PURPOSE: To realize the formation and erasure of a recording image within a short time, in a recording method utilizing the color forming reaction between an electron donating color forming compd. and an electron acceptive compd., by providing a process heating a recording medium to temp. higher than room temp. before a color forming recording process or a recording erasing process.

CONSTITUTION: In a reversible thermal recording medium having a recording layer 2 containing an electron donating color forming compd. (color former) and an electron acceptive compd. (coupler), in an image forming process, the reversible thermal recording medium is heated to temp. equal to or higher than T1 by a thermal head to heat and melt the coupler and the color former to form a developed color compsn. In an image erasing process, the reversible thermal recording medium is heated to the temp. between T0-T1 by a heating roller 5 and the coupler molecule is separated from the developed color compsn. to be crystallized to erase an image. In this case, a process for preheating the recording medium immediately before heat is applied to the recording medium by the thermal head 4 is provided and, by this process, the recording medium is heated to predetermined temp. within a short time to obtain a recording image of high resolving power.