| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To provide an economical and simple image-forming method which enables a continuous operation to be performed semipermanently, by supplying a dye together with a magnetic material by a magnetic force applied from the outer side of a dye vapor permeable film. CONSTITUTION:A dye-supplying unit 1 comprises a narrow gap part 4 between a heat-resistant film 2 and a dye vapor permeable film 3 which are opposed to each other. When a sublimable or evaporable dye 5 is supplied into the narrow gap part 4 together with a magnetic material 5' under operating an electromagnet 8, the dye 5 is attracted onto the surface of the dye vapor permeable film 3 together with the magnetic material 5' by the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 8, thereby forming a dye-containing film. Under the condition where a receiving paper 6 is brought into contact with or into proximity to the surface of the dye vapor permeable film 3, the heat-resistant film 2 is heated by bringing a heating element 7 into contact therewith, whereby the dye 5 in the narrow gap part 4 at the heated part of the film 2 is heated, and is gassified through sublimation or melting, and the resultant dye vapor is adhered onto the surface of the paper 6 by passing through the film 3, thereby forming a dye image corresponding to an image signal. As the amount of the dye 5 in the narrow gap part 4 is reduced due to the formation of the dye image, the dye 5 is supplied continuously to the narrow gap part 4 by a supplying means. |
