Patent ID: 6250824
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A thermal transfer recording method, comprising the steps of:moving a thermal head, comprising a plurality of heating elements, along a platen, while the thermal head is press-contacted against the platen, with an underlying ink transferring ink ribbon and a record sheet disposed between the thermal head and the platen; andafter repeatedly thermally transferring ink of the underlying ink transferring ink ribbon onto the record sheet in the direction of a record sheet line, ink of a recording ink ribbon is repeatedly thermally transferred onto the record sheet, which has been subjected to the underlying ink transferring operations, by the thermal head, in the direction of a record sheet line, whereby thermal transfer recording operations are carried out;wherein the underlying ink transferring operations are carried out a plurality of times layer upon layer in accordance with the properties of the record sheet to form different layer levels of underlying ink layers; andwherein boundaries between adjacent underlying ink layers, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of a record sheet line, of each layer level are formed out of line with respect to each other.