Method for image formation and intermediate transfer recording medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for image formation, that can yield thermally transferred images which are excellent in various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, and an intermediate transfer recording medium for use in the method for image formation. The method for image formation comprises the steps of: providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a substrate film and a transfer portion provided separably on the substrate film; forming an image on the intermediate transfer recording medium in its transfer portion; transferring the transfer portion onto an object; and, thereafter, again transferring the intermediate transfer recording medium in its next transfer portion once or more onto the object with the image formed thereon. In this case, in the intermediate transfer recording medium, a hologram image is set every at least second image plane, and an image can be formed on the transfer portion having the hologram image. This can offer an advantage that the transfer portion, with a thermally transferable image formed thereon, can be transferred onto an object followed by the superimposition of a transfer portion, to be served as the outermost surface in the final form onto the transferred portion once or more to provide a strong film for protecting the thermally transferred image. Thus, the problems of the prior art could have been solved.

1 . A method for image formation, comprising:
 providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a substrate film and a transfer portion provided separably on the substrate film, the transfer portion comprising a receptive layer and a hologram layer and being divisible into a plurality of first and second image plane portions alternating across the transfer portion, each first image plane including a hologram image, the intermediate transfer recording medium having a detection mark;   forming a print image in at least one of the first image plane portions, so that the at least one of the first image plane portions includes the print image and at least one of the hologram image;   transferring at least one first image plane portion onto an object; and subsequently transferring at least one of the second image plane portion onto at least one first image plane portion, at the time of each transferring, the detection mark is detected to perform each transferring accurately.   
     
     
         2 . A method for image formation, comprising:
 providing an intermediate transfer recording medium comprising a substrate film and a transfer portion provided separably on the substrate film, the transfer portion comprising a receptive layer and a hologram layer and being divisible into a plurality of first and second image plane portions alternating across the transfer portion, each first image plane portion including a hologram image and each second image plane portion including a second hologram image, the intermediate transfer recording medium having a detection mark;   forming a print image in at least one of the first image plane portions;   transferring the at least one first image plane portion with the formed print image onto an object; and   subsequently transferring at least one of the second image plane portion onto the first image plane portion, at the time of each transferring, the detection mark is detected to perform each transferring accurately.