Patent ID: 8536088

Claim:
A method to form an image comprising the steps of: (a) conveying a recording medium in one direction; (b) moving a thermal transfer sheet in the one direction, the thermal transfer sheet including a first ribbon-shaped substrate sheet, a dye layer operable to form an image when thermally transferred onto a surface of the recording medium, and a protective material layer operable to form a protective layer to protect the image when thermally transferred onto the surface of the image formed on the surface of the recording medium, the dye layer and the protective material layer arranged side-by-side on the first ribbon-shaped substrate sheet in a longitudinal direction of the first ribbon-shaped substrate sheet; (c) applying thermal energy by using a thermal head while arranging the recording medium to face the dye layer of the thermal transfer sheet so as to thermally transfer the dye layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto the surface of the recording medium to form an image; (d) applying thermal energy by using the thermal head while arranging the image formed on the recording medium to face the protective material layer of the thermal transfer sheet so as to thermally transfer the protective material layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto the image formed on the recording medium and to form a protective layer on the image; (e) moving a surface-property-modifying sheet including a second ribbon-shaped substrate sheet and a surface-property-modifying region operable to modify a surface condition of the protective layer protecting the image formed on the recording medium, the surface-property-modifying region arranged on the second ribbon-shaped substrate sheet in the longitudinal direction of the second ribbon-shaped substrate sheet; and (f) aligning the protective layer formed on the image on the recording medium with the surface-property-modifying region of the surface-property-modifying sheet, applying heat and pressure by using the thermal head, and detaching the surface-property-modifying sheet after cooling so as to modify the surface condition of the protective layer, wherein the surface-property-modifying sheet has an opening for printing so that the thermal transfer sheet is operable to directly contact the surface of the recording medium through the opening.