PURPOSE: To record an excellent full-color image by transferring the thermal transfer colorant of a thermal transfer sheet to an intermediate transfer recording medium by a thermal head heated corresponding to image data and transferring this image to an optical disk by a heating means.
CONSTITUTION: In a thermal transfer recording apparatus 1, an intermediate transfer medium 21 is fed by a feed means 2 and a thermal transfer sheet 31 is fed by the feed means. An image A is formed on the intermediate transfer recording medium 21 in an image forming part 6 and transferred to an optical disk 41 in an image receiving layer transfer part 9. Herein, the intermediate transfer medium 21 and the thermal transfer sheet 31 are brought to a pressure contact state by the thermal head 7 and platen 8 of the image forming part 6 so that an image receiving layer 23 and a colorant layer 33 are superposed one upon another. The thermal head 7 is heated corresponding to image data and the thermal transfer colorant of the colorant layer 33 is transferred to the image receiving layer 23 to form the image A. Thereafter, the thermal head 10 and platen 11 of the image receiving layer transfer part 9 are used to transfer the image A to the optical disk 41 along with the image receiving layer 23.
KITA TATSUYA
UENO TAKASHI
Next Patent: THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTER AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD