Thermal dye transfer printing systems, thermal printing sheets, and dye receiving sheets

A thermal printing system, comprising (a) a dye transfer sheet having a thin substrate and a dye carrier layer formed on the substrate, said dye carrier layer comprising a mixture of at least one sublimable dye and a binder, and (b) a dye acceptor sheet having a substrate and a dye-receiving layer formed on the substrate, the dye-receiving layer being capable of receiving the sublimable dye which sublimates on heating of the dye transfer sheet, the dye carrier layer and the dye-receiving layer being arranged to face one another with a slippage means therebetween during a thermal transfer printing process in which the dye transfer sheet is fed to a thermal printing means at a speed lower than the speed at which the dye acceptor sheet is fed to the thermal printing means, said slippage means comprising a lubricating layer formed on the dye-receiving layer, said lubricating layer being made of a composition comprising a cured resin and a liquid lubricant, whereby when the dye carrier layer is heated in an imagewise pattern, the sublimable dye sublimates from the dye carrier layer and deposits on the dye-receiving layer according to the imagewise pattern without sticking of the dye transfer sheet and the dye acceptor sheet.