Patent ID: 8012908

Claim:
A method of forming an image, which method uses: a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet which has, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing a latex polymer comprising repeating units of vinyl chloride component and at least one heat insulation layer containing hollow polymeric particles, and a heat-sensitive transfer sheet which has a transfer layer containing a thermally transferable color material; which method comprises the steps of: superposing the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet upon the heat-sensitive transfer sheet, so that the transfer layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet and the receptor layer of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet are brought into face-to-face contact with each other, and applying a thermal energy according to image signals thereto from a thermal head, and continuously producing printed outputs on the thermal transfer image-receiving sheets at intervals of 5 seconds or below between the end of ejection of one sheet printed and the start of ejection of the next sheet printed.