Current thermal dye sublimation transfer methods required on exclusive receiving layer for printing a dye image. We propose a new thermal transfer recording media(INTM).The principle of this new process is that the dye image is formed on the receiving layer providing peeling capability on the medium. The dye image is transferred onto the applied object together with the receiving layer. This medium can be applied to various objects without an excellent receiving paper.The INTM sheets is composed of a protective layer and a receiving layer formed on one surface of the base sheet. These layers can be peeled off from the base sheet. The dye image using an INTM sheet has good durability since the dye image is formed inside the layer under the protective layer. We have also developed a heat-seal layer to enable to various applications. After the heat-seal layer is printed on the dye image in INTM by a thermal head, the dye image in the receiving layer is transferred onto the object together with the heat-seal layer.The applications include card material (PVC, PET. PC, ABS) and natural paper etc. INTM can be used for card printers, passport printers, seal printers and digital photo printers.
Katsuyuki Oshima, "New Thermal Dye Transfer Recording Method by Using an Intermediate Transfer Recording Medium" in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies (NIP14), 1998, pp 187 - 189, https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.1998.14.1.art00046_1