There is provided a thermal transfer sheet which can impart excellent durability to images formed on bases, and printed objects bearing images with excellent durability. The thermal transfer sheet has a releasable protective laminate prepared by laminating a protective layer composed mainly of solvent-insoluble organic fine particles and a binder resin, and an adhesive layer in that order on at least a portion of one side of a base sheet, and the printed objects are formed by transferring the protective laminate by the thermal transfer sheet so as to cover at least a portion of an image formed on a base by a heat-sensitive sublimation transfer system.