JPH02289385A - Multiple-time printable thermal transfer recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the above recording medium capable of forming a sharp printing image free from a ghost phenomenon even when multiple-time printing is performed by alternately laminating a heat-meltable colorant layer and a heat-meltable colorless layer to a support. CONSTITUTION:A thermal transfer recording medium is formed, for example, by providing a heat-meltable colorant layer 2a(thickness ; 3 mum), a heat-meltable colorless layer 3a(thickness ; 2 mum), a heat-meltable colorant layer 2b(thickness ; 3 mum) and a heat-meltable colorless layer 3b(thickness ; 0.5 mum) on a support 1 composed of a polyethylene terephthalate film (thickness ; 6 mum) in this order by a hot melt method. Each of the heat-meltable colorant layers contains a colorant and heat-meltable substance and each of the heat-meltable colorless layers is substantially colorless and contains heat-meltable substance. When the uppermost layer is the heat-meltable colorless layer, in the multiple-time printable thermal transfer recording medium, the unevenness at the depleted part 4 generated by the transfer of the first heat-meltable colorant layer 2b is covered with the heat-meltable colorless layer 3a in the first printing as shown by Fig 7 and, therefore, no ghost is generated even in the second printing.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording medium that can be printed many times. There is. ), and more specifically, the present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording medium that can be printed many times and is capable of obtaining a clear printed image free of ghost images even after many times of printing.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] Conventionally,
As a thermal transfer recording medium capable of multiple printing, for example, a relatively thick single ink layer is provided on a support via a resin layer, and when printing, the ink layer is A so-called cohesive failure type thermal transfer recording medium (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-36698), which enables multiple printing by using a portion of it for each transfer;
The ink layer has a heat-melting ink on a porous polymer body, and when printing, the heat-melting ink oozes out little by little from the porous polymer body, making it possible to print multiple times. So-called stain removal type thermal transfer recording media (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 54-68235).

The ink layer has a fine particle filler and a heat-melting ink, and when printing, the fine particle filler suppresses the amount of ink transferred per time, making it possible to print multiple times. Stone wall type thermal transfer recording medium (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
7-160691) etc. have been reported.

However, these thermal transfer recording media.

In either case, when printing for the second time or later, there is a phenomenon in which shading or fading occurs on the printing surface based on the previous printing, and a phenomenon in which the previous printing content is retransferred to the white area of the transfer medium and this white area becomes dirty. (These phenomena are called ghost phenomena.)

It is not clear why such a ghost phenomenon occurs, but according to the study of this inventor, for example, in the above-mentioned cohesive failure type thermal transfer recording medium, the ink layer after the -th printing is The surface of the paper has fine irregularities, and these irregularities cause unevenness in the platen pressure when printing is performed again, or the unevenness causes pressure transfer onto the paper surface due to the platen pressure, which causes ghost phenomena. It is assumed that this occurs.

It is surmised that the same causes occur in the stain removal type thermal transfer recording medium and the stone wall type thermal transfer recording medium.

In addition, in such conventional thermal transfer recording media for multiple printing, the ink layer is easily affected by temperature changes, and for example, when used in a high temperature environment, the amount of ink transferred per print is This increase in the number of prints on the thermal transfer recording medium has the disadvantage of decreasing the number of prints possible.

On the other hand, when used in an environment with a low temperature, the amount of ink transferred per transfer decreases, resulting in a disadvantage that the density of the resulting printed image becomes significantly lighter.

This invention was made in view of the above circumstances.

In other words, the purpose of the present invention is that even if printing is performed many times,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal transfer recording medium capable of being printed many times and capable of obtaining a clear printed image free of ghost phenomena.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the problems described above, the inventor has made extensive studies and has developed a photosensitive material in which a heat-melting coloring material layer and a heat-melting colorless layer are laminated on a support. The inventors have arrived at this invention by discovering that a thermal transfer recording medium forms a clear printed image without a ghost phenomenon even when printing is performed many times.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a heat-sensitive transfer recording medium capable of multiple printing, characterized in that a heat-fusible color material layer and a heat-fusible colorless layer are alternately laminated on a support. be.

This invention will be explained in detail below.

It is desirable that the support in the heat-sensitive transfer recording medium of the present invention capable of multiple printing has good heat resistance strength and high dimensional stability.

The materials include, for example, papers such as plain paper, capacitor paper, laminated paper, and coated paper; resin films such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polysulfone, polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyimide; composites of paper and resin films; Metal sheets such as aluminum foil are preferably used.

The thickness of the support is usually 30gm or less, preferably 2~
It is within the range of 30gm. If the thickness of the support exceeds 30 μm, thermal conductivity may decrease, leading to deterioration of print quality.

In addition, in the thermal transfer recording medium of this invention.

The structure on the back side of the support is arbitrary; for example, a backing layer such as an anti-sticking layer may be provided.

Adjacent to this or via an adhesive layer (described later), the support has two or more heat-fusible colorant layers and heat-fusible colorless layers, which will be described in detail next, alternately. A colorant layer is laminated.

The adhesive layer is not particularly limited in its composition, layer thickness, etc., as long as it can adhere the support and the heat-fusible coloring material layer.

Heketsu East Parallel 11 The heat-melting coloring material layer contains a coloring material and a heat-melting substance.

Examples of the coloring material include pigments such as inorganic pigments and organic pigments, and dyes.

Examples of the inorganic pigments include titanium dioxide, carbon turac, zinc oxide, Prussian blue, cadmium sulfide, iron oxide, and chromates of lead, zinc, barium, and calcium.

Examples of the organic pigments include azo, thioindigo, anthraquinone, anthanthrone, and triphenedioxazine pigments, vat dye pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, such as copper phthalocyanine and its derivatives, and quinacridone pigments.

Examples of the dye include acid dyes, direct dyes, disperse dyes, oil-soluble dyes, and metal-containing oil-soluble dyes.

The content of the coloring material in the heat-melting coloring material layer is as follows.

Usually within the range of 5 to 35% by weight, preferably 10% by weight.
-25% by weight.

Specific examples of the heat-melting substance include vegetable waxes such as carnauba wax, wood wax, auriculie wax, and nispar wax; animal waxes such as beeswax, insect wax, selaginella wax, spermaceti wax; paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, and polyethylene. Petroleum waxes such as waxes, ester waxes and acid waxes; and waxes such as mineral waxes such as montan wax, osichelite and montan, and in addition to these waxes, balmitic acid, stearic acid, margarine acids and higher fatty acids such as behenic acid; higher alcohols such as valmityl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, marganyl alcohol, myricyl alcohol and eicosanol; higher fatty acids such as cetyl palmitate, myricyl valmitate, cecyl stearate and myricyl stearate Fatty acid ester: acetamide,
Amides such as propionic acid amide, valmitinamide, stearic acid amide and amide wax; and higher amines such as stearylamine, behenylamine and valmitylamine.

These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The heat-melting coloring material layer may contain a thermoplastic resin as long as it does not impede the object of the present invention. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include ethylene copolymers, polyamide resins, polyester resins, and polyurethane. resins such as polyolefin resins, acrylic resins, vinyl chloride resins, cellulose resins, rosin resins, ionomer resins, and petroleum resins; natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, chloroprene rubber, Elastomers such as diene copolymers; rosin derivatives such as ester gums, rosin maleic resins, rosin phenolic resins and hydrogenated rosins; and phenolic resins, terpene resins.

Examples include polymeric compounds having a softening point of 50 to 150°C, such as cyclopentadiene resin and aromatic hydrocarbon resin.

These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The heat-melting coloring material layer is made of inorganic or organic fine particles (metal powder, silica gel, etc.) or oils (linseed oil, linseed oil, etc.).
mineral oil, etc.).

The hot-melt coloring material layer is formed using a hot-melt coating method.

The coating can be applied using a water-based coating method, a coating method using an organic solvent, or the like.

The thickness of the heat-fusible colorant layer coated on the support by such a coating method is usually 0.5 to 10 μm, particularly preferably 1 to 54 m.

Note that the heat-melting coloring material layer may have a -layer structure, or may have a -layer structure as long as it does not impede the object of the present invention.
It may be a heat-melt coloring material layer composed of a plurality of heat-melting coloring material layers having different compositions. Even if it is not, it is fine as long as it is substantially colorless.

Specifically, the permissible content of the coloring material in the heat-fusible colorless layer is 10% by weight or less, preferably 5% by weight, and more preferably 0% by weight.

Further, the light transmittance of the heat-fusible colorless layer is 80%.
Any above is sufficient.

The heat-fusible colorless layer contains a heat-fusible substance.

As the heat-melting substance, a substance similar to the heat-melting substance used in the heat-melting coloring material layer can be suitably used.

An important point of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention is that during printing, the heat-fusible colorless layer sandwiched between the heat-fusible coloring material layers achieves peeling due to cohesive failure or interfacial failure, and The purpose is to prevent peeling of the meltable coloring material layer.

Therefore, in the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, the cohesive force of the heat-fusible colorless layer sandwiched between the heat-fusible colorant layers is determined by the cohesive force of the heat-fusible colorant layer adjacent to the heat-fusible colorless layer. By lowering the temperature, peeling due to cohesive failure or interfacial failure in the heat-fusible colorless layer can be realized.

The cohesive force can be determined by, for example, (1) selecting heat-fusible substances having different cohesive forces from among the heat-fusible substances; (2)
) 8 Changing the composition of the meltable substance and the thermoplastic resin, (3) Incorporating the above inorganic or organic fine particles (metal powder, silica gel, etc.) or oils (linseed oil, mineral oil, etc.). , (4) can be adjusted by including additives, etc.

Regardless of the method used, there is no particular limitation on the method as long as the cohesive force of the heat-fusible colorless layer can be made lower than the cohesive force of the heat-fusible colorant layer.

Further, in the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

When a plurality of heat-fusible colorless layers sandwiched between heat-fusible colorant layers are formed on the support, only one of the heat-fusible colorless layers closest to the support is agglomerated. High strength is preferable.

By increasing the cohesive force of the heat-fusible colorless layer near the support, it is possible to transfer the heat-fusible colored layer sequentially from the outermost layer.

In this case, it goes without saying that the cohesive force of the heat-fusible coloring material layer is higher than that of the heat-fusible colorless layer, which has the highest cohesive force.

Examples of the additive used to adjust the cohesive force include polyoxyethylene compounds, polar waxes, and the like.

Such additives reduce the cohesive force of the heat-fusible colorless layer, thereby achieving cohesive failure peeling in the heat-fusible colorless layer, and also forming a bond between the heat-fusible colorant layer and the heat-fusible colorant layer. Contributes to improving adhesive strength with

The polyoxyethylene compound has the following formula (
5) There are no particular limitations as long as the compound has a moiety represented by the formula %() (where n is an integer of 2 or more, preferably an integer of 4-200).

The poly-6-thiethylene compound has 2 and both terminals are 10H.
It may also be a derivative.

As the polyoxyethylene compound, for example, polyethylene glycol or one or two alcoholic hydroxyl groups of polyethylene glycol are reacted with various organic compounds (including ether bonds and ester bonds), Examples include derivatives having various bond forms such as bonds with sulfur atoms or nitrogen atoms, urethane bonds, and others.

The polyoxyethylene compound preferably has a melting point or softening point of 0 to 120°C, particularly 40 to 100°C.

The polyoxyethylene chain portion of the polyoxyethylene compound preferably has a molecular weight of 40 to 20,000.

The amount of the polyoxyethylene compound added to the heat-fusible colorless layer is usually 5 to 100% by weight, preferably 5 to 50% by weight.

The polar wax has three or more polar bonds, for example, an ester bond (-CONH-), an amide bond (-
CONH-), urethane bond (-NHCOO-), etc. in the molecule, and is not particularly limited as long as it does not impede the purpose of the present invention.

According to the research of this inventor, in the heat-fusible colorless layer,
It has been found that the above-mentioned stable cohesive failure can be achieved by containing a wax having three or more polar bonds in the molecule.

Specific examples of the polar wax include polyester wax, amide wax, polyurethane wax, and the like.

The polyester wax contains three or more ester bonds (-Co-0-) in one molecule, has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of 300 to 12,000, and has a melting point (m , p, ) is within the range of 30 to 120°C.

The ester bond (-Co-0-) is contained in the main chain.

Such a compound can be obtained, for example, as a polycondensate of a polyhydric alcohol and a polybasic acid or a ring-opened polymer of a lactone compound.

Typical specific examples of polyester wax are shown below.

(+) Polycondensate of adipic acid and 1,4-butanediol (M w = 2,000, m, p, 55°C),
(2) @-caprolactone: CH,-C)l.

ring-opened polymer (MW = 4,000, m, p, 55
'c), (3) Sebacic acid-decamethylene glycol copolymer (MW = 3,000, intestine, p, 74 °C), (4
) Adipic acid-propylene glycol copolymer (Mw
= 3,000, m, p, 50°C).

(5) ω-hydroxydecanoic acid polymer My = 4,000, m, p, 75°C), (6)
δ-valerolactone polymer (Mw = 4.OOQ, m, p, 54°C),
The polyester wax that can be used in the present invention may be a compound containing such polyester in the form of a block or a graft in the molecule,
Furthermore, the terminal end is an alkyl group.

It may be an amide group, or it may have one or more hydroxyl groups, amino groups, carboxyl groups, or carbonyl groups.

Furthermore, it may have a part of ether bond, amide bond, or urethane bond in the main chain or side chain.

Polyesters are not limited to those synthesized using dibasic acids, dihydric alcohols, polybasic acids, and polyhydric alcohols as shown in the examples above, but also those synthesized using other dibasic acids, dihydric alcohols, polybasic acids, and polyhydric alcohols. It may be synthesized using alcohol.

Polyester waxes can also be obtained commercially. Specifically, the ``Plaxel'' [product name; manufactured by Daicel Chemical ■] series, the ``Erythyl J [product name:
Examples include the Unitika series.

The amide wax has an amide bond (
-Co-NH-), has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of 300 to 12.000 (7), and has a melting point (m, p,) in the range of 30 to 120°C Compounds within can be mentioned. The amide bond (
-CO-NH-) is contained in the main chain.

Amide waxes are generally produced through polymerization reactions between dibasic acids and diamines, self-condensation reactions between ω-amino acids,
It can be obtained by a ring-opening polymerization reaction of a lactam compound.

In the amide wax, it is particularly preferable to N-alkylate the polyamide moiety to adjust (eg, lower) the melting point.

N-alkylation can be carried out by using a mixture of a diamine polymerized with a dibasic acid and an N-alkyl or N,N"-dialkyl diamine, or by using
This is achieved by using an alkyl amino acid.

Specific polymers include, for example, ω-N-methylaminoundecanoic acid polymer (Mw = approx. Examples include the HT4 series manufactured by Kagaku Co., Ltd.

The polyamide wax that can be used in the present invention may be a compound containing such polyamide in the molecule in block form or graft form, or may have an alkyl group or an amide group at the end. Furthermore, it may have a part of ether bond, amide bond, or urethane bond in the main chain or side chain.

The polyurethane wax contains three or more urethane bonds (-NH-CO-0-) in one molecule, and has a weight average molecular weight (My) of 300 to 12,0.
00 and the melting point (layer, p,) is 30 to 120
Mention may be made of compounds within the range of °C.

The urethane bond (-NH-Co-0-) is contained in the main chain.

Polyurethane wax can generally be obtained, for example, by polyaddition reaction of diisocyanate and glycol, but it can also be synthesized by various methods such as condensation reaction.

Specific polymers include, for example, hexamethylene diisocyanate and hexane-2,5-diol polycondensate (Mw=about 1,200, m, p, 86°C).

Further, it may have a part of ether bond, amide bond, or urethane bond in the main chain or side chain.

Note that the polyester wax, polyamide wax, and polyurethane wax may be compounds containing 5-vinyl bond chains (C-C) in the molecule, partially in the form of blocks or grafts.

The amount of the polar wax added in the heat-fusible colorless layer is usually 2.5% to 100% by weight or more, preferably 5 to 5% by weight.
It is 0% by weight.

The heat-fusible colorless layer can be coated by employing a hot-melt coating method, an aqueous coating method, a coating method using an organic solvent, or the like.

The thickness of the heat-fusible colorless layer coated on the support by such a coating method is preferably within the range of 0.5 to 10 ILm, particularly preferably 1 to 5 ILm.

The heat-fusible colorless layer may have a one-layer structure, and as long as it does not impede the purpose of the present invention,
The heat-melting colorless layer may be composed of a plurality of heat-melting colorless layers having mutually different compositions.

The heat-sensitive transfer recording medium of the present invention has such heat-melting color material layers and heat-melting colorless layers alternately provided on the support.

The number of layers of the heat-melting color material layer and the heat-melting colorless layer to be alternately provided on the support is arbitrary, and may be determined as appropriate in consideration of the desired number of prints of the thermographic recording medium of the present invention. can be designed.

In this case, the uppermost layer may be a heat-melting coloring material layer or a heat-melting colorless layer; in the latter case, the uppermost heat-melting colorless layer is provided between the heat-melting coloring material layers. It may be the same as or different from the heat-fusible colorless layer.

Furthermore, the number of layers formed on the support is not limited to an even number. It may also have a structure consisting of an odd number of layers, and a heat-melting colorless layer, a heat-melting coloring material layer, a heat-melting colorless layer, a heat-melting coloring material layer, and a heat-melting colorless layer may be formed on the support. The structure may include an odd number of layers formed in this order.

In the heat-sensitive transfer recording medium of the present invention, 1. Usually, a heat-softening laminate including the heat-melt colorless layer and the heat-melt coloring material layer is sequentially coated on the support, and then, if desired, a drying step is carried out on the surface. It can be manufactured by cutting into a desired shape through a smoothing process and the like.

The thermal transfer recording medium obtained in this way is as follows.

It can be used in the form of a wide tape generally used in line printers or the like or a typewriter ribbon.

The thermal transfer method using this thermal transfer recording medium is different from the usual thermal transfer recording method, and will be explained using an example in which the most typical thermal head is used as the heat source.

First, the heat-fusible layer of the heat-sensitive transfer recording medium and the transfer medium, such as plain paper, are brought into close contact with each other, and if necessary, the transfer paper is further pressed from the back side with a platen while a heat pulse is applied with a heat head to obtain the desired image. The heat-fusible layer corresponding to the printed or transferred pattern is locally heated.

The temperature of the heated part of the heat-fusible layer increases, and the heat-fusible coloring material layer and the heat-fusible colorless layer of the heat-fusible layer quickly soften, forming a heat-fusible colorless layer with lower cohesive force. The heat-fusible layer is transferred onto the transfer medium by cohesive failure peeling.

In addition, when performing printing for the second and subsequent times, similarly, cohesive failure peeling is performed from the heat-fusible colorless layer, and the heat-fusible coloring material layer on the heat-fusible colorless layer is transferred onto the transfer medium. .

More specifically, when the uppermost layer is a heat-melting colorless layer, in a heat-sensitive transfer recording medium that can be printed multiple times, as shown in FIG. Since the unevenness in the defective part 4 caused by the transfer of the colored layer 2b is covered with the heat-fusible colorless layer 3a, ghosts will not occur even in the second printing.
Even in subsequent printing, since the unevenness of the recesses caused by the printing is covered with the heat-fusible colorless layer, ghosts will not occur in the next printing.

[Example] Next, an example of the present invention will be shown, and with reference to the drawings,
This invention will be explained in more detail.

(Example 1) As shown in FIG. 1, on a support 1 of polyethylene terephthalate film (thickness: 6 yLm), a heat-melting coloring layer 2a (thickness: 3 gm), a heat-melting colorless layer 3a (thickness: 2 yLm)
ILm), a heat-fusible coloring material layer 2b (thickness: 3ILm), and a heat-fusible colorless layer 3b (thickness: 0.5 pm) were provided in this order by a hot-melt method. The compositions of the heat-fusible color material layer 2 and the heat-fusible colorless layer 3 are as shown below.

2a and 2b Carbon black...15 parts by weight Paraffin wax [manufactured by Hiki Seiro, HNP-10]...60 parts by weight Carnauba wax...15 parts by weight Ethylene-vinyl acetate together Polymer [manufactured by Nippon Unicar, NUC-31501...1
0 parts by weight, 3a Paraffin wax...60 parts by weight Polyethylene glycol [molecular weight = 6,000]...330 parts by weight Tyrene-vinyl acetate copolymer [MB-080, manufactured by Nippon Unica Co., Ltd.]...・10 parts by weight b Paraffin wax: 90 parts by weight Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer [MB-0801 manufactured by Unica Corporation, Ltd. 10 parts by weight Thermal transfer recording medium thus obtained Thermal printer (260cm-width line head, 180DP!,
Printing was performed twice on plain paper using a platen rubber hardness of 40 degrees.

When the obtained second printed image was observed, no ghost phenomenon was observed.

(Example 2) As shown in FIG. 2, on the support l through the adhesive layer 4,
A heat-sensitive transfer recording medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the heat-melting coloring material layer 2a was provided, and printing was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1.

Note that the adhesive layer 4 is a coating liquid having the following composition,
It was formed by coating with a wire bar so that the dry film thickness was 1 uLm.

A thermal transfer recording medium was formed by sequentially laminating the layers.

The compositions of the heat-fusible color material layer 2 and the heat-fusible colorless layer 3 are as shown below.

”-IA Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (Mitsui DuPont Polychemical ■.

Ev40Lx) ...5 parts by weight toluene
When the second printed image obtained at 95 parts by weight was observed, no ghost phenomenon was observed.

(Example 3) As shown in FIG. 3, a heat-melting coloring material layer 2
a (thickness: 2 μm), heat-fusible colorless layer 3a (thickness: 1 gm)
), heat-meltable coloring material layer 2b (thickness 2pm), heat-melting colorless layer 3b (thickness l#Lm), heat-melting coloring material Jij2c (thickness 24m), and heat-melting colorless layer 3c (thickness O, Sgm
), this carbon black: 15 parts by weight Paraffin wax: 55 parts by weight Carnauba wax: 20 parts by weight Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer [manufactured by Nippon Unica ■, NUC- :1ISO]...
・10 parts by weight a Paraffin wax...60 parts by weight Polyester wax [manufactured by Daicel Chemical, Plaxel ZZONI...
30 parts by weight Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer...10 parts by weight Paraffin wax...75 parts by weight Polyester wax [Daicel Kagaku Masu, Plaxel 22ON]...
・115 parts by weight Styrene-vinyl acetate copolymer 10 parts by weight C Paraffin wax 90 parts by weight Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer 10 parts by weight Thus obtained A thermal transfer recording medium was prepared in Example 1.
Printing was performed three times in the same manner as above.

When the obtained printed image was observed, no ghost phenomenon was observed.

(Example 4) As shown in FIG. 4, a heat-sensitive transfer recording medium was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the formation of the heat-fusible colorless layer 3b was omitted, and when printing was performed, a ghost phenomenon occurred. was not recognized.

(Example 5) As shown in FIG. 5, a thermal transfer recording medium was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 2 except that the formation of the heat-fusible colorless layer 3b was omitted, and when printing was performed, a ghost phenomenon occurred. was not recognized.

(Example 6) As shown in FIG. 6, a heat-sensitive transfer recording medium was manufactured and printed in the same manner as in Example 3 except that the formation of the heat-fusible colorless layer 3C was omitted.

No ghost phenomenon was observed.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, since the heat-fusible color material layer and the heat-fusible colorless layer are alternately laminated on the support, multiple printing is possible with the occurrence of ghost development effectively prevented. A heat-sensitive transfer recording medium can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 6 are cross-sectional explanatory views showing aspects of the thermal transfer recording medium according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of a heat-sensitive transfer recording medium showing a state in which a portion of the heat-melting coloring material layer has been transferred and a defective portion has been generated. 1...Support, 2a, 2b, 2c...Thermofusible coloring material layer. 3a, 3b, 3c...Thermofusible colorless layer. 4...Adhesive layer. Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 7

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A heat-sensitive transfer recording medium capable of multiple printing, characterized in that it is formed by alternately laminating a heat-fusible color material layer and a heat-fusible colorless layer on a support. (2) The heat-sensitive transfer recording medium capable of multiple printing according to claim 1, wherein the uppermost layer is a heat-fusible colorless layer. (3) The heat-sensitive transfer recording medium capable of multiple printing according to claim 1, wherein the uppermost layer is a heat-melting coloring material layer.