THERMAL TRANSFER COLOR RECORDING APPARATUS AND RECORDING METHOD

摘要

: A thermal transfer color recording apparatus comprises a transfer sheet in which a plurality of color inks adapted to be thermally transferred are arrayed in a large number of regions, and a thermal head in which a plurality of heat generating elements adapted to generate heat in response to a picture recording signal are arrayed in the form of a line. The transfer sheet and a recording medium are placed together and conveyed in a forward or reverse direction by a plate roller while being pressed by the thermal head. Only the transfer sheet is conveyed without depression of the thermal head. When the transfer sheet and the recording medium are conveyed in the forward or reverse direction by the platen roller while being depressed by the thermal head. A picture recording signal corresponding to each color is applied to the thermal head. As a result, a plurality of colors of the inks are registered and transferred on the recording medium in succession and as a single-color unit, so that a color picture is recorded. The invention enables the process to be carried out in a shorter time than hitherto and achieves better accuracy.