| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To enable a printing of sperior image-form to be conducted at low price by a simple and small construction with no use of complicated mechanism and a number of members, by carrying out a recording by a method wherein; after a heat signal is applied on a thermal transfer medium provided with a polymer gel layer exhibiting phase transition due to heat, the polymer gel layer is dipped in a coloring material liquid to obtain thereon a coloring material which is made to be transferred on a transferred material. CONSTITUTION:In a thermal transfer medium 20, a polymer gel layer 2 made of polymer gel exhibiting a phase transition phenomenon due to heat effect is laminated on an appropriate substrate 1. The polymer gel layer 2 is irradiated with infrared rays 3 before being dipped in the coloring material liquid in a vessel 6. The irradiated portion of the polymer gel layer 2 changes its hydrophobic properties to hydrophilic, or reversely hydrophilic to hydrophobic on account of phase transition produced therein. A coloring material layer 8 is formed on the phase transited portion, resulting from the adsorption of the coloring material thereon according to the properties of the phase transited portion. Since the phase transited portion recovers immediately into condition, the color material layer 8 adsorbing thereto turns to that just adhering on the polymer gel 2, resulting in being transferred on a transferred material 5 fed along with the polymer gel layer 2. After completion of the transfer, the phase transited portion already recovered into the condition before heating, allowing the transfer to be continuously repeated. |
