PURPOSE: To provide a thermal transfer recording apparatus capable of keeping a secret by discarding a printed ink ribbon as it is.

CONSTITUTION: A thermal printing head 23 is revolved to the central part of a thermal transfer recording apparatus from the rear thereof to enter the opening of an ink ribbon cartridge 10. A paper feed roll 26 is rotated in the direction shown by an arrow D to feed the paper P of a paper feed cassette 27 in the direction shown by a arrow E and a platen roll 25 holds the paper P and an ink ribbon 11 along with the thermal printing head 23 and is rotated in the direction shown by an arrow F to feed the paper P. The thermal printing head 23 brings the ink ribbon 11 into contact with the paper P under pressure and selectively operates heating elements to transfer (print) the ink of the ink ribbon 11 to the paper P. A take-up reel 13 is rotated in the direction shown by an arrow H to take up the printed ink ribbon 11 so that the ink coating surface thereof becomes inside. A heater 22 comes into contact with the peripheral surface of the printed ink ribbon 11 to equally melt the residual ink and transfers the molten ink to the rear surface (ink uncoated surface) of the printed ink ribbon 11 to agitate a residual reversal image.