a method of producing a thermal transfer image recording sheet is provided including the steps bonding a surface of a substrate sheet to a plastic film through a layer of a polymeric binder having a glass transition temperature of 50 ° c . or less to form a first laminate ; heat setting the first laminate under pressure at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature of the polymeric binder layer to remove stress from the finished thermal transfer image recording sheet ; and forming a thermal transfer image - receiving layer on an exposed surface of the plastic film to produce the thermal transfer image recording sheet . a method of producing a thermal transfer image recording sheet is also provided including the steps bonding a surface of a substrate sheet to a plastic film through a layer of a polymeric binder having a glass transition temperature of 50 ° c . or less to form a first laminate ; forming a thermal transfer image - receiving layer on an exposed surface of the plastic film to form a thermal transfer image recording sheet ; and heat setting the thermal transfer image recording sheet under pressure at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature of the polymeric binder layer to remove remaining stress from the finished thermal transfer image recording sheet .