Image forming apparatus and method, and transferring medium cassette

摘要

In an image forming apparatus using an indirect transferring method, an ink ribbon is selectively heated by a thermal head, in a state where an intermediate transfer film and the ink ribbon are put one on the other on a platen roller, so that a record-image is formed as a mirror image on an image-forming layer of the intermediate transfer film. Then, the intermediate transfer film and a target object are supplied with heat and pressure between a heating roller and a pressure roller, so that the record-image is transferred along with the image-forming layer of the intermediate transfer film to the target object. The intermediate transfer film and the ink ribbon are respectively accommodated in cassettes detachably mounted in the apparatus, and are used for forming the record-image while being fed from the cassettes.