Patent ID: 6648526
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing apparatus for printing a recording medium and an intermediate transfer medium, comprising:a supply portion for storing the recoding medium, recording medium transport means disposed adjacent to the supply portion and having a transport path for transporting the recording medium from the supply portion along the transport path, at least one first printing means arranged on the transport path and having a thermal transfer film with an ink layer, said at least one first printing means forming an image on one of the recording medium and the intermediate transfer medium through the thermal transfer film, thermal transfer film transport means attached to the thermal transfer film for transporting the same, second printing means arranged on the transport path of the recording medium transport means for transferring the image formed on the intermediate transfer medium to a same or different recording medium, intermediate transfer medium transport means disposed adjacent to the second printing means for moving the intermediate transfer medium back and forth relative to the second printing means, and control means electrically connected to the recording medium transport means, the first printing means, the thermal transfer film transport means, the second printing means, and the intermediate transfer medium transport means for controlling the printing apparatus so that an image formation by the second printing means is performed parallel to a transfer operation of the thermal transfer film at a time of an image formation by the first printing means.