Patent ID: 7116355

Claim:
An instant printer comprising an exposure device for projecting printing light based on image data, and a pair of spread rollers, wherein the instant printer records a latent image in an exposure area of a predetermined size on an instant film that includes a processing fluid, by exposing the instant film to the printing light, and develops the latent image into a positive image by spreading the processing fluid over the exposed instant film through the spread rollers, characterized in that: the exposure device comprises a printing head for projecting the printing light linearly along a main scan direction, and a scanning mechanism for moving the printing head relative to the instant film in a sub scan direction perpendicular to the main scan direction, wherein an illumination range of the printing light by the printing head is longer in the main scan direction than a length in the main scan direction of the exposure area, whereas a sub scanning range by the scanning mechanism is longer than a length in the sub scan direction of the exposure area.