design of a metallic gloss image can be obtained.

  Further, according to the thermal transfer recording method of the present invention, since the boundary area between both metallic gloss images can be clearly recognized by transmitted light and / or reflected light, an image formed product having excellent design can be obtained. In particular, according to the present invention, even when a fine metal gloss image such as a hairline is formed on a metal gloss image with the same resolution as the conventional one, the image expressive power is improved and the texture is excellent. A metallic gloss image can be formed.

  Further, according to the thermal transfer recording method of another aspect of the present invention, a metallic gloss image is formed on a color image, so that an image-formed product excellent in design can be obtained in either transmitted light or reflected light. it can.

  The image forming method according to the present invention will be described below.

<Image Forming Method of First Aspect>
The image forming method according to the first aspect of the present invention is a method for obtaining an image formed product as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 by using a thermal transfer sheet.

  In the image-formed product shown in FIG. 1, a metallic gloss layer 2 and another metallic gloss layer 3 are formed on the transfer target 10 so as to partially overlap the area of the metallic gloss layer 2 but not the same. It has been done. The image-formed product shown in FIG. 1 is obtained by thermally transferring a metallic gloss layer twice on a transfer target. However, the number of layers of the metallic gloss layer is not limited to 2 times, but 3 times or more. Three or more layers may be formed by thermal transfer.

  In the image-formed product shown in FIG. 1, the metallic gloss layer 2 is transferred onto the transfer target 10, and the metallic gloss layer 3 is transferred onto the metallic gloss layer 2 in a smaller area than the metallic gloss layer 2. Have been stacked. The portion of the metallic luster layer 2 only with one metallic luster layer is the first transfer portion 11 of the metallic luster layer, and the portion in which the metallic luster layer 2 and the metallic luster layer 3 overlap to form a plurality of layers (in this case The two-layer portion) is the multiple transfer portion 12. In the case shown in FIG. 1, for example, the transmittance of the metallic gloss layer 2 in the first transfer portion is 47% (that is, the region of 11), and the transmittance of the multiple transfer portion is 19% (that is, 12). Region) The light reflectance is different between the first thermal transfer portion and the second and subsequent thermal transfer portions. In the present invention, by providing a difference in light transmittance between the region of the first thermal transfer portion 2 and the region of the second and subsequent thermal transfer portions 3, the boundary area between the two metallic gloss images can be clearly recognized. In particular, even when a fine metallic luster layer 3 such as a hairline is formed on the metallic luster layer 2 with the same resolution as before, the expressive power of the image is improved, and a metallic luster image with an excellent texture is obtained. Can be formed. In particular, even when a fine metallic luster layer 3 such as a hairline is formed on the metallic luster layer 2 with the same resolution as before, the expressive power of the image is improved, and a metallic luster image with an excellent texture is obtained. Can be formed. Further, the transmittance of the metallic gloss layer 2 in the region of the first thermal transfer portion 2 is 47%, and the transmittance of the region of the thermal transfer portion 3 in the second and subsequent times is 19%. There is a difference in transmittance from the second and subsequent thermal transfer portions.

  In the image-formed product shown in FIG. 2, two white ink layers, a white ink layer 4 and a white ink layer 5, are transferred onto the transfer target 10, and a metallic gloss layer is further formed on the white ink layer 5. 2 is transferred, and the metallic gloss layer 3 is transferred and laminated on the metallic gloss layer 2 in a smaller area than the metallic gloss layer 2. As described above, by providing the white ink layer on the lower surface of the metallic gloss layer, an image with higher contrast can be obtained.

  Further, in the image-formed product shown in FIG. 3, the black ink layer 6, the white ink layer 4, and the white ink layer 5 are sequentially heat-transferred onto the transfer target 10, and the metallic gloss layer is further formed on the white ink layer 5. 2 is thermally transferred, and the metallic gloss layer 3 is transferred and laminated on the metallic gloss layer 2 in a smaller area than the metallic gloss layer 2. As described above, after the white ink layer and the black ink layer are thermally transferred onto the transfer medium, the metallic gloss layer is thermally transferred to obtain an image with higher contrast. In this embodiment, the white ink layer is thermally transferred twice. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the thermal transfer may be performed once or three times or more. In order to improve the reflectivity and contrast, the number of times of thermal transfer of the white ink layer can be appropriately adjusted. In addition, the black ink layer has been transferred once, but may be transferred twice or more, and the number of times of transfer of the black ink layer can be adjusted as appropriate in order to improve contrast and the like. .

  The heating means for thermally transferring the image can be performed by a conventional thermal transfer recording method, and a thermal head or the like can be used, but is not limited to this, and a heating means using a light source or a laser light source is used. There may be.

<Image Forming Method of Second Aspect>
The image forming method according to the first aspect of the present invention is a method for obtaining an image formed product as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 using a thermal transfer sheet, and a color thermal transfer image is partially formed on a transfer target. The metallic gloss layer is thermally transferred onto the color image to form a metallic gloss image. In this way, by forming a color image on a part of the transfer target and forming a metal gloss image on the entire surface so that the color image is covered, the color image (pattern) can be obtained in either transmitted light or reflected light. ) Can be recognized and a metallic tone image can be obtained, so that an image-formed product excellent in design can be obtained.

  In the image formed product shown in FIG. 4, the white ink layer 4 and the white ink layer 5 are thermally transferred onto the transfer medium 10, and the yellow heat transfer layer 7 and magenta are further transferred onto the white ink layer 5. The thermal transfer layer 8 and the cyan thermal transfer layer 9 are thermally transferred, and further, the metallic gloss layer 2 is transferred and laminated thereon. In the figure, the yellow thermal transfer layer 7, the magenta thermal transfer layer 8, and the cyan thermal transfer layer 9 are each transferred in a star shape. However, the shape is not limited to this, and the shape is appropriately changed to improve the design. Can do. In this embodiment, the white ink layer is thermally transferred twice. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the thermal transfer may be performed once or three times or more. In order to improve the reflectivity and contrast, the number of times of thermal transfer of the white ink layer can be appropriately adjusted.

  In the image formed product shown in FIG. 5, the black ink layer 6, the white ink layer 4, and the white ink layer 5 are sequentially heat-transferred on the transfer target 10, and the yellow heat transfer layer 7 and magenta are further transferred onto the white ink layer 5. The thermal transfer layer 8 and the cyan thermal transfer layer 9 are thermally transferred, and the metallic gloss layer 2 is further thermally transferred and laminated thereon. In this embodiment, the white ink layer is thermally transferred twice. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the thermal transfer may be performed once or three times or more. In order to improve the reflectivity and contrast, the number of times of thermal transfer of the white ink layer can be appropriately adjusted. In addition, the black ink layer has been transferred once, but may be transferred twice or more, and the number of times of transfer of the black ink layer can be adjusted as appropriate in order to improve contrast and the like. .

  Another embodiment of the image formed product obtained by the image forming method according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. The image formed product shown in FIG. 6 is obtained by thermally transferring a gray ink layer in place of the yellow thermal transfer layer 7, the magenta thermal transfer layer 8 and the cyan thermal transfer layer 9 of the image formed product shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the gray ink layer 13 is transferred in a star shape, but not limited to this, the shape can be changed as appropriate to enhance the design.

  The image formed product shown in FIG. 7 is obtained by thermally transferring a gray ink layer in place of the yellow thermal transfer layer 7, the magenta thermal transfer layer 8 and the cyan thermal transfer layer 9 of the image formed product shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the gray ink layer 13 is transferred in a star shape, but not limited to this, the shape can be changed as appropriate to enhance the design.

<Image Forming Method of Third Aspect>
The image forming method according to the third aspect of the present invention is a method for obtaining an image formed product as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 by using an intermediate transfer recording medium.

  First, an intermediate transfer recording medium provided with a transfer portion comprising at least a receiving layer so as to be peelable on a substrate is prepared, a metallic gloss layer is formed on the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium, and a metallic gloss image is covered. As described above, another metallic gloss image is thermally transferred. Then, the transfer part of the intermediate transfer recording medium on which the two metallic gloss layers are formed is retransferred to the transfer target, whereby an image formed product as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is obtained. That is, the order in which the images are thermally transferred to the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium by the thermal transfer sheet is opposite to the thermal transfer order in the image forming method of the first aspect.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of an intermediate transfer recording medium used for obtaining the image formed product shown in FIG.

  First, as an intermediate transfer recording medium, a base material provided with a transfer portion including at least a receiving layer is prepared so as to be peelable. As this base material, a transparent transfer film (base material) having a release layer, an overcoat layer and an adhesive layer can also be used. In this case, a release treatment is performed on the surface of the transfer film.

  On this base material 14, the metallic gloss layer 3, the metallic gloss layer 2, the white ink layer 5, the white ink layer 4, and the black ink layer 6 are thermally transferred in this order (FIG. 8A). However, the metallic gloss layer 3 is transferred and laminated in a smaller area than the metallic gloss layer 2. The black ink layer 6 of the transparent transfer film to which each of the above layers has been transferred and the final transfer target 15 are overlapped and heated, and then the transparent transfer film substrate 14 is peeled off to obtain the final transfer target. An image formed product in which the black ink layer 6, the white ink layer 4, the white ink layer 5, the metallic gloss layer 2, and the metallic gloss layer 3 are laminated in this order on the body 15 can be produced (FIG. 8B). )). In addition, in order to improve the adhesiveness of a black ink layer and a final to-be-transferred body, it can also transfer via an adhesive layer (not shown).

  The heating means for thermally transferring the image from the thermal transfer sheet to the intermediate transfer recording medium can be performed by a conventional thermal transfer recording method, and a thermal head or the like can be used, but is not limited to this. Heating means using a laser light source may be used. In addition, the heating means for retransferring the transfer portion on which the thermal transfer image is formed to the transfer target is not limited to the heat roll method, and may be a hot stamp method, a thermal head method, or the like.

<Image Forming Method of Fourth Aspect>
The image forming method according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is a method for obtaining an image formed product as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 by using an intermediate transfer recording medium.

  First, an intermediate transfer recording medium provided with a transfer portion comprising at least a receiving layer so as to be peelable on a substrate is prepared, a metallic gloss layer is formed on the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium, and the metallic gloss image is formed on the metallic gloss image. Further, the color thermal transfer layer is partially thermally transferred. Then, by transferring the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium on which the metallic gloss image and the color image are formed in order to the transfer target, an image formed product as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is obtained. That is, the order in which the images are thermally transferred to the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium by the thermal transfer sheet is opposite to the thermal transfer order in the image forming method of the second aspect. Note that the thermal transfer order to the intermediate transfer recording medium in the image forming method of this aspect is the reverse of the image forming method of the second aspect, but the images to be formed are not different, and the description thereof is omitted.

<Thermal transfer sheet>
The thermal transfer sheet used in the image forming method according to the present invention includes (1) a substrate provided with a metallic luster layer, (2) a substrate provided with a color thermal transfer layer, and (3) a substrate. Are provided with a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer. In addition, as a preferable embodiment, those having a gray thermal transfer layer can also be used.

  In the present invention, when these various thermal transfer sheets are combined to thermally transfer an image to a transfer target (or intermediate transfer recording medium), a specific thermal transfer sequence and a thermal transfer region are used to form the image by conventional thermal transfer. Compared with the metallic gloss image, a metallic gloss image having a high design property is obtained, in which the outline of the metallic gloss image is easily visible and the contrast is excellent. Hereinafter, each member constituting the thermal transfer sheet will be described in detail.

(Base material)
In the above-described thermal transfer sheet, the same base material can be used for all. The substrate used for the thermal transfer sheet is not particularly limited as long as it can form a metallic gloss layer, a color thermal transfer layer, a white ink layer, a black ink layer, and has a predetermined heat resistance and strength. It is not something. Specific examples of such a substrate include polyethylene terephthalate film, 1,4-polycyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate film, polyethylene naphthalate film, polyphenylene sulfide film, polystyrene film, polypropylene film, polysulfone film, and aramid film. , Polycarbonate film, polyvinyl alcohol film, cellophane, cellulose derivatives such as cellulose acetate, polyethylene film, polyvinyl chloride film, nylon film, polyimide film, ionomer film, and the like.

  Moreover, the thickness of a base material is 0.5-50 micrometers, for example, Preferably it is about 1-10 micrometers.

  The thermal transfer sheet used in the image forming method according to the present invention is provided with a heat-resistant layer on the side opposite to the surface on which the transfer layer is formed to prevent adverse effects such as sticking due to heat of the thermal head and printing wrinkles. Can do. The heat-resistant layer includes a heat-resistant resin and a thermal release agent or a substance that functions as a lubricant as basic constituent components. By providing such a heat-resistant layer, even with a thermal transfer sheet based on a heat-sensitive plastic film, thermal printing can be performed without causing sticking, and the plastic film is difficult to cut, easy to process, etc. Can take advantage of Further, it is possible to prevent adhesion with a thermal head or the like and improve slipperiness.

  The heat-resistant layer is formed by suitably using a binder resin to which a slip agent, a surfactant, inorganic particles, organic particles, a pigment and the like are added. Examples of binder resins used in the heat-resistant layer include cellulose resins such as ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and nitrified cotton, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, and polyvinyl acetal. , Polyvinyl pyrrolidone, acrylic resins, polyacrylamide, vinyl resins such as acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers, polyester resins, polyurethane resins, silicone-modified or fluorine-modified urethane resins, and the like.

Among these, it is preferable to use a crosslinked resin by using several reactive groups, for example, those having a hydroxyl group, and using a polyisocyanate or the like as a crosslinking agent. As a means for forming the heat-resistant layer, as described above, a material obtained by adding a slip agent, a surfactant, inorganic particles, organic particles, a pigment, etc. to a binder resin is dissolved or dispersed in an appropriate solvent, and then applied. Examples include, but are not limited to, means for preparing a working solution and applying and drying the coating solution by a conventional coating means such as a gravure coater, a roll coater, or a wire bar. The coating amount of the heat-resistant layer is preferably about 0.01 to 3 g / m ² in a dry state.

(Glossy metallic layer)
The metallic gloss layer is a layer in which metallic powder such as aluminum powder, bronze powder, copper powder, tin powder, lead powder, and zinc powder and metallic gloss pigment having metallic luster such as pearl pigment are dispersed in the resin. The aluminum powder can be either a leafing type or a non-leafy feeling type. Examples of the resin constituting the metallic luster layer include thermoplastic resins such as styrene-butadiene copolymers, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymers, polyalkylene resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene- Acrylic resin such as acrylic acid copolymer, polyester resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, ionomer resin, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl ether, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl One or more conventionally known resins such as butyral, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyutalene, polyamide, ethyl cellulose, nitrocellose, cellulose acetate and other fiber polymers, chlorinated rubber, natural rubber and other rubber polymers. The combination of it is effective. The coating amount is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 5 g / m ² when dried, and more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 3 g / m ² . If it is less than 0.1 g / m ² , sufficient glossiness cannot be obtained, and if it exceeds 5 g / m ² , the printing sensitivity is remarkably lowered.

  In the metallic luster layer, in addition to the above metallic luster pigment and resin, if necessary, a wax component can be mixed and used to the extent that heat resistance and the like are not impaired. Examples of the wax include microcrystalline wax, carnauba wax, and paraffin wax. In addition, Fischer-Tropsch wax, various low molecular weight polyethylene, wood wax, beeswax, whale wax, ibota wax, wool wax, shellac wax, candelilla wax, petrolactam, polyester wax, partially modified wax, fatty acid ester, fatty acid amide, etc. Wax. Among these, those having a melting point of 50 to 85 ° C. are particularly preferable.

  When the temperature is 50 ° C. or lower, a problem occurs in storage stability, and when the temperature is 85 ° C. or higher, printing sensitivity is insufficient.

(Color thermal transfer layer)
As the color thermal transfer layer, a known thermal transfer layer in melt thermal transfer recording or a known dye layer in sublimation thermal transfer recording can be used, and is not particularly limited.

For example, the sublimable dye layer can be formed from a coating liquid containing a sublimable dye, a binder resin, and other optional components. As the sublimation dye, the binder resin and the like, conventionally known ones can be used, and are not particularly limited. The dye layer can be formed by a conventionally known method in which a dye layer coating solution is prepared and applied to a base film by means of a gravure printing method and dried. The thickness of the dye layer is about 0.2 to 3 g / m ^{2 in} a dry state.

  Moreover, a melt layer can be formed using the same hot melt ink as before, and various additives may be added as necessary. Conventionally known materials can be used for these materials, and are not particularly limited. The molten layer is formed by applying a hot-melt ink on a base film using a method such as hot melt coating. The thickness of the molten layer to be formed is determined from the relationship between the required concentration and thermal sensitivity, and is usually preferably in the range of about 0.2 to 10 μm.

(White ink layer)
The white ink layer has a function of imparting appropriate light diffusibility and light transmittance to the image-formed product to which the white ink layer has been transferred, and is mainly composed of a white pigment, a filler, and a binder resin.

  Any resin may be used as the binder resin, and preferred resins are acrylic resins, cellulose resins, polyester resins, vinyl resins, polyurethane resins, polycarbonate resins, or partially crosslinked resins thereof. . Also, the white pigment and filler are hard solid particles, such as inorganic fillers such as silica, alumina, clay, talc, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, white pigments such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide, acrylic resins, epoxy Examples thereof include resin particles (plastic pigment) such as resin, polyurethane resin, phenol resin, melamine resin, benzoguanamine resin, fluorine resin, and silicone resin.

Titanium oxide includes rutile type titanium oxide and anatase type titanium oxide, either of which may be used. In the white ink layer, a fluorescent whitening agent can be added in addition to the binder resin, the white pigment, and the filler. As the fluorescent whitening agent, a conventionally known compound having a fluorescent whitening effect such as a stilbenzene series or a pyrazoline series can be used. The white layer 6 has appropriate light diffusibility and light transmittance by adjusting the solid content ratio of the white pigment and filler to the binder resin, that is, the P / V ratio and the thickness of the white layer. Can do. By setting the coating amount of the white ink layer to about 0.5 to 5.0 g / m ² in a dry state, appropriate light diffusibility and light transmittance can be obtained.

(Black ink layer)
As the black ink layer, a known thermal transfer layer in melt thermal transfer recording or a known dye layer in sublimation thermal transfer recording can be used, and is not particularly limited. It should be noted that the content ratio of the colorant constituting the black ink layer is reduced, the coating amount of the black ink layer is reduced, the black pigment (carbon black) and the white pigment are mixed and adjusted to an arbitrary gray color tone, A gray ink layer can be prepared and used in the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a gray ink layer is used in combination with a metallic gloss layer, and an image formed product having a high design property utilizing the difference between the transmittance of the metallic gloss layer and the transmittance of the gray ink layer. It can also be formed. This image-formed product becomes a product in which the light transmission amount is adjusted, and can be used for, for example, a rear window of an automobile such as smoked glass (smoked film) or a window glass.

  In the above-mentioned metallic gloss layer, color thermal transfer layer for melt thermal transfer recording, white ink layer, black ink layer for melt thermal transfer recording, etc., any known layer may be provided between the substrate and the uppermost layer. A conventionally known adhesive layer can be additionally provided.

<Intermediate transfer recording medium>
As the intermediate transfer recording medium according to the present invention, a substrate on which a transfer portion including at least a receiving layer is provided so as to be peelable is used.

  As a base material, the thing similar to the base material demonstrated by said heat transfer sheet can be used. When the intermediate transfer recording medium is heated from the back side of the intermediate transfer recording medium when the transfer part of the intermediate transfer recording medium and the thermal transfer sheet are heated, the opposite side of the intermediate transfer recording medium from the side on which the transfer part is provided In addition, it is possible to similarly provide the heat-resistant layer described in the thermal transfer sheet.

(Receptive layer)
The receiving layer is provided so as to be positioned on the outermost surface as a part of the transfer portion constituting the intermediate transfer recording medium. On this receiving layer, an image is formed by thermal transfer from a thermal transfer sheet having a color material layer by thermal transfer. Then, the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium on which the image is formed is transferred to the transfer target, and as a result, a printed matter is formed.

For this reason, as a material for forming the receiving layer, a conventionally known resin material that can easily receive a heat transferable color material such as a sublimation dye or a heat-meltable ink can be used. For example, polyolefin resin such as polypropylene, halogenated resin such as polyvinyl chloride or polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer or polyacrylate Vinyl resin, polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate or polybutylene terephthalate, polystyrene resin, polyamide resin, copolymer resin of olefin such as ethylene or propylene and other vinyl polymer, cellulose resin such as ionomer or cellulose diastase Polycarbonate and the like, and vinyl chloride resin, acrylic-styrene resin or polyester resin is particularly preferable.

  In order to improve the fixing property of the transfer part to the transfer target, it is preferable to form the receiving layer using a resin material having adhesiveness such as vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer.

The receiving layer is a coating for the receiving layer, which is prepared by adding one or more materials selected from the above materials and various additives as necessary, and dissolving or dispersing them in an appropriate solvent such as water or an organic solvent. A liquid can be prepared, and this can be formed by applying and drying by means of a gravure printing method, a screen printing method or a reverse coating method using a gravure plate. Its thickness is about 1 to 10 g / m ^{2 in} a dry state.

  In the intermediate transfer recording medium according to the present invention, a receiving layer can be formed on a substrate via a release OP layer. In this case, the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium is composed of a peeling OP layer and a receiving layer, and the transfer portion is transferred to the transfer target body together with the receiving layer in such a form that the peeling OP layer is the outermost surface. In other words, the release OP layer has a function of protecting the thermal transfer image on the outermost surface of the printed material and a function of a release layer when the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium is peeled off and thermally transferred.

  The release OP layer is, for example, microcrystalline wax, carnauba wax, paraffin wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, various low molecular weight polyethylene, wood wax, beeswax, whale wax, ibota wax, wool wax, shellac wax, candelilla wax, petrolactam, one Heat of wax such as partially modified wax, fatty acid ester, fatty acid amide, silicone wax, silicone resin, fluorine resin, acrylic resin, polyester resin, polyurethane resin, cellulose resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, nitrified cotton, etc. It can be formed using a plastic resin.

  The peeling OP layer is particularly preferably composed mainly of an acrylic resin, a polyester resin, a polyurethane resin, etc. excellent in transparency, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, etc., and the above-mentioned wax is added thereto as necessary. be able to.

The release OP layer can be formed by coating and drying using conventionally known means such as hot melt coating, hot lacquer coating, gravure coating, gravure reverse coating, roll coating and the like. The thickness of the release OP layer is preferably about 0.1 to 5 g / m ² when dried.

  In addition, even in a transfer portion that does not have a release OP layer, it is possible to give an appropriate adhesion between the receiving layer and the base film by giving the receiving layer a peelability from the base film. it can. Further, by providing the substrate itself with peelability, the same peelability as that of the above-described release OP layer can be provided.

  Moreover, it can replace with the above-mentioned peeling OP layer, a mold release layer can be provided on a base material, and this mold release layer is normally formed from binder resin and a mold release material. The release layer hardly peels off from the substrate during thermal transfer and remains on the substrate film side.

  As the binder resin of the release layer, thermoplastic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyethyl methacrylate, polybutyl acrylate and other acrylic resins, polyvinyl acetate, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, Vinyl-based resins such as polyvinyl butyral, cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, nitrocellulose, and cellulose acetate, or unsaturated polyester resins that are thermosetting resins, polyester resins, polyurethane resins, aminoalkyd resins, and the like can be used. As the releasable material, waxes, silicone waxes, silicone resins, melamine resins, fluorine resins, fine powders of talc and silica, lubricants such as surfactants and metal soaps, and the like can be used.

The release layer is prepared by dissolving or dispersing the above resin in an appropriate solvent to prepare a release layer coating solution, and this is applied to the substrate film using a gravure printing method, a screen printing method or a gravure plate. It can be formed by applying and drying by means such as a coating method. The thickness after the drying is usually 0.1 to 10 g / m ² .

(Transfer material)
On the transfer target, the thermal transfer image is thermally transferred by the above-described thermal transfer sheet, or the transfer portion on which the thermal transfer image of the intermediate transfer recording medium is formed is transferred.

  The material to be transferred used in the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, natural pulp paper, coated paper, tracing paper, plastic film not deformed by heat during transfer, glass, metal, ceramics, wood, cloth Any of these may be used.

  Natural pulp paper is not particularly limited. For example, fine paper, art paper, lightweight coated paper, fine coated paper, coated paper, cast coated paper, synthetic resin or emulsion impregnated paper, synthetic rubber latex impregnated paper, synthetic resin internal additive Examples thereof include paper and thermal transfer paper.

  In addition, as a plastic film, polyethylene terephthalate film, polystyrene film, polypropylene film, aramid film, polycarbonate film, polyvinyl alcohol film, cellophane, cellulose derivatives such as cellulose acetate, polyethylene film, polyvinyl chloride film, nylon film, polyimide film, And ionomer film. Among these, in the present invention, in order to observe the metallic gloss image provided on the transferred body with transmitted light and / or reflected light, the plastic film used as the transferred body may be transparent or translucent. preferable.

  Regarding the shape and application of the transferred object, stock certificates, securities, certificates, passbooks, boarding tickets, car horse tickets, stamps, stamps, appreciation tickets, admission tickets, tickets, etc., cash cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, Cards such as members cards, greeting cards, postcards, business cards, driver's licenses, IC cards, optical cards, cases such as cartons, containers, bags, forms, envelopes, tags, OHP sheets, slide films, bookmarks, Calendars, posters, brochures, menus, POP supplies, coasters, displays, nameplates, keyboards, cosmetics, wristwatches, lighters and other accessories, stationery, report paper and other stationery and passports, small books, magazines and other booklets, building materials, Panel, emblem, key, cloth, clothing, footwear, radio, TV, calculator, O Device such as equipment, various swatches, album also, the output of computer graphics, medical image output, etc., do not ask type.

<Image formation>
The image forming method according to the present invention is one in which a sublimation type and / or a melt type thermal transfer image is formed using the above-described image forming method and a thermal transfer sheet or an intermediate transfer recording medium. Is done. First, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first metallic gloss image 2 and the first metallic gloss image region 2 partially overlap but are not the same on the surface of the transfer target 10. The second metallic gloss image 3 is formed on the first metallic gloss image 2. The difference in light reflectance between the region of the second metallic luster image 12 and the region of the other image (11) is determined by the International Illumination Commission (CIE) L ^* a ^* b ^* color system. The difference in L ^* values is 0-10.

By providing such a difference in reflectivity, the boundary area between the two metallic gloss images can be clearly visually recognized by the transmitted light and / or reflected light, so that an image formed with excellent design can be obtained. In particular, according to the present invention, even when a fine metal gloss image such as a hairline is formed on a metal gloss image with the same resolution as the conventional one, the image expressive power is improved and the texture is excellent. A metallic gloss image can be formed. In addition, the L ^* value in the L ^* a ^* b ^* color system of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) is measured by a method according to JIS Z 8729. In order to obtain such a difference in reflectance, it is preferable to provide a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer between the metallic gloss layer and the transfer target as described above.

  In the present invention, the difference in light transmittance between the region of the second metallic gloss image 12 and the region of the other image (11) is preferably 10% or more, more preferably 20% or more. More preferably. By setting the difference in light transmittance within this range, an image with better design properties can be obtained. If the difference in light transmittance is less than 10%, an image with high metallic gloss can be obtained, but the boundary between the first metallic gloss image and the second metallic gloss image becomes unclear, and the second metal It becomes difficult to recognize glossy images.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, at least one selected from the group consisting of a color image, a black image, a white image, and a gray image is formed on the surface of the transfer target 10 as the image formed product of another aspect. The formed image area and the image area in which the metallic gloss image is formed so as to cover the entire image area are formed in this order. Then, the reflectance of light between the image area formed with at least one selected from the group consisting of the color image, the black image, the white image, and the gray image and the other image areas is determined by the International Lighting Commission. The difference in L ^* values in the (CIE) L ^* a ^* b ^* color system is 0-20. By providing such a difference in reflectance, an image forming area such as a color image existing on the lower surface can be recognized not only by transmitted light but also by reflected light, and an image with a high metallic design can be obtained. . The difference in reflectance is preferably 0 to 17, more preferably 0 to 13, as the difference in L ^* value. By setting it as this range, even if it is a case where an image is observed with reflected light, an image with higher contrast and excellent design is obtained. In order to obtain such a difference in reflectance, as described above, a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer can be provided between the metallic gloss layer and the transfer target.

  In the present invention, the light transmittance of the metallic gloss layer formed on the outermost surface of the transfer target is preferably 10 to 90%, and more preferably 20 to 70%. When the light transmittance is less than 10%, an image having high metallic gloss can be obtained, but it becomes difficult to recognize an image forming region such as a color image, and the image lacks design. On the other hand, if it exceeds 90%, the metallic luster becomes poor. The light transmittance can be measured by a conventionally known method. For example, the transmittance at a visible light wavelength (450 to 680 nm) can be measured using a spectrophotometer.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention has substantially the same configuration and exhibits the same function and effect regardless of the case. It is included in the technical scope of the invention.

  Next, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples and comparative examples.

  Hereinafter, “parts” or “%” is based on mass unless otherwise specified.

Preparation of thermal transfer film (1) Production of metallic ribbon As a base material, a dry coating amount is applied to one surface of 4.5 μm thick PET (manufactured by Toray) by gravure coating with a coating solution for the release layer having the following composition. The release layer was formed by coating and drying so as to be 0.25 g / m ² . Further, on the release layer, a metallic gloss layer coating liquid having the following composition is applied by gravure coating to a dry coating amount of 0.8 g / m ² and dried to form a metallic gloss layer. Thus, a metallic ribbon was produced. A heat-resistant layer is formed on the other surface of the substrate by applying a coating solution for the heat-resistant layer having the following composition by gravure coating in advance so that the dry coating amount is 0.3 g / m ^2. I kept it.
(Coating solution for release layer)
・ Polymethyl methacrylate resin (BR-83, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 21%
・ Vinyl chloride vinyl acetate copolymer resin (SOLBIN C, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry) 9%
・ Polyester resin (Byron 200, manufactured by Toyobo) 0.2%
・ Toluene 34.4%
・ MEK 34.4%
(Glossy metallic layer coating solution)
・ Non-leafing aluminum paste (2173, Showa aluminum powder) 10%
・ Acrylic resin (BR-77, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 7%
-Vinyl chloride vinyl acetate copolymer resin (SOLBIN C, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry) 3%
・ Toluene 16%
・ MEK 64%
(Heat-resistant layer coating solution)
-Polymethyl methacrylate resin (BR-85, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 11.1%
・ Polyester resin (Elitel UE-3200, manufactured by Unitika) 0.3%
・ Zinc stearyl phosphate (LBT-1830, manufactured by Sakai Chemical) 5.7%
-Melamine aldehyde condensate (Eposter S, manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Chemical Co., Ltd.) 2.9%
・ Toluene 0.6%
・ MEK 79.4%

(2) Preparation of Black Ink Ribbon The dry coating amount of the release layer forming coating solution is 0.30 g / m ² , and the metallic gloss layer coating solution is replaced with a black layer coating solution having the following composition, and then dried. A black ink ribbon was prepared in the same manner as the metallic ribbon except that the coating amount was 1.1 g / m ² .
(Black layer coating solution)
Black pigment (CI NoPBk-7) 41.1%
-Vinyl chloride vinyl acetate copolymer resin (SOLBIN C, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry) 10.7%
・ Toluene 24.1%
・ MEK 24.1%

(3) Production of Gray Ink Ribbon The dry coating amount of the peeling layer forming coating solution is 0.3 g / m ² , and the metallic gloss layer coating solution is replaced with a gray layer coating solution having the following composition, followed by drying. A black ink ribbon was prepared in the same manner as the metallic ribbon except that the coating amount was 0.6 g / m ² .
(Gray layer coating solution)
・ Black pigment (CI NoPBk-7) 5.2%
・ Acrylic resin (BR-83, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 20.3%
・ Vinyl chloride vinyl acetate copolymer resin (SOLBIN C, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry) 5.1%
・ Toluene 35.0%
・ MEK 34.4%

(4) Preparation of White Ink Ribbon The dry coating amount of the release layer forming coating solution is 0.35 g / m ² , and the metallic gloss layer coating solution is replaced with a white layer coating solution having the following composition, and then dried. A white ink ribbon was prepared in the same manner as the metallic ribbon except that the coating amount was 1.8 g / m ² .
(White layer coating solution)
・ Titanium oxide 30%
・ Acrylic resin (BR-83, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 13.8%
-Vinyl chloride vinyl acetate copolymer resin (SOLBIN C, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry) 3.5%
・ Toluene 26.1%
・ MEK 26.6%

(5) Preparation of Cyan Ink Ribbon The dry coating amount of the peeling layer forming coating solution was 0.30 g / m ² , and the metallic gloss layer coating solution was replaced with a cyan layer coating solution having the following composition and dried. A cyan ink ribbon was prepared in the same manner as the metallic ribbon except that the coating amount was 0.6 g / m ² .
(Cyan layer coating solution)
Blue pigment (C.I.No. PB15: 4) 11.5%
・ Acrylic resin (BR-83, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 15.75%
-Vinyl chloride vinyl acetate copolymer resin (SOLBIN C, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry) 5.25%
・ Toluene 33.5%
・ MEK 34.0%

(6) Preparation of magenta ink ribbon The dry coating amount of the coating liquid for forming the release layer was 0.30 g / m ^2, and the coating liquid for the metallic gloss layer was replaced with a magenta layer coating liquid having the following composition, followed by drying. A magenta ink ribbon was prepared in the same manner as the metallic ribbon except that the coating amount was 0.6 g / m ² .
(Magenta layer coating liquid)
・ Red pigment (CI No. PR122) 10.8%
・ Acrylic resin (BR-83, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 11.72%
-Vinyl chloride vinyl acetate copolymer resin (SOLBIN C, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry) 7.76%
・ Toluene 34.76%
・ MEK 34.96%

(7) Preparation of Yellow Ink Ribbon The dry coating amount of the release layer forming coating solution is 0.30 g / m ² , and the metallic gloss layer coating solution is replaced with a yellow layer coating solution having the following composition, followed by drying. A yellow ink ribbon was prepared in the same manner as the metallic ribbon D except that the coating amount was 0.65 g / m ² .
(Yellow layer coating liquid)
Yellow pigment (CI No. PY150) 12.0%
・ Acrylic resin (BR-83, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 16.35%
-Vinyl chloride vinyl acetate copolymer resin (SOLBIN C, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry) 5.5%
・ Organic dispersant 0.2%
・ Toluene 32.83%
・ MEK 33.33%

Preparation of Intermediate Transfer Recording Medium A solution of a thermosetting acrylic-urethane resin is applied to the surface of a polyethylene terephthalate film substrate to a thickness of 1 μm or less (0.3 to 0.5 μm) when dried by a gravure coating method. The release layer was formed by drying and curing at 1 ° C. for 1 minute.

  Next, a polyester acrylate ionizing radiation curable resin coating is applied to the surface of the release layer so as to have a thickness of 6 μm when dried, dried at 100 ° C. for 30 seconds, and further a primer layer of 2 μm on the surface. It formed so that it might become thickness.

  The coating film was irradiated with an electron beam under the conditions of an acceleration voltage of 175 KV, a beam current of 36 mA, and an irradiation dose of 10 Mrad using a scanning electron beam irradiator to cure the overcoat layer.

  Further, an acrylic resin was gravure coated on the surface so as to have a thickness of 1 μm when dried to form an adhesive layer, and dried at 100 ° C. for 1 minute to obtain an intermediate transfer recording medium.

Production of image-formed product Using each of the thermal transfer sheets obtained above, an image was formed on a transparent polycarbonate film (hereinafter also referred to as PC) in the order shown in Table 1 below under the following printing conditions. An image was formed by thermal transfer to obtain an image formed product.
(Printing conditions)
1. Printing speed: 1msec / line (42mm / s)
2. Thermal head: KCE-162-24PAG6 (manufactured by Kyocera), average resistance (36
06Ω) Head pressure (4kg-10kg), Resolution (600dpi)
3. Head voltage: 17.4V
4). Applied energy: 0.07 mj / dot

Example A1
Using the obtained metallic ribbon, a metallic gloss image is formed on the entire surface of the PC film by the first thermal transfer, and a circular shape having a portion that does not partially overlap the metallic gloss image by the second thermal transfer. A metallic gloss pattern was formed.

Example A2
Using the obtained gray ink ribbon, a star-patterned gray image was formed on a part of the PC film by the first thermal transfer. Next, the obtained metallic ribbon was used for the second thermal transfer, and a metallic gloss image was formed on the entire surface of the PC film so as to cover the star pattern.

Example A3
Using the obtained magenta ink ribbon and yellow ink ribbon, overprinting was performed on a part of the PC film by the first thermal transfer to form a red star pattern. Next, the obtained metallic ribbon was used for the second thermal transfer, and a metallic gloss image was formed on the entire surface of the PC film so as to cover the star pattern.

Example A4
Using the obtained cyan ink ribbon and yellow ink ribbon, overprinting was performed on a part of the PC film by the first thermal transfer to form a green star pattern. Next, the obtained metallic ribbon was used for the second thermal transfer, and a metallic gloss image was formed on the entire surface of the PC film so as to cover the star pattern.

Example A5
Using the obtained cyan ink ribbon and magenta ink ribbon, overprinting was performed on a part of the PC film by the first thermal transfer to form a blue star pattern. Next, the obtained metallic ribbon was used for the second thermal transfer, and a metallic gloss image was formed on the entire surface of the PC film so as to cover the star pattern.

Example A6
A black layer was formed on the entire surface of the PC by thermal transfer using the obtained black ink ribbon, and then a white layer was formed on the entire black layer using the obtained white ink ribbon. Next, using the obtained metallic ribbon, a metal gloss image was formed on the entire surface of the white layer, and a circular metal gloss pattern having a portion that did not partially overlap the metal gloss image was formed.

Example A7
Using a metallic ribbon, a circular metallic image is formed on a portion of the obtained intermediate transfer recording medium by the first thermal transfer, and the metallic gloss image is covered by the second thermal transfer so that the metallic gloss image is covered. A metallic image was formed on the entire surface.

  Subsequently, the transfer part of the intermediate transfer recording medium was retransferred to a PC film using a heat roller, and the substrate was peeled off to obtain an image formed product. The transfer conditions at this time were a transfer temperature of 195 ° C. and a transfer speed of 6 mm / s.

Comparative Example A1
A metallic gloss image was formed on the entire surface of the PC film by the first thermal transfer using a metallic ribbon. Next, a second thermal transfer was performed using a gray ink ribbon, and a circular gray star pattern was partially formed on the metallic gloss image.

Evaluation of image formed product (1) Measurement of L ^* value The L ^* value (L ^* ₂ ) of the pattern portion of each image formed product and the L ^* value (L ^* ₁ ) of the other portions were measured. The measurement conditions were as follows.
Measuring instrument: Spectrolino (manufactured by Gretag Macbeth, spectrophotometer)
Observation light source: A, observation field: 2 °
-L ^* a ^* b ^* value of sample stage (L ^* : 94.15, a ^* : 0.22, b ^* : 1.57)
The evaluation results were as shown in Table 2 below.

(2) Measurement of transmittance The light transmittance (T ₂ ) of the pattern portion of each image-formed product and the transmittance (T ₁ ) of the other portions were measured. The measurement conditions were as follows.
(Measurement condition)
Measuring instrument: Spectrolino (manufactured by Gretag Macbeth, spectrophotometer)
Observation light source: A, observation field: 2 °
The evaluation results were as shown in Table 2 below.

(3) Image evaluation For each of the obtained image formed products, the image was visually evaluated. At that time, image evaluation was performed for both transmitted light and reflected light.

  As a result, in the image formed products of Example 1 and Example 7, the boundary between the metallic gloss layer area that was thermally transferred the first time and the metallic gloss layer area (pattern part) that was thermally transferred the second time was clearly defined. It was recognized that it was excellent in design.

  In addition, all of the image formation products of Examples 2 to 5 on which the star pattern image was formed were able to clearly recognize the star pattern and were excellent in metallic luster. In particular, even when the image was observed with reflected light, the star pattern could be clearly recognized and the metallic gloss was excellent.

  Further, the image formed product of Example 6 in which the white ink layer and the black ink layer were provided on the base was more metallic gloss than the image formed product in Example 1 in which the white ink layer and the black ink layer were not provided on the base. It was an image with excellent feeling.

  On the other hand, although the image formed product of Comparative Example 1 can recognize the star pattern, the pattern portion has no metallic luster and lacks design.

Example B1-1
As a base material, dry coating amount is set to 0.25 g / m < ² > by gravure coating the coating liquid for peeling layers used above on one side of PET (made by Toray) having a thickness of 4.5 [mu] m. And dried to form a release layer. Furthermore, on the release layer, the metallic gloss layer coating liquid used above is applied by gravure coating so that the dry coating amount is 0.8 g / m ² and dried to form a metallic gloss layer. And the thermal transfer sheet of Example B1-1 was produced. In addition, the heat resistant layer coating liquid having the following composition is applied to the other surface of the substrate in advance by gravure coating so that the dry coating amount is 0.25 g / m ² and dried to form a heat resistant layer. Had formed.
(Heat-resistant layer coating solution)
・ Polymethylmethacrylate resin (BR-85, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon) 11.1%
・ Polyester resin (Elitel UE-3200, manufactured by Unitika) 0.3%
・ Zinc stearyl phosphate (LBT-1830, manufactured by Sakai Chemical) 5.7%
-Melamine aldehyde condensate (Eposter S, manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Chemical Co., Ltd.) 2.9%
・ Toluene 16%
・ MEK 64%

  Using the thermal transfer sheet obtained above, a metallic gloss layer 2 and a metallic gloss layer 3 are formed on a sheet obtained by applying a receiving layer to a transparent film as a transfer target so as to be arranged as shown in FIG. The image was formed by transfer. The printing conditions were the same as described above.

Transmittance of the first transfer unit 11 of the obtained image forming material and (T _1), the transmittance of the double transfer unit 12 and a (T ₂₎ under the same conditions as described above were measured.

Example B1-2
A thermal transfer sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet prepared in Example B1-1 was changed to 0.2 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Example B1-3
A thermal transfer sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet prepared in Example B1-1 was changed to 0.5 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Example B1-4
A thermal transfer sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet prepared in Example B1-1 was changed to 1.0 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Example B1-5
A thermal transfer sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet prepared in Example B1-1 was changed to 1.2 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Example B1-6
A thermal transfer sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet prepared in Example B1-1 was changed to 1.4 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Example B1-7
A thermal transfer sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet prepared in Example B1-1 was changed to 1.8 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Example B1-8
A thermal transfer sheet was produced in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet produced in Example B1-1 was changed to 2.0 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Example B1-9
A thermal transfer sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet prepared in Example B1-1 was changed to 2.2 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Example B1-10
As a base material, a dry coating amount is set to 0.25 g / m ² by gravure coating on one surface of 4.5 μm thick PET (manufactured by Toray) using the same release layer coating liquid as described above. The release layer was formed by coating and drying. Further, on the release layer, the same metallic gloss layer coating liquid as above is applied by gravure coating, and dried to form a metallic gloss layer by applying a dry coating amount of 0.8 g / m ^2. And the thermal transfer sheet of Example B1-10 was produced. The heat-resistant layer is coated on the other surface of the above-mentioned base material in advance by gravure coating and dried so that the dry coating amount is 0.25 g / m ^2. Had formed.

  Using the obtained thermal transfer sheet, a transparent transfer film 14 having a release layer, an overcoat layer, and an adhesive layer as a transfer target (the release layer, the overcoat layer, and the adhesive layer are not shown), FIG. The metallic gloss layer 2 and the metallic gloss layer 3 are transferred so as to have the arrangement as shown in (a), and the transfer layer transferred to the transparent transfer film is used as a final transfer object on the polycarbonate resin sheet 15. Then, retransfer was performed using a heat roller, and finally, the substrate 14 of the transparent transfer film was peeled off to produce an image formed product (FIG. 9B). The thermal transfer conditions were the same as described above.

  The transmittance of the first transfer portion 11 and the transmittance of the second transfer portion 12 of the obtained image formed product were measured in the same manner as in Example B1-1.

(Transparent transfer film)
A thermosetting acrylic-urethane resin solution is applied to the surface of the polyethylene terephthalate film by gravure coating to a thickness of 1 μm or less (0.3 to 0.5 μm) when dried, and dried and cured at 170 ° C. for 1 minute. Thus, a release layer was formed.

  Next, a polyester acrylate ionizing radiation curable resin coating was applied to the surface of the release layer to a thickness of 6 μm when dried, dried at 100 ° C. for 30 seconds, and then a primer layer was formed to a thickness of 2 μm on the surface. . The coating film was irradiated with an electron beam at an acceleration voltage of 175 KV, a beam current of 36 mA, and an irradiation dose of 10 Mrad using a scanning electron beam irradiator to cure the hard coat layer.

  Further, an acrylic resin was gravure coated with a thickness of 1 μm on the surface to form an adhesive layer, and dried at 100 ° C. for 1 minute to obtain a transparent transfer film.

Comparative Example B1
A thermal transfer sheet was produced in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet produced in Example B1-1 was changed to 0.1 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Comparative Example B2
A thermal transfer sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example B1-1 except that the dry coating amount of the metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet prepared in Example B1-1 was changed to 3.0 g / m ^2. In the same manner as described above, an image formed product was produced, and the transmittance was measured in the same manner.

Table 3 below shows the measurement results of each transmittance in the image formed products obtained in Examples B1-1 to B1-10 and Comparative Examples B1 and B2.

  In the image formed products obtained in Examples B1-1 to B1-10, the transmissivity was 11 to 87% under the condition that the transferred metallic gloss layer was one layer, and the first transfer portion of the metallic gloss layer. The difference in transmittance between the two-time transfer part and the second-time transfer part is 10% or more, and it can be recognized by distinguishing the first-time transfer part and the second-time transfer part by observing both transmitted light and reflected light. It was. In addition, the image formed products obtained in Examples B1-1, B1-3, B1-4, B1-5, B1-6, and B1-10 were obtained under the condition that the transferred metallic gloss layer was one layer. The transmittance was in the range of 20 to 70%, and the image formation was more outstanding and more conspicuous. In addition, the image formed products obtained in Examples B1-1, B1-3, B1-4, B1-5, B1-6, and B1-10 are the first transfer portion and the second transfer portion of the metallic gloss layer. That the difference in transmittance is 20% or more also contributes to the above design properties. However, Example B1-10 uses the same thermal transfer sheet having a metallic gloss layer as Example B1-1, but transferred to the transparent transfer film after being transferred to the transparent transfer film. An image formed product obtained by retransferring a layer to a final transfer target.

  From the results in Table 3, the transmittances of the image transfer product obtained in Example B1-10 and the image transfer product obtained in Example B1-1 for the first transfer portion and the second transfer portion, and the transmittance. The metallic gloss layer used in both cases where the difference data is the same and is transferred directly to the transfer medium, and when transferred to a transparent transfer film as an intermediate transfer medium and then retransferred to the final transfer medium If the thermal transfer sheet having the (color thermal transfer layer) was the same, the transmittance results were similar.

  The image-formed product obtained in Comparative Example B1 has a coating amount of the metallic gloss layer that is too small, and overall the metallic gloss is poor. Also, the transmittance of the first transfer portion and the second transfer portion of the metallic gloss layer is low. The difference was so small that the first transfer portion and the second transfer portion were very difficult to recognize. Further, the image formed product obtained in Comparative Example B2 has too much metallic gloss layer and high metal gloss, but the difference in transmittance between the first transfer portion and the second transfer portion of the metal gloss layer is high. The number of the first transfer portion and the second transfer portion was very difficult to recognize. In Comparative Examples B1 and B2, the first transfer portion and the second transfer portion were difficult to distinguish and lacked in design.

It is the schematic which shows embodiment of the image formation obtained by the image forming method by this invention. It is the schematic which shows embodiment of the image formation obtained by the image forming method of another aspect of this invention. It is the schematic which shows embodiment of the image formation obtained by the image forming method of another aspect of this invention. It is the schematic which shows embodiment of the image formation obtained by the image forming method of another aspect of this invention. It is the schematic which shows embodiment of the image formation obtained by the image forming method of another aspect of this invention. It is the schematic which shows embodiment of the image formation obtained by the image forming method of another aspect of this invention. It is the schematic which shows embodiment of the image formation obtained by the image forming method of another aspect of this invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of obtaining the image formed product shown in FIG. 3 using the intermediate transfer recording medium used in the image forming method according to the present invention. It is the schematic which showed an example which obtains the image formation thing shown in FIG. 1 using the thermal transfer sheet used for the image formation method by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image formation 2 Metal gloss layer 3 Metal gloss layer 4 White ink layer 5 White ink layer 6 Black ink layer 7 Yellow heat transfer layer 8 Magenta heat transfer layer 9 Cyan heat transfer layer 10 To-be-transferred object 11 1 time transfer part 12 2 times transfer part (Twice transfer part)
13 Gray ink layer 14 Transfer film (base material)
15 Final transferred object

Claims (25)

A method of forming an image on a transfer medium using a thermal transfer sheet,
Prepare a thermal transfer sheet with a metallic luster layer on the substrate,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to a transfer target to form a metallic gloss image,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is applied to the transferred body at least once so that the metallic gloss image area partially overlaps with the metallic gloss image formed on the transferred body but does not become the same. An image forming method characterized by forming a metallic gloss image by thermal transfer. A method of forming an image on a transfer medium using an intermediate transfer recording medium,
Prepare an intermediate transfer recording medium provided with a transfer part consisting of at least a receiving layer on a substrate in a peelable manner,
Prepare a thermal transfer sheet with a metallic luster layer on the substrate,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium to form a metallic gloss image,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the transfer section of the intermediate transfer recording medium at least once so as to cover the entire metallic gloss image area on the metallic gloss image formed on the transfer section. To form a metallic gloss image,
An image forming method, wherein the transfer portion on which the metallic gloss image is formed is re-transferred to a transfer body to form a glossy metal image on the transfer body. A method of forming an image on a transfer medium using a thermal transfer sheet,
Prepare a thermal transfer sheet with a metallic gloss layer on the substrate and a thermal transfer sheet with a color thermal transfer layer on the substrate,
The color thermal transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet is partially thermally transferred to the transfer target to form a color image,
An image forming method, wherein a metallic gloss image is formed by thermally transferring a metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto a color image formed on the transfer object. An image forming method for forming a metallic gloss image on a transfer medium using an intermediate transfer recording medium,
Prepare an intermediate transfer recording medium provided with a transfer part consisting of at least a receiving layer on a substrate in a peelable manner,
Prepare a thermal transfer sheet with a metallic gloss layer on the substrate and a thermal transfer sheet with a color thermal transfer layer on the substrate,
The metallic gloss layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the transfer portion of the intermediate transfer recording medium to form a color image,
On the metallic gloss image formed on the transfer portion, the color thermal transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet is partially thermally transferred to form a color image,
An image forming method, wherein the transfer portion on which the metallic gloss image and the color image are formed is retransferred to a transfer target member to form a metallic gloss image on the transfer target member.   Before transferring the metallic gloss layer and / or the color thermal transfer layer to the transfer target, a thermal transfer sheet provided with a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer on the substrate is used in advance. The method according to claim 1 or 3, comprising transferring a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer in advance.   After transferring the metallic gloss layer and / or the color thermal transfer layer to the intermediate transfer recording medium, using the thermal transfer sheet provided with a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer on the substrate, the intermediate transfer medium, and The method according to claim 2, comprising transferring a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer.   The method according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the intermediate transfer recording medium is provided with a receiving layer on a substrate via a release layer.   The thermal transfer sheet provided with the white ink layer and the black ink layer on the base material, and further transferring the white ink layer and the black ink layer, according to any one of claims 1 to 7. the method of. An image formed product in which a sublimation type and / or a melt type thermal transfer image is formed on a transfer target,
A second metallic gloss image is formed on the first metallic gloss image so that the first metallic gloss image and the first metallic gloss image area partially overlap but are not the same.
The light reflectance difference between the second metallic gloss image area and the other image areas on the surface of the image formed product is determined by the International Illumination Commission (CIE) L ^* a ^* b ^* color system L ^* value. An image formed product, wherein the difference is 0 to 10. An image formed product in which a sublimation type and / or a melt type thermal transfer image is formed on a transfer target,
An image region in which at least one selected from the group consisting of a color image, a black image, a white image, and a gray image is formed, and an image region in which a metallic gloss image is formed so as to cover the entire image region , Formed in this order on the transferred material,
The difference in light reflectance between the image area on the surface of the image-formed product formed with at least one selected from the group consisting of a color image, a black image, a white image, and a gray image, and the other image areas, An image formed product, characterized in that the difference in L ^* value in the L ^* a ^* b ^* color system of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) is 0-20.   The image-formed product according to claim 9, wherein a difference in light transmittance between a region where only one layer of the metallic gloss image exists and a region where images of a plurality of layers exist is 10% or more.   The image-formed product according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the transfer target is composed of a transparent or translucent sheet.   A white and / or black image is formed on the lower surface of the image area where at least one selected from the group consisting of the metallic gloss image, color image, black image, white image, and gray image is formed. The image formed product according to any one of claims 9 to 12. An intermediate transfer recording medium provided with a transfer portion consisting of at least a receiving layer on a substrate so as to be peelable,
In the transfer part, a sublimation type and / or a melt type thermal transfer image is formed,
The thermal transfer image includes, in order from the base material side, an image area in which a metallic gloss image is formed, and a metallic gloss image, a color image, a black image, a white image, and a gray image formed in a part of the image area. An intermediate transfer recording medium comprising: an image region formed with at least one selected from the group consisting of:   The intermediate transfer recording medium according to claim 14, wherein a difference in light transmittance between an area where only one layer of the metallic gloss image exists and an area where an image of a plurality of layers exists is 10% or more.   A white and / or black image is formed on the upper surface of an image region in which at least one selected from the group consisting of the metallic gloss image, color image, black image, white image, and gray image is formed. The intermediate transfer recording medium according to claim 14 or 15. In a thermal transfer recording method, using a thermal transfer sheet provided with a metallic gloss layer on a base material, a metallic gloss layer is thermally transferred to a transfer object a plurality of times to obtain an image formed product having a metallic gloss.
A method, wherein a transfer part region thermally transferred for the first time of the metallic gloss layer and a transfer part region thermally transferred for the second and subsequent times partially overlap but are not the same. Using a thermal transfer sheet provided with a metallic gloss layer on a base material, the metallic gloss layer is thermally transferred to a transparent transfer film provided with a release layer, an overcoat layer, and an adhesive layer on the base material. In the thermal transfer recording method, the transfer layer that has been thermally transferred is retransferred to a transfer target to obtain an image formed product having a metallic luster.
A method, wherein a transfer part region thermally transferred for the first time of the metallic gloss layer and a transfer part region thermally transferred for the second and subsequent times partially overlap but are not the same. In a thermal transfer recording method for forming an image on a transfer target using a thermal transfer sheet,
Using a thermal transfer sheet having a color thermal transfer layer on a substrate, the thermal transfer layer is partially thermally transferred to the transfer target, and further using a thermal transfer sheet having a metallic gloss layer on the transfer target, A method comprising thermally transferring a metallic luster layer onto a transferred thermal transfer layer. Using a thermal transfer sheet, the image is thermally transferred to a transparent transfer film provided with a release layer, an overcoat layer, and an adhesive layer on the substrate, and the thermally transferred image is retransferred to the transfer target. In the thermal transfer recording method for forming an image,
Using a thermal transfer sheet having a metallic gloss layer on a substrate, thermally transferring the metallic gloss layer to the transparent transfer film, and further using a thermal transfer sheet having a color thermal transfer layer on the substrate, the transfer film A method comprising partially thermally transferring the thermal transfer layer onto the transferred metallic luster layer.   Using a thermal transfer sheet provided with a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer on a substrate, in addition to the metallic gloss layer transferred a plurality of times, the white ink layer and / or the black ink layer is thermally transferred. The method according to claim 17 or 18.   The method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein, in addition to the thermal transfer layer, the white ink layer and the black ink layer are thermally transferred using a thermal transfer sheet in which a white ink layer and / or a black ink layer is provided on a substrate. .   The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the metallic luster layer has a transmittance of 10 to 90% under the condition of one layer.   The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, in the metallic gloss layer, a difference in light transmittance between a region thermally transferred for the first time and a region thermally transferred a plurality of times is 10% or more.   An image formed product formed by the thermal transfer recording method according to any one of claims 17 to 24.

Images