Patent ID: 6480217
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: B41J,B41M

Abstract:
A printer comprising:a thermal head including an image-formation ink ribbon, an underlying layer ink ribbon, a light-shielding layer ink ribbon, and a plurality of heating elements disposed in a row; and controlling means for controlling an operation of each of the image-formation ink ribbon, the underlying layer ink ribbon, the light-shielding layer ink ribbon, and the heating elements; wherein the melt viscosity at 160Â° C. of the underlying layer ink of the underlying layer ink ribbon is lower than the melt viscosity at 160Â° C. of the image-formation ink of the image-formation ink ribbon used to form an image with ink; and wherein the controlling means is constructed so that, at least during printing, first, the image-formation ink ribbon is selected, and, based on print information, the heating elements of the thermal head are selectively driven in order to thermally transfer image-formation ink of the image-formation ink ribbon within an image-formation area of a print medium, causing an image which is a mirror image formed with ink to be printed, after which, by selecting the underlying layer ink ribbon and driving the heating elements of the thermal head, underlying layer ink is thermally transferred onto a surface of the image on the print medium and at least a surface of a blank space section within the image-formation area of the print medium, causing the surface within the image-formation area of the print medium to be subjected to underlying layer printing in order to cover the surface within the image-formation area of the print medium with the underlying layer ink, after which, by selecting the light-shielding layer ink ribbon and driving the heating elements of the thermal head, light-shielding layer ink is thermally transferred onto the surface of the print medium that has been subjected to the underlying layer printing, causing the surface of the print medium that has been subjected to the underlying layer printing to be subjected to light-shielding layer printing in order to cover the surface of the print medium that has been subjected to the underlying layer printing with the light-shielding layer ink.