There is provided a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet which has
dyeability high enough to realize high-speed printing and low-energy
printing, permits a protective layer to be thermally transferred onto an
image formed on the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, is free from
heat fusing to a thermal transfer sheet at the time of image formation on
the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, and has satisfactory
separability from the thermal transfer sheet. The thermal transfer
image-receiving sheet comprises: a substrate sheet; and a receptive layer
provided on at least one side of the substrate sheet, said receptive layer
comprising at least a combination of a cellulose ester resin (A) having a
degree of acetylation of 10 to 30% with a cellulose ester resin (B) having
a degree of acetylation of less than 6%, the total degree of acetylation
of the cellulose ester resin (A) and the cellulose ester resin (B) being 8
to 14%, the content of hydroxyl groups in the cellulose ester resin (A)
and the content of hydroxyl groups in the cellulose ester resin (B) each
being not more than 6% by weight, the remaining hydroxyl groups having
been esterified with an organic acid excluding acetic acid. By virtue of
the above construction, the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet can
realize printing of an image thereon with high dyeability at a high speed,
has excellent separability from a thermal transfer sheet, is free from
smudge and blurring derived from plasticizers, and permits a protective
layer to be adhered onto the receptive layer.
