To accurately discriminate one color from the other colors in an ink ribbon while maintaining the printable domain of the ink ribbon to the maximum extent.
A rotary encoder 72 turned by friction in contact with the ink ribbon Z is arranged in a printer for making a print by conveying the ink ribbon Z repeatedly applied with inks of multiple colors and transfers the inks to a rolled paper R in the part of a thermal head 30. The number of pulses while the sensor 60 is detecting the color or the mark for discrimination at the termination applied to the ink ribbon Z is counted by a control unit 71 during the conveyance of the ink ribbon Z. According to the width of the mark, a different pulse number is acquired. Thereby, the color and the end can be discriminated correctly.
Miaki Kametani
Koji Hagiwara