JPH01168491A - Thermosensitive transfer material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve high-quality image recording which enables transfer recording with continuous gradations, by performing thermal transfer onto a recording sheet coated with a color developer by using a thermosensitive transfer material which comprises a porous minute sphere layer comprising porous minute spheres containing a leuco dye therein, on a base. CONSTITUTION:A thermosensitive transfer material comprises a porous minute sphere layer 6 comprising porous minute spheres 4 containing a leuco dye 5 therein, on a base 2 comprising a heat-resistant film of polyethylene terephthalate or the like. The porous minute spheres can control the permeation of the leuco dye contained therein, according to the quantity of thermal energy applied thereto. When heat sensitive elements 11 of a thermal head are heated to temperatures T1, T2, T3 (T1<T2<T3) according to an image signal from a CRT or the like, the leuco dye is released from the minute spheres 4 of the thermosensitive material 1 accordingly, and reacts with the color developer 7 on a recording sheet 8, resulting in color development, whereby a transferred image with continuous gradations is recorded. The porous minute spheres may be polystyrene or acrylic minute spheres.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer material, and particularly to a thermal transfer+A material capable of continuous tone recording.

[Summary of the invention]

In recent years, with the rapid development of the information industry, industrial use.

There is a desire for high-quality image recording capable of expressing continuous gradations from information equipment terminals used in offices and the like.

The present invention provides porous microspheres containing leuco dye on a support. By using a heat-sensitive transfer material provided with a microsphere layer and thermally transferring the image to a recording sheet coated with a color developer using a thermal head, high-quality image recording capable of continuous tone transfer recording is obtained. The purpose is to

[Conventional technology]

Conventional thermal transfer materials are generally made by coating a resin film-like support such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with a heat-melt ink containing a colorant dispersed in a heat-melt binder. It is used.

However, with such conventional thermal transfer materials, the heat-melting ink in the heated area melts and separates from the support and is transferred onto the recording paper at once, so only binary recording is possible, and gradation expression is difficult. When performing this, area gradation methods such as the dither method and the density pattern method were used.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, when expressing gradation using conventional thermal transfer materials, not only is complex recording signal processing required to use the above-mentioned area gradation method, but also high image quality is required due to a decrease in resolution. Image recording was not expected.

Therefore, in order to solve these conventional drawbacks, the present invention
The object of the present invention is to provide a heat-sensitive transfer material capable of recording high-quality images capable of continuous tone transfer recording.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention uses a heat-sensitive transfer material in which a porous microsphere layer made of porous microspheres containing leuco dye is provided on a support, and a color developer is applied using a thermal head or the like. By heat-transferring to a coated recording sheet, it is possible to obtain high-quality image recording capable of continuous tone transfer recording.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the heat-sensitive transfer material of the present invention, in which the support 2 is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PE
It is made of a heat-resistant film of about 10μ such as T), and has a structure in which a porous microsphere layer 6 consisting of porous microspheres 4 containing leuco dye 5 is provided on the support 2. . Here, the permeation of the leuco dye contained in the porous microspheres can be controlled by applying heat energy.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of thermal transfer recording using the thermal transfer material of FIG.

In response to an image signal from a CRT or the like, the heat sensitive body 11 of the thermal head reaches a temperature of T I+ T 2.73 (T1<T
When heated to z<T3), the leuco dye is released from the porous microspheres 4 of the thermal transfer material 1 and reacts with the color developer 7 of the recording sheet 8 to develop color and transfer continuous gradations. The image is recorded.

As the porous microspheres of the present invention, microspheres made of polystyrene, acrylic, or the like are used.

Examples of the leuco dyes contained in the porous microspheres include fluoran-based, triphenylmethane-based, phenothiazine-based, auramine-based, spiropyran-based, etc.
Crystal violet lactone, 3,3-bis(P-
dimethylaminophenyl)-phthalide, 3,3-bis(P-dimethylaminophenyl)-6-amylphthalide, 3,3-bis(P-dimethylaminophenyl)-6
-nitrophthalide, 3,3-bis(P-dimethylaminophenyl)-6-chlorophthalide, 3,6-pis-B-cyanoethoxyfluoran, benzoylleucomethylene blue, rhodamine B lactam, and the like.

Examples of aqueous solvents that dissolve leuco dyes include alkylated naphthalenes, alkylated biphenyls, alkylated cuphenyls, and chlorinated paraffins.

Polyvinyl alcohol is used as a binder.

Methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose.

Styrene-butadiene latex or the like can be used.

As a color developer, α-naphthol, β-naphthol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, catechol.

Examples include phenolic compounds such as pyrogallol, activated clay, and metal salts of organic carboxylic acids.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention uses a heat-sensitive transfer material in which a porous microsphere layer made of porous Mm globules containing a leuco dye is provided on a support, and a color developer is applied using a thermal head or the like. By thermally transferring the image to a recording sheet, it is possible to obtain high-quality image recording that allows continuous gradation transfer recording.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of the thermal transfer material of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of thermal transfer recording using the thermal transfer material of FIG. 1... Thermal transfer material 2... Support 3... Binder 4... Porous microspheres 5... Leuco dye 6... Porous microsphere layer 7... Color developer 8. ...Recording sheet 9...Dye emitting section 10...Color development section 11...Thermal head heating element Applicant: Seiko Electronics Co., Ltd. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] A heat-sensitive transfer material characterized in that a porous microsphere layer made of porous microspheres containing a leuco dye is provided on a support.