(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 on 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
cassette 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
reversing the direction of movement of the inked ribbon and winding same on the other
ribbon core.
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