(57) @ A thermal transfer printer including a platen supporting a printing sheet, a carriage
mounted for reciprocatory movement axially of the platen, a thermal head supported
by the carriage, a plurality of heat generating elements mounted in the thermal head,
an inked ribbon cassette detachably attached to the carriage, a pair of ribbon cores
located in the inked ribbon cassette for rotation, and an inked ribbon wound on the
pair of ribbon cores and extending therebetween. Printing of characters, symbols,
etc., is performed on the printing sheet on the platen as the thermal head forces
the inked ribbon against the printing sheet to transfer ink from the inked ribbon
to the printing sheet by heat generated by the heat generating elements. The inked
ribbon has a printing zone of a size large enough to accommodate two lines of characters,
symbols, etc., one line superposed above the other, whereby one half-portion of the
printing zone is used for printing characters, symbols, etc., along one line to the
end of the inked ribbon by moving the inked ribbon as it is wound on one of the pair
of ribbon cores and the other half-portion of the printing zone is used, after the
inked ribbon is turned over following completion of printing on the one half-portion
of the printing zone, for printing characters, symbols, etc., along the other line
while winding the inked ribbon on the other ribbon core. The inked ribbon is formed
with a ribbon end mark at either end portion of the printing zone which is sensed
by a ribbon sensor for monitoring the inked ribbon.
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