Printing device, control method thereof, and manufacturing method of printed matter

When a roughened pattern is formed on an image protection layer, a thermal transfer sheet is protected from being damaged or broken. A thermal head 18 is driven and controlled such that an image protection layer 15e of a thermal transfer sheet 15 is thermally transferred to a printing medium 14, and that a roughened pattern 40 is formed on the image protection layer 15e. The roughened pattern 40 is made based on a corrected pattern 40B that is obtained by correcting a basic pattern 40A that is a pattern including an island portion formed of a mass of a plurality of high-energy pixels 40a, such that the high-energy pixel 40a surrounded by the high-energy pixels 40a forming an edge area of the island portion is converted to a low-energy pixel 40b.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a printing device that thermally transfers an image protection layer on an image formed on a printing medium, and provides a roughened pattern with the image protection layer, a control method thereof, and a manufacturing method of a printed matter.

BACKGROUND ART

A printing device that thermally transfers color materials of a thermal transfer sheet onto a printing medium to form an image, so as to manufacture a printed matter has been conventionally known. In order to protect the image formed on the printing medium, such a printing device forms a transparent image protection layer on the image. In this case, a surface of the image protection layer for protecting the image is subjected to a matte processing to form thereon a roughened pattern, whereby the printed matter has a matte finish.

As described above, the conventional printing device subjects the image protection layer surface to a matte processing to form thereon a roughened pattern. The roughened pattern has a plurality of pixels arranged like a grid, which include high-energy pixels that are formed by applying high energy, and low-energy pixels that are arranged between the high-energy pixels and formed by applying low energy.

However, when a mass of the high-energy pixels enlarges, there is a possibility that thermal energy of the high-energy pixels excessively increases, which impairs glossiness of the roughened pattern as a whole.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in view of the above points. The object of the present invention is to provide a printing device that can prevent that, when a roughened pattern is formed on an image protection layer of a thermal transfer sheet, even if there is a mass of high-energy pixels, thermal energy of high-energy pixels excessively increases so that glossiness as a whole is impaired.

The present invention is a printing device comprising: a printing-medium running unit that causes a printing medium to run; a sheet supply unit that supplies a thermal transfer sheet onto the printing medium, the thermal transfer sheet having at least an image protection layer to be thermally transferred to the printing medium; a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements that are linearly located in a direction perpendicular to a direction along which the printing medium runs; and a control means that drives and controls the thermal head; wherein: the control means drives and controls the thermal head to thermally transfer the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet to the printing medium, and to form a roughened pattern on the image protection layer; and the roughened pattern is composed of a plurality of pixels which are arranged like a grid and include high-energy pixels and low-energy pixels between the high-energy pixels, and the roughened pattern is made based on a corrected pattern that is obtained by correcting a basic pattern that is a pattern including an island portion formed of a mass of the plurality of high-energy pixels, such that the high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels forming an edge area of the island portion is converted to the low-energy pixel.

The present invention is a printing device comprising: a printing-medium running unit that causes a printing medium to run; a sheet supply unit that supplies a thermal transfer sheet onto the printing medium, the thermal transfer sheet having at least an image protection layer to be thermally transferred to the printing medium; a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements that are linearly located in a direction perpendicular to a direction along which the printing medium runs; and a control means that drives and controls the thermal head; wherein: the control means drives and controls the thermal head to thermally transfer the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet to the printing medium, and to form a roughened pattern on the image protection layer; the roughened pattern is composed of a plurality of pixels which are arranged like a grid and include high-energy pixels and low-energy pixels between the high-energy pixels, and the roughened pattern is made based on a corrected pattern that is obtained by correcting a basic pattern that is a pattern including an island portion formed of a mass of the plurality of high-energy pixels, such that the high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels forming an edge area of the island portion is converted to the low-energy pixel; and the corrected pattern is obtained by correcting the basic pattern such that a target high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels adjacent thereto from above, from below, from the right and from the left is converted to the low-energy pixel.

The present invention is the printing device wherein the high-energy pixels forming the edge area of the island portion are the high-energy pixels arranged in a plurality of rows.

The present invention is the printing device wherein the high-energy pixels forming the edge area of the island portion are the high-energy pixels arranged in a single row.

The present invention is a control method of a printing device comprising: a step in which a printing medium is caused to run by a printing-medium running unit; a step in which a thermal transfer sheet is caused to run on the printing medium by a sheet running unit, the thermal transfer sheet having at least an image protection layer to be thermally transferred to the printing medium; and a step in which the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the printing medium by a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements that are linearly located in a direction perpendicular to a direction along which the printing medium runs, the thermal head being driven and controlled by a control means; wherein: the control means drives and controls the thermal head to thermally transfer the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet to the printing medium, and to form a roughened pattern on the image protection layer; and the roughened pattern is composed of a plurality of pixels which are arranged like a grid and include high-energy pixels and low-energy pixels between the high-energy pixels, and the roughened pattern is made based on a corrected pattern that is obtained by correcting a basic pattern that is a pattern including an island portion formed of a mass of the plurality of high-energy pixels, such that the high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels forming an edge area of the island portion is converted to the low-energy pixel.

The present invention is a control method of a printing device comprising: a step in which a printing medium is caused to run by a printing-medium running unit; a step in which a thermal transfer sheet is caused to run on the printing medium by a sheet running unit, the thermal transfer sheet having at least an image protection layer to be thermally transferred to the printing medium; and a step in which the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the printing medium by a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements that are linearly located in a direction perpendicular to a direction along which the printing medium runs, the thermal head being driven and controlled by a control means; wherein: the control means drives and controls the thermal head to thermally transfer the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet to the printing medium, and to form a roughened pattern on the image protection layer; the roughened pattern is composed of a plurality of pixels which are arranged like a grid and include high-energy pixels and low-energy pixels between the high-energy pixels, and the roughened pattern is made based on a corrected pattern that is obtained by correcting a basic pattern that is a pattern including an island portion formed of a mass of the plurality of high-energy pixels, such that the high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels forming an edge area of the island portion is converted to the low-energy pixel; and the corrected pattern is obtained by correcting the basic pattern such that a target high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels adjacent thereto from above, from below, from the right and from the left is converted to the low-energy pixel.

The present invention is a manufacturing method of a printed matter comprising: a step in which a printing medium is caused to run by a printing-medium running unit; a step in which a thermal transfer sheet is caused to run on the printing medium by a sheet running unit, the thermal transfer sheet having at least an image protection layer to be thermally transferred to the printing medium; a step in which the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the printing medium by a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements that are linearly located in a direction perpendicular to a direction along which the printing medium runs, the thermal head being driven and controlled by a control means; and a step in which a printed matter is obtained by punching the printing medium to which the image protection layer has been thermally transferred; wherein: the control means drives and controls the thermal head to thermally transfer the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet to the printing medium, and to form a roughened pattern on the image protection layer; and the roughened pattern is composed of a plurality of pixels which are arranged like a grid and include high-energy pixels and low-energy pixels between the high-energy pixels, and the roughened pattern is made based on a corrected pattern that is obtained by correcting a basic pattern that is a pattern including an island portion formed of a mass of the plurality of high-energy pixels, such that the high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels forming an edge area of the island portion is converted to the low-energy pixel.

The present invention is a manufacturing method of a printed matter comprising: a step in which a printing medium is caused to run by a printing-medium running unit; a step in which a thermal transfer sheet is caused to run on the printing medium by a sheet running unit, the thermal transfer sheet having at least an image protection layer to be thermally transferred to the printing medium; a step in which the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet is thermally transferred to the printing medium by a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements that are linearly located in a direction perpendicular to a direction along which the printing medium runs, the thermal head being driven and controlled by a control means; and a step in which a printed matter is obtained by punching the printing medium to which the image protection layer has been thermally transferred; wherein: the control means drives and controls the thermal head to thermally transfer the image protection layer of the thermal transfer sheet to the printing medium, and to form a roughened pattern on the image protection layer; the roughened pattern is composed of a plurality of pixels which are arranged like a grid and include high-energy pixels and low-energy pixels between the high-energy pixels, and the roughened pattern is made based on a corrected pattern that is obtained by correcting a basic pattern that is a pattern including an island portion formed of a mass of the plurality of high-energy pixels, such that the high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels forming an edge area of the island portion is converted to the low-energy pixel; and the corrected pattern is obtained by correcting the basic pattern such that a target high-energy pixel surrounded by the high-energy pixels adjacent thereto from above, from below, from the right and from the left is converted to the low-energy pixel.

As described above, according to the present invention, when a roughened pattern is formed on an image protection layer of a thermal transfer sheet, since a high-thermal energy surrounded by high-energy pixels forming an edge area is converted to a low-energy pixel, there is no possibility that thermal energy of the high-energy pixels excessively increases, whereby glossiness as a whole can be improved.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the present invention will be described herebelow with reference to the drawings.FIGS. 1 to 10are views showing a printing device according to the present invention and a control method thereof.

As shown inFIGS. 1 to 5, a printing device1includes: a guide roller11athat guides a printing medium14such as a photographic paper extending like a strip; a drive roller12and a pinch roller13which cause the printing medium14to run; a supply reel17that supplies a thermal transfer sheet15; a guide roller11bthat guides the thermal transfer sheet15; a take-up reel16that takes up the thermal transfer sheet15; and a thermal head18having a plurality of heating elements18athat are linearly located in a direction perpendicular to the direction along which the printing medium14runs.

The drive roller12and the pinch roller13constitute a printing-medium running unit12A that causes the printing medium14to run, and the take-up reel16and the supply reel17constitute a sheet running unit16A that causes the thermal transfer sheet15to run.

The heating elements18aof the thermal head18thermally transfer, in a line, color material layers15b,15c15dand an image protection layer15eof the thermal transfer sheet15, which are interposed between the printing medium14and the thermal transfer sheet15, onto the printing medium14.

In the printing device1, when the take-up reel16is driven in rotation, the thermal transfer wheel15is caused to run from the supply reel17to the take-up reel16. At a printing position at which the color material layers15b,15c,15dof the thermal transfer sheet15are transferred to the printing medium14, a platen roller19is located opposedly to the thermal head18. A color material such as a dye is pressed onto the printing medium14by the thermal head18with a predetermined pressure, so that the color material is thermally transferred from the thermal transfer sheet15to the printing medium14.

The printing medium14is described with reference toFIG. 2. The printing medium14includes a substrate14aformed of paper (pulp), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or the like. On one surface of the substrate14a, a recipient layer14bthat receives a dye to be transferred from the thermal transfer sheet15and holds the received dye, is provided. The recipient layer14bis formed of an acryl-based resin, a thermoplastic resin such as polyester, polycarbonate or polyvinyl chloride. A back layer14cis formed on the other surface of the substrate14a.

On the other hand, as shown inFIG. 3, the thermal transfer sheet15includes a substrate15aformed of a synthetic resin film such as a polystyrene film. One surface of the substrate15ais provided with the color material layers15b,15c,15dfor forming an image, including color materials such as respective color dyes or pigments of yellow, magenta and cyanogen, and a thermoplastic resin. In addition, the image protection layer15eformed of a thermoplastic resin is formed on the substrate15a. The color material layers15b,15c,15dand the image protection layer15econstitute one set, and these sets of layers15bto15eare sequentially formed side by side in the longitudinal direction. When thermal energy according to data of an image to be printed is applied by the thermal head18to the color material layers15b,15c,15d, the color material layers15b,15c,15dare thermally transferred to the recipient layer14bof the printing medium14(seeFIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C).

To be specific, the color material layers15b,15c15dare formed by dispersing a sublimation dye or a thermal diffusion dye in a cellulose-based resin such as methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyl ethyl cellulose, hydroxyl propyl cellulose or cellulose acetate, a vinyl-based resin such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl acetoacetal, poly acetate vinyl or polystylene, or other various kinds of urethane resins.

In addition, the image protection layer15eis formed of a thermoplastic resin such as a polyester-based resin or a cellulose ester-based resin. Further, in order to improve image preservation, an ultraviolet absorbent, a light stabilizer, an anti-oxidant and so on may be added.

The image protection layer15eis further thermally transferred onto images15bb,15cc,15ddwhich are formed by the thermally transferred color material layers15b,15c,15d. At this time, the image protection layer15ethermally transferred to the printing medium14is subjected to a fine roughening process by thermal energy of the thermal head18, so that a surface of the image protection layer15ehas a roughened pattern40.

Next, a printed matter obtained by thermally transferring the thermal transfer sheet15onto the printing medium14is described with reference toFIGS. 6A to 6C.

As shown inFIGS. 6A to 6C, the color material layers15b,15c,15dof the thermal transfer sheet15are thermally transferred onto the printing medium14by the thermal head18of the printing device1, so that the images15bb,15cc,15ddare formed on the printing medium14. Then, the image protection layer15eis thermally transferred onto the images15bb,15cc,15dd.

Then, the printing medium14is punched to have a desired shape. Thus, a printed matter14A, such as a card, which includes the printing medium14, the images15bb,15cc,15ddand the image protection layer15e, is obtained.

In such a printed matter14A, as described above, the image protection layer15eis subjected to a fine roughening process by the thermal energy of the thermal head18, so that the roughened pattern40is formed on the surface (seeFIG. 6A). In this case, the image protection layer15eis formed all over a surface of the printed matter14A. Further, the roughened pattern40, which has been formed by the fine roughening process, and a glossy area41other than the roughened pattern are formed on the image protection layer15e.

FIG. 6Ais a plan view showing the printed matter14A.FIG. 6Bis a sectional view ofFIG. 6Ataken along a B-B line thereof.FIG. 6Cis a sectional view ofFIG. 6Ataken along a C-C line thereof.FIG. 6Ashows the printed matter14A without its images, for the sake of conveniences.

The roughened pattern40of the image protection layer15eof the printed matter14A is formed in a manner as described below. Namely, a pattern including a plurality of pixels40a,40barranged like a grid is referred to as basic pattern A, the pixels40a,40bincluding high-energy pixels40aand low-energy pixels40bbetween the high-energy pixels40a(seeFIG. 7A). The basic pattern40A is obtained by preparing a silver salt matte sheet, which is generally considered as preferable and set as a benchmark, and extracting a feature of a matte pattern which is obtained by scanning the silver salt matte sheet. The basic pattern40A includes an island portion50formed of a mass of the plurality of high-energy pixels40a.

In the island portion50of the basic pattern40A as structured above, the high-energy pixels40ain an area (inner area)50B surrounded by the high-energy pixels40aforming an edge area50A are converted to the low-energy pixels40b, so as to obtain a corrected pattern40B (seeFIG. 7B). The roughened pattern40of the image protection layer15ecan be made based on the thus obtained corrected pattern40B.

In the roughened pattern40, the high-energy pixels40aare formed by imparting high energy from the heating elements18ato the image protection layer15e, while the low-energy pixels40bare formed by imparting low energy from the heating elements18ato the image protection layer15e. In this case, the high-energy pixels40acorrespond to dents formed in the image protection layer15ein reaction to the high energy from the heating elements18a, and the low-energy pixels40bcorrespond to bumps formed on the image protection layer15ein reaction to the low energy from the heating elements18a.

As described above, in the island portion50formed of the mass of high-energy pixels40aof the basic pattern40A, the high-energy pixels40ain the inner area50B surrounded by the high-energy pixels40aforming the edge area50A are converted to the low-energy pixels40b, so that the corrected pattern40B is obtained. The roughened pattern40is made based on the corrected pattern40B. Thus, even when there is a mass of the high-energy pixels40a, there is no possibility that thermal energy of the high-energy pixels40aexcessively increases so that the glossiness of the island portion50formed of the mass of the high-energy pixels40adecreases.

On the other hand, when the island portion50formed of the high-energy pixels40ain the basic pattern40A is left as it is, the thermal energy of the high-energy pixels40aof the island portion in the roughened pattern40increases. Thus, since the thermal energy of the dents increases, the glossiness of the roughened pattern40as a whole decreases.

The roughened pattern40is formed of a plurality of the pixels40a,40barranged like a grid. The high-energy pixels40amean unit pixels that are obtained by imparting high energy from the heating elements18ato the image protection layer15e, while the low-energy pixels40bmean unit pixels that are obtained by imparting low energy from the heating elements18ato the image protection layer15e.

The island portion50has a mass of the plurality of high-energy pixels40a. The island portion50includes the edge area50A composed of the high-energy pixels40aforming a peripheral edge. The high-energy pixels40ain the edge area50A surround at least one high-energy pixel.

Next, a method of obtaining the corrected pattern40B by correcting the basing pattern40A including the island portion50formed of a mass of the high-energy pixels40ais described with reference toFIGS. 8A and 8B.

In this case, in the island portion50of the basic pattern40A, the high-energy pixels40aof the inner area50B surrounded by the high-energy pixels40aforming the edge area50A are converted to the low-energy pixels40b. At this time, as shown inFIG. 8A, in the basic pattern40A, one of the high-energy pixels40apresent in the inner area50B surrounded by the edge area50A is supposed as a target high-energy pixel40a.

When the target high-energy pixel40ais surrounded by high-energy pixels40aadjacent thereto from above, from below, from the right and the left, the target high-energy pixel40ais converted to the low-energy pixel40b(seeFIG. 8B). In fact, as described below, the conversion of the target high-energy pixel40ais finally carried out, after various control steps have been repeated by the control unit24.

Then, another high-energy pixel40apresent in the inner area50B surrounded by the edge area50A is supposed as a target high-energy pixel40a. By repeating the method shown inFIGS. 8A and 8B, target high-energy pixels40aare converted to the low-energy pixels40bwhereby the corrected pattern40B can be obtained.

In the roughened pattern40, the island portion50formed of a mass of the high-energy pixels40ahas the high-energy pixels40aforming the edge area50A, which are arranged in one row (seeFIG. 9A). As shown inFIG. 9A, the inner area50B surrounded by the high-energy pixels40aforming the edge area50A of the island portion50includes a plurality of the low-energy pixels40b.

However, not limited thereto, in the roughened pattern40, the island portion50formed of a mass of the high-energy pixels40ahas the high-energy pixels40aforming the edge area50A, which are arranged in two rows (seeFIG. 9B). Alternatively, the high-energy pixels40aforming the edge area50A may be arranged in two or more rows.

InFIGS. 6A to 6C, the roughened pattern40and the glossy area41are formed on the image protection layer15eof the printed matter14A. When the glossy area41is formed, low energy is imparted to the heating elements18a. Thus, the glossy area41has a flat shape as a whole so as to provide a glossy surface.

As long as the thermal transfer sheet15used in the present invention has at least the image protection layer15e, the other structures thereof are not particularly limited. For example, the thermal transfer sheet15may be composed only of a color material layer of a certain color, instead of yellow, magenta and cyanogen, and the image protection layer. In addition, when the image protection layer15eis thermally transferred to the printing medium14onto which an image has been printed by another printer or the like, it is sufficient that the thermal transfer sheet15includes only the image protection layer15e.

The respective constituent members of the printing device1as structured above are driven and controlled by the control unit24. As shown inFIG. 5, an interface (referred to simply as I/F herebelow)21to which data of an image to be printed are inputted, an image memory22that accumulates image data inputted through I/F21, a control memory23that stores a control program and so on, and the control unit24that controls a general operation of the thermal head18and so on are connected to the printing device1. Namely, the printing-medium running unit12A having the drive roller12that causes the printing medium14to run from a paper feeder up to a paper ejector, the thermal head18, and the sheet running unit16A having the take-up reel16and the supply reel17that cause the thermal transfer sheet15to run are connected to the control unit24. Thus, the printing-medium running unit12A and the sheet running unit16A are controlled by the control unit24.

A display apparatus such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) for displaying an image to be printed, and an electric instrument such as a storage and/or reproduction apparatus on which a storage medium is mounted are connected to the I/F21. For example, when a moving image is displayed on the display apparatus, static image data selected by a user are inputted. In addition, when the storage and/or reproduction apparatus is connected to the I/F21, static image data stored in a storage medium such as an optical disc, in IC card, etc. are inputted to the I/F21.

The image memory22has a capacity capable of storing data of at least one image. Data of an image to be printed, which have been inputted through the I/F21, are inputted to the image memory22and temporarily stored therein.

The control memory23stores a control program or the like that controls a generation operation of the printing device1. The control unit24controls a general operation based on the control program stored in the control memory23.

Namely, the control unit24controls a general operation based on the control program stored in the control memory23. For example, the control unit24controls the thermal head18in accordance with an image to be printed, and controls the thermal head18such that the image protection layer15eis thermally transferred, after the image has been formed on the printing medium14. When the image protection layer15eis thermally transferred, the control unit24drives and controls the heating elements18aof the thermal head18in accordance with roughened pattern data stored in the control memory23, such that a roughened pattern is formed on the surface of the image protection layer15ethat has been thermally transferred to the image.

To be specific, the basic pattern40A of the roughened pattern40is previously stored in the control memory23. When the image protection layer15eis thermally transferred, the control unit24calls the basic pattern40A stored in the control memory23. By converting and correcting the basic pattern40A, the control unit24obtains the corrected pattern40B. Then, in accordance with the obtained corrected pattern40B, the control unit24drives and controls the heating elements18aof the thermal head18, so as to form the roughened pattern40on the surface of the image protection layer15ethat has been thermally transferred to the image.

Next, a control method of the printing device1as structured above is described with reference toFIG. 10. In accordance with the program stored in the control memory23, the control unit24drives and controls the printing-medium running unit12A such that the printing medium14is transferred to the position of the thermal head18(S1). In addition, in order that the yellow color material layer15b, the magenta color material layer15c, the cyanogen color material layer15dand the image protection layer15ecan be thermally transferred in this order to the transferred printing medium14, the control unit24drives and controls the sheet running unit16A such that the thermal transfer sheet15is caused to run (S2).

Then, while causing the printing medium14to run at a high speed, the control unit24drives the thermal head18in accordance with data to be printed such that the yellow color material layer15b, the magenta color material layer15c, the cyanogen color material layer15dof the thermal transfer sheet15are thermally transferred in this order at concentrations in accordance with the image data, whereby the images15bbto15ddare formed on the printing medium14(S3). Then, while the printing medium14is caused to run, the image protection layer15eis thermally transferred onto the images. At this time, the control unit24previously converts the basic pattern40A of the roughened pattern to the corrected pattern40B (S4). Based on roughened pattern data (corrected pattern40B), fine roughness (bumps and dents) are formed on the surface of the transferred image protection layer15eto form the roughened pattern40, and the glossy pattern41is formed on an area other than the roughened pattern40(S5).

In this case, the roughened pattern40formed on the image protection layer15eof the printed matter14A has the following structure. Namely, a pattern including a plurality of pixels40a,40bis referred to as basic pattern40A, in which the high-energy pixels40aand the low-energy pixels40bbetween the high-energy pixels40aare arranged like a grid. In the island portion50of the basic pattern40, the high-energy pixels40aof the inner area50B surrounded by the high-energy pixels40aforming the edge area50A are converted to the low-energy pixels40b, so that the corrected pattern40B is obtained and the roughened pattern40is formed.

According to this embodiment, in the island portion50formed of a mass of the high-energy pixels40aof the basic pattern40A, the high-energy pixels40aof the inner area50B surrounded by the high-energy pixels40aforming the edge area50A are converted to the lower-energy pixels40b, so as to obtain the corrected pattern40B. By using the corrected pattern40B, the roughened pattern40is formed on the surface of the image protection layer15e. Thus, even when there is a mass of the high-energy pixels40ain the basic pattern40, there is no possibility that thermal energy of the high-energy pixels40ain the roughened pattern40excessively increases. In addition, it is possible to maintain glossiness of the roughened pattern40as a whole, without decreasing the glossiness of the island portion50formed of the mass of the high-energy pixels40a.1Printing device11a,11bGuide roller12Drive roller13Pinch roller14Printing medium14aSubstrate14bRecipient layer14b14cBack layer15Thermal transfer sheet15aSubstrate15bto15dColor material layer15eImage protection layer16Take-up reel17Supply reel18Thermal head18aHeating element19Platen roller40Roughened pattern40A Basic pattern40B Corrected pattern40aHigh-energy pixel40bLow-energy pixel41Glossy area50Island portion50A Edge area50B Inner area surrounded by edge area