Image-forming method and an ink ribbon and a printing sheet used for the method

Abstract

A method for forming images by a thermal transfer process. The method comprises the steps of providing a printing sheet having an image-receiving layer on one side thereof, providing an ink ribbon having a dye layer comprising a hydrophilic cationic dye, contacting the ink ribbon with the image-receiving layer, and applying a thermal energy to the ink ribbon in an imagewise pattern to thermally transfer the dye from the ink ribbon to the image-receiving layer. The image-receiving layer comprises at least a layer compound which has ion exchangeability with the cationic dye, so that the dye image is fixed through the ion exchange. Since the dye is bonded to the layer compound through ion exchange, the dye is fixed comparable to that of silver salt photography. A thermal transfer system using the ink ribbon and the printing sheet is also described.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.