JP2000267272A - Heat transfer recording material and image forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a heat transfer recording material capable of easily and stably dry-forming a high-quality image excellent in resolving power and dot reproducibility and to provide an image forming method using the recording material, not affected by the coloration of a polymerization initiator, excellent in hue reproducibility and capable of directly forming an image with laser light modulated with a digital image signal. SOLUTION: A polymerizable layer 14 containing an organic polymer binder, a photopolymerizable monomer and/or a photopolymerizable oligomer and a photopolymerization initiator, a coloring material layer 16 containing an organic polymer binder and a colorant and an adhesive layer 18 containing a thermoplastic polymer are successively disposed on a substrate 12. The coloring material layer 16 preferably contains a photopolymerization initiator and this photopolymerization initiator is preferably a borate compound of a dye.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer type image recording material which enables image recording by a dry development method, and an image forming method using the same. Color proofs for proofreading, color proofs obtained directly from digital image signals corresponding to the recent spread of electronic systems by laser recording (Direct Digital Color P
The present invention relates to an image transfer material suitable for obtaining a multicolor display, or a mask image, or a multicolor display, and an image forming method using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the spread of electronic systems, various image recording materials for directly recording an image by laser recording from a digital image signal have been developed. Among them, the color proof used in the graphic arts field checks errors in the color separation process and the necessity of color correction when printing a printing plate using a set of color separation films from a color original. Therefore, it is made from a color separation film before the actual printing, but high resolution which enables high reproducibility of a halftone image and high process stability are required. In recent years, dry proofing which does not use a developer is desired. Have been.

As a conventional color printing proofing method,
Various calibration methods using the photographic method have been developed. Among these color proofing methods using a photographic method, there is a color proofing method using a photopolymer (prepress proof), which is widely used.

In the case of a photopolymerization system, which is a typical system of a photopolymer, many methods described below have been put to practical use for conventional processes in which exposure is performed using a photographic intermediate film as a mask. In order to obtain a high-quality color proof, it is generally necessary to reproduce a halftone image of 150 lines / inch or more, but this method basically has sufficiently high resolution. Further, many of the conventional photopolymerization initiators are sensitive to the near-ultraviolet region. On the other hand, as shown in JP-A-54-155292, a spectral sensitizer that extends the photosensitive wavelength range to the visible region is used. Many have been developed to date. Therefore, it is relatively easy to realize high recording sensitivity with respect to a laser having a visible light wavelength such as an argon ion laser and a helium cadmium laser. In addition, the development of an image forming method using a small and relatively inexpensive semiconductor laser as a light source, which can directly change the light intensity by a drive current, has been actively performed. Recently, blue-violet short-wavelength lasers have been put into practical use. It has entered the stage of transformation.

Although the above-mentioned photopolymerization system has a high potential for digital image recording in terms of resolution and laser recording sensitivity, it has not yet been practically used. The following is an overview of the prior art of multicolor image recording by a photographic method using a photopolymerizable material, and points out problems in light of the object of the present invention.

[0006] Conventional photographic color printing proofing methods include the overlay method and the surprint method. As an example of this method, a photosensitive transfer material in which a release layer made of an organic polymer, a color material layer, and a photosensitive layer are sequentially laminated on a temporary support is imagewise exposed, and then peeled by wet development. A colored image is formed on the layer, and the colored image is then combined with a release layer on an optional support (permanent support).
Transfer method using an adhesive is disclosed in JP-B-46-1532.
No. 6, JP-B-49-441. This method has an advantage that it can be used for various operations such as an overlay type and a surprint type as a color proof, but in order to sequentially transfer each color on a paper support having poor dimensional stability, It is difficult to maintain the alignment accuracy of each color, and the resulting image has weak mechanical strength.

As a method of improving the above-mentioned disadvantage, a method of temporarily transferring an image to a temporary image-receiving sheet (image-receiving element) before transferring the image to a permanent support is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 10-279, filed by the present applicant. No. 59-97140. That is, in this method, a temporary image-receiving element provided with an image-receiving layer made of a photopolymerizable material on a support is prepared, and the image of each color is temporarily transferred onto the temporary image-receiving element before the image is transferred onto the permanent support. The image of each color is transferred to the printer. Next, a step of re-transferring the image onto the permanent support, followed by further exposing the entire surface to cure the transferred photopolymerizable image receiving layer is included. According to this method, since the alignment and transfer of each color image can be performed on a support such as polyethylene terephthalate having high dimensional stability, both the alignment accuracy and the quality stability are improved, and the hardness is improved. Since the final image is protected by the large photo-cured layer, it also has the advantage of excellent mechanical strength of the image. However, this method has an essential problem of a wet development method in principle.

[0008] Many multicolor image forming methods which solve the disadvantages of the wet developing method found in the above-mentioned methods have been proposed in the prior art, and some of them have been widely put to practical use. Examples thereof are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,060,024, 3,582,327, 3,620,726, and the like. In these methods, a support layer and at least one addition polymer are added. A tacky photopolymerizable replica material, consisting of a photopolymerizable layer containing a polymerizable monomer and a photopolymerization initiator, is cured by imagewise exposure and loses its tackiness. This latent image is then visualized by applying a suitable powdered toner material. The toner adheres only to the unexposed tacky areas, but can be removed from the exposed non-tacky image areas after application.

This method is a dry development method which does not require a developing solution, and is widely used for proof printing using a color separation film due to its simplicity. However, since the powdery toner is handled, the surroundings of the work are easily stained, and the method of applying / removing the toner is likely to vary among individuals, and improvement is strongly desired.

As a method for improving the method using the above-mentioned adhesive photopolymerizable photosensitive layer, a method of forming a toner into a film is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-63-41847 and JP-A-Hei.
No. 14985. In these methods, similarly to the above method, a photosensitive layer which exhibits tackiness in an unexposed state and loses tackiness upon exposure / curing comprises a photopolymerizable monomer and a photoinitiator. Used in a form laminated on a receiver base such as paper. The latent image exposed by imagewise exposure and peeling of the photosensitive layer support is brought into contact with a film-like toner provided on another support, and the toner is transferred by being heated and / or pressed, Developed. Of the above two publications, the former is characterized by mixing polymers incompatible with each other as a binder for the toner layer, and the latter is also to select the thermal and mechanical properties of the binder polymer of the toner layer. As a result, the obtained image quality is improved.

Both of these two methods improve the drawbacks of the above-mentioned method using a powdered toner, and are excellent in similarity to printed matter (pigment image formation on printing paper), and can be dry-developed. Since the quality stability is improved, it can be said that this method is significantly preferable as compared with the conventional method. However, even in these methods, since the alignment of the image exposure of the photosensitive layer is repeated on a paper support having poor dimensional stability, misregistration of each hue image is likely to occur,
The final image still has a problem that the mechanical strength is small, and it is necessary to add a complicated process such as laminating a protective layer on the image in order to impart scratch resistance, adhesion resistance and the like. . Furthermore, there are also problems such as insufficient resolution and halftone dot reproducibility of the final image.

In recent years, attention has been paid to a dry image forming method which has no problem of waste liquid treatment from an environmental point of view even in the field other than the color proof field. Conventionally known image forming methods by dry development include, for example, JP-A-63-14715.
4, JP-A-1-219742, JP-A-2-5805
8, JP-A-6-222571, JP-A-7-1994
No. 60, JP-A-8-297363, JP-A-8-297
There are many methods described in JP-A No. 364, JP-A-9-274316 and the like. However, all of these methods use the difference in the adhesiveness of the surface of the colored photosensitive layer to form an image and pass through the colored photosensitive layer. There is a problem that sufficient halftone dot reproducibility required for the proof cannot be obtained due to the deterioration of the image signal, and further, the hue due to the coloring of the polymerization initiator added to cure the exposed portion is reduced. There are also concerns about adverse effects.

As an image forming method by dry development which can prevent the color tone of the polymerization initiator from affecting the hue, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 332164 proposes a method in which a non-colored photopolymerizable layer, a colored polymerizable layer, and an adhesive layer are formed on a support. According to this configuration, since the photopolymerizable layer does not contain a coloring material, the effect on the hue can be prevented to some extent, but the adhesion between the layers changes due to the effect of the monomer in the colored polymerizable layer, and the image forming layer is broken. There still remains a problem that peeling development becomes unstable due to a change in force or the like.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal transfer recording material capable of easily and stably forming a high-quality dry-type image having excellent resolution and halftone dot reproducibility. is there. Another object of the present invention is not affected by the coloring of the polymerization initiator, an image forming method excellent in hue reproducibility,
In particular, in addition to the conventional process of exposing with an ultraviolet ray or the like using an intermediate film as a mask, the laser beam modulated with a digital image signal is useful for directly forming a high-quality color proof with high similarity to printed matter. It is to provide a method.

[0015]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have made it possible to separate an uncolored photopolymerizable layer from a colorant layer containing no photopolymerizable monomer and / or photopolymerizable oligomer in the layer. As a result, the present inventors have found that the object can be achieved and completed the present invention.

That is, the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention comprises, on a support, a polymerizable material containing (A) an organic polymer binder, a photopolymerizable monomer and / or a photopolymerizable oligomer, and a photopolymerization initiator. A layer, (B) a colorant layer containing an organic polymer binder and a colorant, and (C) an adhesive layer containing a thermoplastic polymer, in that order.

Here, in a preferred embodiment, the color material layer contains a photopolymerization initiator and the photopolymerization initiator is a borate compound of a dye. In the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention, it is preferable to provide an intermediate layer between the support and the polymerizable layer, and it is preferable that the surface of the support has been subjected to a treatment for improving the adhesiveness with an adjacent layer. It is preferable from the viewpoint of properties.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming method according to the first aspect, wherein (I) the adhesive layer of the thermal transfer recording material and the image receiving surface of the image receiving sheet are laminated as described in any one of the first to fourth aspects. A laminating step of laminating; (II) an exposing step of irradiating the recording material with actinic rays imagewise from the support surface side; and (III) peeling off the recording material from the image receiving sheet.
A transfer step of leaving an actinic ray-irradiated portion of the polymerizable layer and the colorant layer on the peeled support, and transferring a non-irradiated portion of the adhesive layer and the colorant layer to the image-receiving sheet side to obtain a transfer image,
It is characterized by including.

In the image forming method of the present invention, if necessary, (IV) the formed transfer image is exposed to light absorbed by the photopolymerization initiator to deactivate and decolorize the photopolymerization initiator. Fixing step can be performed. By adding this step, the color reproducibility of the transferred image is improved.

[0020] The image forming method of the present invention comprises the steps of:
By using another thermal transfer recording material having a color material layer of a different hue, a single-color transfer image of a different hue is formed by the same image forming method, and by repeating this as necessary,
A multicolor image can be formed on the image receiving sheet. When the fixing step (IV) is performed, this step may be performed for each hue. However, after the multicolor transfer image is transferred, the step is performed lastly, so that the image of all hues can be fixed. .
The transferred image thus obtained on the image receiving sheet can be further transferred to another final support to form an image on an arbitrary support.

In the image forming method of the present invention, as the actinic rays for forming an image, image-like exposure using a laser beam, ultraviolet exposure through an intermediate mask, and the like are possible.
Further, as the image receiving sheet, a film base having high dimensional stability, which can be easily aligned, a paper support capable of forming an image directly on the printing paper, or the like can be used. Furthermore, if the image receiving sheet is formed by providing a cushion layer on a support, in the transfer step, for example, in the transfer of the portion where the multicolor image is laminated, the unevenness of the image portion is absorbed to improve the transferability. It can be further improved.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, each constitution of the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention will be sequentially described. The thermal transfer recording material of the present invention comprises, on a support, (A) a polymerizable layer, (B) a colorant layer,
(C) An adhesive layer is sequentially provided. These layers may be provided in this order, and an intermediate layer, a protective layer, an ultraviolet absorbing layer, and the like may be provided as needed.

First, the support that can be used in the present invention will be described. Since the material of the support is configured to be exposed from the support side, it is necessary that the material is substantially transparent to the exposure light beam. However, in other respects, the strength and durability required for the recording material are used. There is no particular limitation as long as it is provided with, and in general, for example, high molecular compounds such as polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, and styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer In particular, biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate is preferable in terms of mechanical strength and dimensional stability against heat.

The thickness of the support is not particularly limited.
3 μm to 200 μm, which can be appropriately selected as needed.
In particular, 5 to 100 μm is preferable. Generally, a thinner film is better from the viewpoint of peelability, and a thicker film is more preferable from the viewpoint of mechanical strength and handleability in manufacturing or in a recording process.

On the surface of the support, a pre-treatment for improving the adhesiveness such as a glow discharge treatment or a corona discharge treatment for improving the adhesion to the adjacent polymerizable layer or intermediate layer is provided. It may be done.

The thermal transfer recording material of the present invention may optionally have an intermediate layer between the support and the polymerizable material. As the intermediate layer, the adhesion between the support and the polymerizable layer is large,
Further, it is preferable that the photopolymerizable layer applied thereon has resistance to a coating solvent, and in consideration of these, it is appropriately selected from polymer materials having film properties. The thickness of the intermediate layer is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.01 μm to 2 μm.
Is preferred.

Further, on the surface of the support opposite to the polymerizable layer, various pack layers for improving properties such as adhesion resistance and integration can be provided as necessary.

The polymerizable layer (A) provided on the support comprises:
It is formed of a photopolymerizable photosensitive material containing the following components. Suitable photopolymerizable photosensitive material used in the polymerizable layer,
(A-1) at least one organic polymer binder (polymer binder); (A-2) at least one photopolymerizable monomer and / or oligomer capable of forming a photopolymer by addition polymerization; -3) It contains at least one kind of photopolymerization initiator activated by actinic rays, and if necessary, further contains additives such as a thermal polymerization inhibitor and a surfactant.

The above-mentioned (A-2) photopolymerizable monomers and oligomers (hereinafter, also referred to as “photopolymerizable monomers”, including the oligomers as appropriate) form a photopolymer by addition polymerization. It has an important function of improving the adhesion to the material layer. The material that can be used is not particularly limited as long as it has the above characteristics, and a known material can be applied. Generally, from the viewpoints of photosensitivity, physical properties of the cured film, storage stability, and the like, a polyfunctional vinyl or vinylidene compound is preferable.

Suitable as polyfunctional vinyl or vinylidene compounds are, for example, unsaturated esters of polyols,
In particular esters of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, such as ethylene glycol diacrylate, glycerin triacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1,
3-propanediol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1,2,4-butanetriol trimethacrylate, trimethylolethane triacrylate, pentaerythritol dimethacrylate,
Pentaerythritol trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol tetramethacrylate, pentaerythritol diacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, dipentaerythritol polyacrylate, 1,3-propanediol diacrylate, 1,5- Pentadiol dimethacrylate, bisacrylates and bismethacrylates of polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 200 to 400 and similar compounds, unsaturated amides, especially acrylics having an α, ω-diamine whose alkylene chain may be opened by a carbon atom And unsaturated amides of acid and methacrylic acid and ethylenebismethacrylamide. Further, for example, polyester acrylate obtained by condensation of an ester of a polyhydric alcohol and a polyhydric organic acid with acrylic acid or methacrylic acid may be used, but is not limited thereto.

(A-1) The organic polymer binder refers to a so-called binder polymer that holds the active ingredient of the photopolymerizable layer and performs the function of forming the layer, and only determines the hardness of the polymerizable layer. In addition, it is one of the major factors that determine its adhesiveness. Suitable materials for the binder are thermoplastics or mixtures thereof, such as acrylic acid,
Methacrylic acid, acrylic acid ester, homopolymer or copolymer of acrylic monomer such as methacrylic acid ester, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, cellulosic polymer such as cellulose acetate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate Copolymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylbutyral,
Vinyl polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol and copolymers thereof, polyesters, condensation polymers such as polyamide, chlorinated rubber, rubber polymers such as butadiene-styrene copolymer, chlorinated polyethylene,
Examples thereof include polyolefin-based polymers such as chlorinated polypropylene. Among them, copolymers of various acrylic monomers are preferable because they can easily control thermal properties such as softening point in a wide range and have good compatibility with photopolymerizable monomers. These polymers are
Preferably, it has an average molecular weight of 2,000 to 2,000,000.

Here, the mixing ratio of the photopolymerizable monomer and the organic polymer binder varies depending on the combination of the photopolymerizable monomer and the binder used.
The ratio of photopolymerizable monomer: binder is 0.1: 1.0 to 2.
It is preferably 0: 1.0 (weight ratio).

The (A-3) photopolymerization initiator includes:
In the case of laser recording, it is particularly preferable to use a photopolymerization initiator having absorption and activity at a longer wavelength than the visible region and having high sensitivity to laser. As such a photopolymerization initiator, many systems in which a radical generator and various dyes as spectral sensitizers are combined are known. For example, an imidazole dimer is used as a radical generator, and an acridine dye (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-155292) or a triazine dye (TAGA Proceed) is used as a dye.
ings, 1985, p232), a system using N-phenylglycine as a radical generator and a ketocoumarin system as a dye (Polyme).
r Eng. Sci. , 23, 1022 (198
3)), a system in which various dyes are combined using an iodonium salt as a radical generator (JP-A-60-76740, JP-A-60-78443, and JP-A-60-88005), a triazine compound as a radical initiator, and an aromatic as a dye System combining aromatic ketone derivatives (Journal of the Chemical Society of Japan, 198
4, p. 192) are known. Alkyl borate salts of dyes such as cyanine, rhodamine, and safranine are also known as effective visible light initiators (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-1).
43444 and 62-150242). These known photopolymerization initiator systems can be used for the photopolymerizable photosensitive material constituting the polymerizable layer (A) according to the present invention.

Further, in the polymerizable layer (A),
As the photopolymerization initiator, a photopolymerization initiator having absorption and activity in the near ultraviolet region can be used alone or in combination with the above-mentioned initiators according to the use and purpose. As an initiator having near-ultraviolet absorption and activity that can be used here,
Benzophenone, Michler's ketone [4,4'-bis-
(Dimethylamino) benzophenone], 4,4'-bis- (dimethylamino) benzophenone, 4-methoxy-
Aromatic ketones such as 4'-dimethylaminobenzophenone, 2-ethylanthraquinone, phenonethraquinone, and other aromatic ketones; benzoin ethers such as benzoin, benzoin methyl ether, benzoin ethyl ether, benzoin phenyl ether;
Methyl benzoin, ethyl benzoin and other benzoins, and 2- (o-chlorophenyl) -4,5
-Diphenylimidazole dimer, 2- (o-chlorophenyl) -4,5- (m-methoxyphenyl) imidazole dimer, 2- (o-fluorophenyl) -4,5-
Diphenylimidazole dimer, 2- (o-methoxyphenyl) -4,5-diphenylimidazole dimer, 2
-(P-methoxyphenyl-4,5-diphenylimidazole dimer, 2,4-di (p-methoxyphenyl)-
4,5-diphenylimidazole dimer, 2- (p-methylmercaptophenyl) -4,5-diphenylimidazole dimer, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,185;
UK Patent 1,047,569 and US Patent 3,7
For example, 2,4,5-triacrylimidazole dimer, such as the same dimer as described in each specification of JP-A-84,557, can be used. (A-3) The amount of the photopolymerization initiator to be added is 0.00 to (A-2) the photopolymerizable monomer.
1-30% by weight is preferred.

In the present invention, from the viewpoint of further reducing the effect of coloring of the photopolymerization initiator, a photopolymerization initiator comprising a borate compound of a dye (a borate compound having a dye skeleton as a counter ion) is particularly preferred. It is suitable. Specific examples of borate compounds of dyes that are particularly useful as a photopolymerization initiator are described in JP-A-62-143044 and JP-A-62-13044.
Compounds described in JP-A-15042 and compounds described in the specification of the present applicant as Japanese Patent Application No. 10-310611 are preferred.

(A) In the polymerizable layer, the photopolymerizable monomer contained in the photosensitive solution is prevented from being polymerized by heat during storage, heating during preparation, and drying during application, and the sensitivity of the photosensitive solution. A thermal polymerization inhibitor can be added as required for the purpose of preventing a decrease in the temperature and improving the stability. Examples of thermal polymerization inhibitors include p-methoxyphenol, hydroquinone,
Alkyl or aryl substituted hydroquinone, tert-butyl catechol, pyrogallol, naphthylamine, β
-Naphthol, phenothiazine, pyridine, nitrobenzene, φ tolutinone, aryl phosphite and the like, but are not limited thereto.

(A) The polymerizable layer is prepared by coating a polymerizable layer-forming coating solution containing the above components on a support (or an optional intermediate layer) in accordance with a known coating film forming method. And dried. Preferably, the thickness of the polymerizable layer is in the range of about 0.1 μm to 100 μm, preferably about 1 μm to 50 μm. When the thickness of the polymerizable layer is less than 0.1 μm, the function of adjusting the adhesiveness with the colorant layer is insufficient, and the image forming property is reduced.
Neither is preferred.

Next, the color material layer (B) will be described.
The (B) color material layer contains (B-1) at least one colorant and (B-2) an organic polymer binder. The colorant layer is generally the colorant and the organic polymer binder, and further,
The colorant layer forming coating solution prepared by dissolving or dispersing a colorant layer additive component or the like as described later in an appropriate solvent, if necessary, is subjected to the polymerization method (A) by a method known per se. It is formed by coating and drying on the surface of the layer.

As the colorant contained in the color material layer, a pigment or dye having a desired hue is used. Pigments are generally classified into organic pigments and inorganic pigments. The former generally has excellent transparency of the coating film, and the latter generally has excellent concealing properties. Therefore, the pigments may be appropriately selected and used depending on the use and purpose of the image to be formed.

When the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention is used as a color proof for printing color proofing, organic pigments having a color tone that is the same as or close to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black used in printing inks are preferably used. . Suitable organic pigments include azo-, phthalocyanine-, and anthraquinone-based pigments such as sulene-based, dioxazine-based, quinacridone-based, and isoindolinone-based pigments. Preferable examples of the inorganic pigment include titanium oxide, ultramarine blue, navy blue, red iron oxide, and the like. In addition, a metal powder, a fluorescent pigment, and the like may be used according to the purpose.

The pigment is typically dispersed together with an organic polymer binder in an organic solvent or an aqueous dispersion medium. As the pigment, a pigment which is finely divided to the extent that the color and image quality of the corresponding image are reproduced is used, and it is generally preferable that the average particle diameter is 1 μm or less.

The following are some examples of known pigments and dyes which can be used in the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention, but are not limited thereto (CI means color index). Victoria Pure Blue (CI. 42593) Auramine O (CI. 41000) Katilon Brilliant Flavin (CI. Basic 1)
3) Rhodamine 6GCP (C.I. 45160) Rhodamine B (C.I. 45170) Safranin OK70: 100 (C.I. 50240) Erioglaucine X (C.I. 42080) First black HB (C.I. 26150) No. 1201 Lionol Yellow (CI. 2109)
0) Lionol Yellow GRO (CI. 21090) Shimura First Yellow 8GF (CI. 2110)
5) Benzidine Yellow 4T-564D (CI. 2109)
5) Shimura Fast Red 4015 (CI. 1235)
5) Lionol Red 7B4401 (CI. 15850) Fastogen Blue-TGR-L (CI. 7416)
0) Lionol Blue SM (CI. 74160) Mitsubishi Carbon Black MA-100 Mitsubishi Carbon Black # 40

In addition to these pigments, Ciba Geigy Co., Ltd.
Processed pigments obtained by dispersing a fine particle pigment in a polymer carrier manufactured and sold by, for example, Microlith Yellow 4GA and Microlith Yellow 2R-A (CI.2).
1108), Microlith Yellow MX-A (CI.2)
1100), Microlith Blue 4G-A (CI.74)
160), Micro Red Red 3R-A, Micro Red Red 2CA, Micro Red Red 2B-A, Micro Lith Black CA and the like are also used.

(B-2) As the organic polymer binder (hereinafter, simply referred to as a binder), a film-forming resin capable of uniformly dispersing a colorant such as a pigment is selected. Specifically, for example, butyral resin, polyamide resin, polyethyleneimine resin, sulfonamide resin, polyester polyol resin, petroleum resin, styrene, vinyltoluene, α-methylstyrene, 2-methylstyrene, chlorostyrene, vinylbenzoic acid, Styrene such as sodium vinylbenzene sulfonate and aminostyrene and derivatives thereof, homopolymers and copolymers of substituted methacrylates such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, and hydroxyethyl methacrylate; and methacrylic acid and methyl acrylate , Ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, α-
Acrylic acid esters such as ethylhexyl acrylate and acrylic acid, butadienes, dienes such as isoprene,
Acrylonitrile, vinyl ethers, maleic acid and maleic esters, maleic anhydride, cinnamic acid, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate and other vinyl monomers, cellulose derivatives such as cellulose esters, esters and ethers, alone or in other quantities A copolymer with a body or the like can be used. These are appropriately selected and used depending on the type of solvent that can be used, the dispersibility of the pigment, the required film properties, and the like. These resins can be used in combination of two or more types by considering those having compatibility.

The mixing ratio of the colorant and the binder in the colorant layer varies depending on the characteristics of the colorant and the binder and the combination thereof, but in general, the colorant: binder ratio is 10%.
It is preferably from 0:30 to 100: 300 (weight ratio).

In the present invention, a photopolymerizable initiator can be added to the coloring material layer in order to further enhance the stability of peeling development. The photopolymerization initiator added to the coloring material layer is preferably an initiator with little coloring, or an initiator capable of photo-decolorization, and from this viewpoint, a borate compound-based initiator of a dye is particularly preferable. .

In addition to the essential components described above, the colorant layer may further include a surfactant, a thickener, a dispersion stabilizer, and a fixing agent for the purpose of improving the handling properties of the coating solution and the properties of the coating film. Accelerators and other known additives can also be included.

Next, (C) the adhesive layer will be described.
(C) The adhesive layer contains (C-1) a thermoplastic polymer and, if desired, other components. This layer is 60-130
It has the property of becoming tacky when heated to ° C.

(C) The adhesive layer is provided on the (B) color material layer.
It is provided by applying and drying a coating liquid for the adhesive layer prepared in advance, or by laminating those formed on a sheet in advance. The solvent used for forming the adhesive layer should be selected so as not to partially dissolve the adjacent coloring material layer. Suitable solvents include saturated hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane, n-hexane and n-heptane, Water and a mixture of water and an organic solvent that can be mixed with water are exemplified. 6
Examples of the thermoplastic polymer (C-1) having the property of becoming tacky when heated to 0 to 130 ° C. include acrylic acid-based polymers, vinyl acetate-based polymers, urethane-based polymers, and styrene-based polymers. A wide range of resins such as coalesce, vinyl chloride polymer, polyester polymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer and the like can be mentioned, and they are used in the form of latex or emulsion.

(C) For forming the adhesive layer, for example, a (meth) acrylic acid copolymer having a high acid value or vinyl acetate-
The crotonic acetate copolymer can be used as a coating solution by preparing an aqueous solution, for example, an aqueous ammonia solution. Other polymers, such as vinyl acetate polymers, can be applied from aqueous dispersions. Other examples using an aqueous dispersion of a polymer as a coating liquid include polyester, polyurethane, SBR, rosin ester, polyolefin, EV
A, ethylene / vinyl acetate, modified synthetic rubber, styrene /
Latexes such as acrylics and various ionomers are exemplified. Still other polymers, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, can be applied as a melt. Also,
The adhesive layer can be formed on the temporary material, and the adhesive layer can be formed on the color material layer by transferring the adhesive layer to the color material layer by lamination and peeling off the temporary support. .

By sequentially providing at least the three layers described above on a support, the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention can be obtained. In this recording material, besides the above-mentioned layers, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired,
For the purpose of improving the adhesion and protecting the coating film, another known layer can be appropriately provided.

The thermal transfer recording material of the present invention thus selected can be used for image-wise recording with a laser beam or recording with an ultraviolet ray through an intermediate mask as an active ray, and has excellent sensitivity and resolution. It can be applied to various recording materials such as various color filters and various color displays used in the field.

Next, a preferred image forming method using the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention will be described. The image forming method of the present invention forms a transfer image on a suitable image receiving sheet using the thermal transfer recording material.

The image receiving sheet used in the method of the present invention will be described. As the image receiving sheet, a printing paper support,
Thermo-softening synthetic paper or the like can be used.
4482625, US47666053, US49332
The image receiving sheet technology described in Japanese Patent No. 58-58 can be applied. Among these, a film base is preferably used from the viewpoint of stability against dimensional change due to heat, dimensional change due to moisture absorption and release, but, for example, in color proofing applications, when closeness to printed matter is required, Since it is necessary to form a multicolor image on a paper support which is a support for printed matter, in the case of a thermal transfer recording material which is not easily affected by moisture as in the present invention, it is advantageous to use a paper support. is there. Usually, from the viewpoint of printing approximation, a multicolor image formed on a film base having high dimensional accuracy is often finally retransferred to a paper support.

As the support for the image receiving sheet, paper, plastic film such as polyester film, polycarbonate film, polypropylene film, polyvinyl chloride film and the like can be used. Further, a thermal adhesive layer containing an organic polymer binder may be further provided on the support. By forming a cushion layer on the support with an elastic material such as urethane foam resin, the image formed on the transfer recording material may be, for example, a multicolor image having a thickness, Since the cushion layer effectively absorbs the unevenness due to the stress in the process, it is possible to effectively prevent a decrease in transferability due to the thickness of the image. As a resin material that can be used for forming the cushion layer, a Viact method (ASTMD1
It is preferable to select a resin having a softening point of 80 ° C. or lower according to a polymer softening point measurement method according to 236. Specific examples include polyethylene, polyolefins such as polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate, ethylene copolymers such as ethylene-acrylate, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate, such as vinyl chloride-based polymers, polystyrene, and styrene. -Styrene-based polymers such as (meth) acrylates, vinyltoluene-based polymers such as polyvinyl toluene and vinyltoluene- (meth) acrylates, poly (meth) acrylates, butyl (meth) acrylate -Organic polymers such as (meth) acrylate polymers such as vinyl acetate, vinyl acetate polymers, nylons, copolymerized nylons, polyamide polymers such as N-alkoxymethylated nylons, synthetic rubbers, and chlorinated rubbers At least one selected from substances Preferred, but, further, "Plastic Performance Handbook" (Japan Plastics Industry Federation, All Japan Plastic Molding Industry Association, ed., Industrial Committee issued, 1968 1
An organic polymer substance having a softening point of about 80 ° C. or lower (issued on Jan. 25) can be used. Furthermore, the softening point is 80
It is also possible to use an organic polymer substance having a softening point of substantially 80 ° C. or lower by adding a compatible plasticizer to the organic polymer substance having a temperature of not lower than 80 ° C.

When the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention is used for color proofing, an image is formed on the same paper as the actual printing paper, and is formed on an image receiving sheet such as a plastic film for accurate evaluation. The transferred image may be retransferred to another final support such as a printing paper to form an image.

The image forming method of the present invention comprises: (I) a laminating step of laminating an adhesive layer of the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention and an image receiving surface of an image receiving sheet; and (II) a support surface of the recording material. An exposure step of irradiating actinic rays imagewise from the side, and (III) peeling off the recording material from the image receiving sheet, leaving an actinic ray irradiated portion of the polymerizable layer and the colorant layer on the peeled support, And a transfer step of transferring a non-irradiated portion of the adhesive layer and the colorant layer to the image receiving sheet to obtain a transfer image. This method will be described sequentially with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing the structure of the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention. The recording material 10 includes a support 12
It has a configuration in which (A) a photopolymerizable layer 14, (B) a color material layer 16, and (C) an adhesive layer 18 are sequentially provided.
Further, the image receiving sheet 20 is provided on an image receiving layer 20a on a support 20b.
Is provided. FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic views showing the process of the image forming method. FIG.
In (a), first, the thermal adhesive layer 18 side of the thermal transfer recording material 10 is laminated on the image receiving layer 21a of the image receiving sheet 20, and heated and pressed. Here, the adhesiveness of the thermal adhesive layer 18 is developed, and the image receiving sheet 20 and the (B) color material layer 16 are in close contact with each other via the (C) adhesive layer 18. Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, an actinic ray (indicated by an arrow in the figure) is irradiated imagewise from the support 12 side, and (A) an exposed portion of the photopolymerizable layer 14 (shown by a hatched portion) ), A photopolymerization reaction occurs, and the adhesion to the adjacent (B) color material layer 16 in the exposed portion is improved. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2C, when the support 12 is separated from the exposed thermal transfer recording material 10,
(A) In the exposed portion where the adhesion to the photopolymerizable layer 14 is improved, the (B) color material layer 16a is peeled off together with the (A) photopolymerizable layer 14, and the (B) color material layer 16b in the unexposed portion is exposed. Remain on the image receiving sheet 20 to form a positive colored transfer image.

At this time, if the photopolymerization initiator remains in the transferred (B) color material layer 16b of the unexposed portion, that is, in the transferred image, the preservability of the image deteriorates. It is preferable to perform a fixing step of exposing the formed transfer image to light absorbed by the photopolymerization initiator and inactivating and decoloring the photopolymerization initiator.

The above is the process of forming a single color image. By repeating this method while changing the hue of the colorant contained in the color material layer, a multicolor image can be formed. That is, by using another thermal transfer recording material having a color material layer of a different hue on the first single-color transfer image obtained on the image receiving sheet by the image forming method, a different hue is obtained by the same image forming method. The multicolor image can be formed on the image receiving sheet by forming a single-color transfer image and repeating this as necessary. After the formation of the multicolor image, the above-mentioned fixing step is performed to deactivate and erase the photopolymerization initiator contained in the color material layers of all hues in one step.

[0061]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below with reference to examples.
The present invention is not limited to these. (Example 1) (Preparation of photosensitive thermal transfer sheet) 1) Preparation of coating solution for forming photopolymerizable layer The following components were mixed while heating and stirring with a stirrer to prepare a coating solution for forming a photopolymerizable layer. Prepared. Coating liquid composition Methyl ethyl ketone 300 parts by weight Methyl cellosolve acetate 150 parts by weight Surfactant (F-177, manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.) 1 part by weight Pylon 200 (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) 30 parts by weight DPHA (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.) 7.6 parts by weight UV-sensitive photopolymerization initiator A 0.1 part by weight

[0062]

Embedded image

2) Formation of a photopolymerizable layer on the surface of the support On one surface of a polyethylene terephthalate film having a thickness of 6 μm, the above-mentioned coating solution was applied by a rotary coating machine (Whyler).
Then, the coated material was dried in an oven at 100 ° C. for 2 minutes to form a photosensitive layer on the support. The obtained photosensitive layer has an absorption maximum near a wavelength of 360 nm,
When the absorbance was measured with a spectrophotometer, OD =
1.0. The film thickness was 2 μm.

3) Preparation of Coloring Material Layer Coating Solution Composition of Coloring Material Dispersion Mother Solution Next, the following three types of coating materials for colorant layer were prepared. ABC-Polyvinyl butyral resin 12 parts by weight ← ← (Denka Butyral # 2000-L, Piccat softening point 57 ° C, manufactured by Denki Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) Pigment Cyan pigment (CI.P.B.15: 4) 18 Parts by weight--magenta pigment (CI. PR. 57: 1)-18 parts by weight-yellow pigment (CI. P. Y. 14)--18 parts by weight-dispersing aid Solsperse S-2000 0.8 part by weight Part ← ← (manufactured by ICI Japan) ・ Solvent n-PrOH 110 parts by weight ← ←

4) Formation of Coloring Material Layer on Photosensitive Layer Surface A surfactant (F-177, Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.) was added to 10 parts by weight of each of the above pigment dispersions of A, B and C.
Co., Ltd.) and 100 parts by weight of n-PrOH were added to form a coating solution, which was applied on the photopolymerizable layer. Each of the obtained film thicknesses was 0.4 μm in dry film thickness.

5) Preparation of Coating Solution for Adhesive Layer Composition of Adhesive Layer Solution 20 parts by weight of ion-exchanged water 0.1% by weight of surfactant (F-177, manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.) Emulsion SE- 50 10 parts by weight (hydrogenated rosin ester resin manufactured by Arakawa Chemical Co., Ltd.)

6) Formation of Adhesive Layer on Color Material Layer The above coating solution was applied by a bar coater and dried in an oven at 100 ° C. for 2 minutes. The obtained film thickness was 2 μm.

(Preparation of Image Receiving Sheet) A coating solution for the first image receiving layer and the second image receiving layer having the following composition was prepared. Coating solution / binder for image receiving first layer PVC / vinyl acetate copolymer (MPR-TSL, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd.) 25 parts by weight Plasticizer 6-functional acrylate monomer (DPCA-120 (Nippon Kayaku ( 12 parts by weight-Surfactant (F-177, manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.) 4 parts by weight-Solvent Methyl ethyl ketone

Coating solution / binder for image receiving second layer Polyvinyl butyral (described above) 16 parts by weight Surfactant (F-177, manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.) 0.5 part by weight Solvent n-PrOH 200 parts by weight

A 100 μm-thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film was coated on a support with the above-mentioned coating solution for the first layer of the image-receiving layer using a spin coater (wheeler), and was then placed in an oven at 100 ° C. for 2 minutes. Dried. The film thickness of the obtained first image receiving layer was 20 μm. The coating solution for the second layer of the image receiving layer was applied on the first layer of the image receiving layer using a spin coater (wheeler), and dried in an oven at 100 ° C. for 2 minutes. The thickness of the obtained second layer of the image receiving layer is 2 μm.
Met.

Formation of Image First, a cyan photosensitive thermal transfer sheet and the above-mentioned image receiving sheet are superimposed, and then a pressure of 4.5 kg is applied using a laminator.
Lamination was performed under the conditions of a roller temperature of 120 ° C. and a conveyance speed of 900 mm / min.

Next, the photosensitive thermal transfer sheet and the image mask were overlapped, and image exposure was performed on the laminate from the support side of the cyan photosensitive thermal transfer sheet from a distance of 50 cm with a 2 kW ultra-high pressure mercury lamp. After the exposure, the cyan photosensitive heat transfer sheet and the image receiving sheet were peeled off to form a dot image on the image receiving layer.

Next, the magenta thermal transfer sheet is superimposed on the image receiving sheet on which the cyan image is formed, and the same lamination and mask exposure are performed, and the transfer sheet is peeled off to form a magenta image on the image receiving sheet. An image receiving sheet on which a yellow image was formed was prepared.

Next, the image receiving sheet on which the color image is formed is superimposed on art paper at 130 ° C. and 4.5 kg / cm in thickness.
After passing through a heat roller of 00 mm / sec, the polyester film of the image receiving sheet was peeled off, the image receiving second layer having the color material image was transferred, and a color image was formed on art paper. This color image is a chemical proof (Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) created from a squirrel manuscript, brand name Color Art
And the closeness of the color image was very good. The reflection density of each single color at this time was as follows.

[0075] The gradation reproducibility was 5 to 95%, which was very good. Furthermore, the surface was matted following the unevenness of the paper, and the surface gloss was very close to the printed matter.

(Example 2) Thermal transfer recording was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the initiator A was added to the color material layer formulation of Example 1 so that the solid content ratio of the color material layer was 4%. Made the material. The gradation reproducibility was 3 to 98%, which was very good. Furthermore, the surface was matted following the unevenness of the paper, and the surface gloss was very close to the printed matter.

Example 3 Preparation of Thermal Transfer Recording Material for Laser Recording The following components were heated with a stirrer and mixed while stirring to prepare a coating solution for forming a photopolymerizable layer. 1) Preparation of coating liquid for forming a photopolymerizable layer The following components were heated and mixed with stirring with a stirrer to prepare a coating liquid for forming a photopolymerizable layer. The obtained photopolymerizable layer had an absorption maximum near a wavelength of 665 nm, and the absorbance was measured by a spectrophotometer.
Met. The thickness was 0.2 μm.

Composition of coating liquid 300 parts by weight of methyl ethyl ketone 150 parts by weight of methyl cellosolve acetate Surfactant (F-177, manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.) 1 part by weight Pylon 200 (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) 30 Parts by weight DPHA (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.) 7.6 parts by weight Photopolymerization initiator B 0.10 parts by weight Dye A 0.30 parts by weight

[0079]

Embedded image

<Method of Evaluating Photosensitive Thermal Transfer Sheet for Laser Recording> The image receiving sheet and the toner sheet laminate are wound around a rotary drum provided with a suction hole for vacuum suction so that the image receiving sheet side is in contact with the drum surface. The inside of the drum was evacuated to fix the laminate on the drum surface. The above-mentioned drum is rotated, and a semiconductor laser beam having a wavelength of 665 nm is condensed from the outside onto the surface of the laminated body on the drum so that a spot having a diameter of 5 μm is formed on the surface of the photopolymerizable layer. While moving in the direction perpendicular to the (main running direction) (sub-scanning),
The laser image (image) was recorded on the laminate. Laser irradiation conditions are as follows. Laser power: 38 mW Main scanning speed: 4 m / sec Sub scanning pitch (sub scanning amount per rotation): 20 μm

The laminate on which the laser image recording was performed was removed from the drum, and the image receiving sheet and the photosensitive thermal transfer toner sheet were peeled off by hand. As a result, the laser irradiation portion of the toner (image) layer was changed to the photopolymerizable layer. The remaining unirradiated portions were transferred and recorded on the image receiving sheet. The recording line width was 6 μm.

Fogging evaluation The above image receiving sheet was overlaid on art paper at 130 ° C. and 4.5.
After passing through a heat roller having a thickness of kg / cm and a speed of 4 m / sec, the polyester film of the image receiving sheet was peeled off, and the image receiving second layer bearing the toner image was transferred to form a color image on art paper. Further, after the entire surface is exposed from a distance of 50 cm with a 2 kW ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, fixing of a colored image with an initiator (decoloration).
Was done. Coloring on the image fixed with ultraviolet light is hardly observed, and this color image has very good hue similarity to a chemical proof (Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., trade name color art) created from a squirrel manuscript. Met.

Example 4 The procedure of Example 3 was repeated except that the ratio between the initiator B and the dye A was 1 to 3 and the ratio of the solid content to the color material layer was 2%. Was performed in the same manner as in Example 3 to prepare a photosensitive thermal transfer sheet.

The laminate on which the above laser image recording was performed was taken out of the drum, and the image receiving sheet and the photosensitive thermal transfer toner sheet were peeled off by hand. As a result, the laser irradiated portion of the toner (image) layer was applied to the photopolymerizable layer. The remaining and non-irradiated portions were transferred and recorded on the image receiving sheet. The recording line width was 7 μm.

Example 5 Using the photosensitive thermal transfer sheet of Example 3, the following experiment was conducted. 130 ° C., 4.5 kg / cm, superposed cyan photosensitive heat transfer sheet and art paper
The laminate was passed through a heat roller having a thickness of 900 nm / sec.

An art paper and a toner sheet laminate are wound around a rotating drum provided with a suction hole for vacuum suction so that the art paper side is in contact with the drum surface, and the inside of the drum is evacuated to thereby laminate the laminate. It was fixed on the drum surface. The above-mentioned drum is rotated, and a semiconductor laser beam having a wavelength of 665 nm is condensed from the outside onto the surface of the laminated body on the drum so as to form a spot having a diameter of 5 μm on the surface of the photopolymerizable layer. While moving in the direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction (sub scanning), a laser image (image) was recorded on the laminate. Laser irradiation conditions are as follows. Laser power: 38 mW Main scanning speed: 2 m / sec Sub-scanning pitch (sub-scanning amount per rotation): 20 μm

The laminate on which the laser image recording was performed was removed from the drum, and the art paper and the photosensitive thermal transfer toner sheet were peeled off by hand. As a result, the laser-irradiated portion of the toner (image) layer was exposed to the photopolymerizable layer. The remaining unirradiated portions were transcribed and recorded on the art paper. Recording line width is 4
μm.

Table 1 below shows the constitution of the thermal transfer recording material of each of the above Examples, and Table 2 shows the evaluation results.

[0089]

[Table 1]

[0090]

[Table 2]

As is clear from the results shown in Table 2, the image formed by the image forming method of the present invention using the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention is excellent in halftone dot reproducibility and fine line recording property, A high quality image could be formed without coloring.

[0092]

According to the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention, it is possible to easily and stably form a high-quality image excellent in resolving power and dot reproducibility in a dry system. Further, according to the image forming method of the present invention using the thermal transfer recording material, an image forming method which is not affected by coloring of a polymerization initiator and has excellent hue reproducibility, particularly, a conventional process of exposing using an intermediate film as a mask In addition, a laser beam modulated with a digital image signal can realize an image forming method useful for directly forming a high-quality color proof with high print similarity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing one embodiment of the thermal transfer recording material of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic views illustrating an example of a process of an image forming method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Thermal transfer recording material 12 Support 14 Photopolymerizable layer 16 Color material layer 18 Adhesive layer 20 Image receiving sheet

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Junichi Fujimori 200 Onakasato, Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mikio Totsuka 200 Onakazato Fujinaka City, Shizuoka Prefecture Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. F Terms (reference) 2H025 AB09 AC01 AC08 BC31 BC51 CA00 CA41 CB00 DA31 DA35 DA39 EA08 FA24 FA30 FA35 2H096 AA23 BA05 BA16 BA20 CA05 CA16 CA20 EA02 EA04 GA50 HA03 HA07

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A method comprising: (A) an organic polymer binder,
A polymerizable layer containing a photopolymerizable monomer and / or a photopolymerizable oligomer and a photopolymerization initiator, (B) a colorant layer containing an organic polymer binder and a colorant, and (C) a thermoplastic material A thermal transfer recording material, which is provided with an adhesive layer containing a polymer in order. 2. The thermal transfer recording material according to claim 1, wherein the color material layer contains a photopolymerization initiator. 3. The thermal transfer recording material according to claim 1, wherein the photopolymerization initiator is a borate compound of a dye. 4. The thermal transfer recording material according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate layer is provided between the support and the polymerizable layer. 5. A laminating step of laminating an adhesive layer of a thermal transfer recording material and an image receiving surface of an image receiving sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and (II) An exposure step of irradiating actinic rays imagewise from the support surface side, and (III) peeling off the recording material from the image receiving sheet, and forming an actinic ray irradiating portion of the polymerizable layer and the colorant layer on the peeled support. Transferring the adhesive layer and the colorant layer to the non-irradiated portion of the adhesive layer and the colorant layer on the image receiving sheet side to obtain a transferred image. 6. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: (IV) exposing the formed transfer image to light absorbed by the photopolymerization initiator to perform a fixing step of deactivating and decoloring the photopolymerization initiator. The image forming method according to claim 5, wherein: 7. A thermal transfer recording material having a color material layer of a different hue on a first single-color transfer image obtained on an image receiving sheet by the image forming method according to claim 5 or 6. An image forming method in which a single-color transfer image of a different hue is formed by a similar image forming method, and this is repeated as necessary to form a multicolor image on an image receiving sheet. 8. The image forming method according to claim 5, further comprising a step of transferring the transfer image obtained on the image receiving sheet to another final support. .