PURPOSE: To beautifully and easily perform curved surface application, to prevent the damage of a press film by heating and to prevent the generation of application irregularity or the warpage of a work to the utmost by uniform and rapid heating.

CONSTITUTION: The work 4 placed and fixed on the upper surface of a working table 1 is covered with a transfer film 5 through an adhesive and the transfer film 5 is heated by a heating device while brought into contact with the entire surface of the work 4 through a press film 8 made of rubber to thermally transfer the transfer foil printed on the transfer film 5 to the work 4. In the thermal transfer apparatus thus constituted, the heating device is constituted of a pair of the electrodes 20, 21 arranged so as to hold the work 4 from above and below and a transmitter 22 applying high frequency voltage to the electrodes 20, 21.