PURPOSE: To enable control of the amount of a coloring matter transferred through sublimation, prevent thermal decomposition of the coloring matter during transfer recording and enhance preservability, by varying the energy supplied to a thermal head at the time of thermal transfer of a specified tricyanovinyl red coloring matter.

CONSTITUTION: A red coloring matter for thermal sublimation transfer is a compound of the formula, wherein R is acetylamino, propionylamino, methanesulfonylamino, maleido, succinimido, substd. or unsubstd. benzoylamino, phthalimido or 2,3-naphthalimido. The coloring matter have favorable solubility in organic solvents and favorable dispersibility in water, so that it is easy to prepare therefrom an ink in a high concentration in which the coloring matter is uniformly dissolved or dispersed. As a result, recording with a favorable color density can be achieved.