A medium includes a heat-sensitive medium and an adhesive medium. The heat-sensitive medium includes a first base material and a first color-developing layer. The first base material has a transparency. The first color-developing layer has a transparency. The first color-developing layer is provided on a first surface of the first base material. The first color-developing layer is configured to become less transparent to develop a first color when heated to a first temperature or higher. The adhesive medium is to be superimposed on and bonded to the heat-sensitive medium in their thickness direction. The adhesive medium includes a second base material and an adhesive layer provided on the second base material. The adhesive medium is to be bonded to the heat-sensitive medium on an opposite side of the first color-developing layer from the first base material. The first base material has one or more images pre-printed thereon.

A medium includes: a heat-sensitive medium and an adhesive medium laminated over the heat-sensitive medium in a thickness direction thereof. The heat-sensitive medium includes a base material and a first heat-sensitive layer configured to produce a first color when heated above a first temperature. The first heat-sensitive layer is positioned between the base material and the adhesive medium in the thickness direction. The adhesive medium includes an adhesive-medium base material and an adhesive layer provided at the adhesive-medium base material. The adhesive medium defines a width greater than a width of the heat-sensitive medium in a width direction thereof crossing the thickness direction.

A printing device is configured to print a multi-layer thermal printing medium. The printing device includes a thermal head and a controller. The thermal head has a heat generating elements configured to form images on a heat sensitive multi-layer. The controller is configured to perform detecting whether a viewing direction of the heat sensitive multi-layer is a thickness direction to view from a second surface toward a first surface or a direction opposite the thickness direction to view from the first surface toward the second surface. The controller is configured to further perform creating print data to be applied to each of the heat generating elements. The created print data is such that color development states of a first color and a second color according to the detected viewing direction are differentiated from color development states of the first color and the second color according to an undetected viewing direction.

A printing device is configured to print a multi-layer thermal printing medium. The printing device includes a thermal head and a controller. The thermal head has a heat generating elements configured to form images on a heat sensitive multi-layer. The controller is configured to perform detecting whether a viewing direction of the heat sensitive multi-layer is a thickness direction to view from a second surface toward a first surface or a direction opposite the thickness direction to view from the first surface toward the second surface. The controller is configured to further perform creating print data to be applied to each of the heat generating elements. The created print data is such that color development states of a first color and a second color according to the detected viewing direction are differentiated from color development states of the first color and the second color according to an undetected viewing direction.

A reversible recording medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a reversible recording medium that includes recording layers and heat-insulating layers that are alternately stacked, in which the recording layers each include a reversible heat-sensitive color developing composition and a first light-heat converting agent. In this reversible recording medium, the recording layers are different from each other in a developing color of their respective reversible heat-sensitive color developing compositions and are different from each other in an absorption wavelength of their respective first light-heat converting agents. This reversible recording medium further includes a heat-generating layer that includes a second light-heat converting agent having an absorption wavelength that is different from the absorption wavelength of the first light-heat converting agent included in each of the recording layers.

A drawing and erasing apparatus includes a light source section that includes a plurality of laser elements different from each other in emission wavelength, a multiplexer that multiplexes a plurality of types of laser light beams outputted from the plurality of laser elements, a scanner section that performs scanning with multiplexed light outputted from the multiplexer on a reversible recording medium including a plurality of recording layers, the plurality of recording layers being reversible and different from each other in developed color hue, and a controller that controls a main scanning speed and a sub-scanning speed of the scanner section to cause the scanner section to perform overlapping scanning of a predetermined region on the reversible recording medium during erasure of information written on the reversible recording medium.

A drawing and erasing apparatus includes a light source section that includes a plurality of laser elements different from each other in emission wavelength, a multiplexer that multiplexes a plurality of types of laser light beams outputted from the plurality of laser elements, a scanner section that performs scanning with multiplexed light outputted from the multiplexer on a reversible recording medium including a plurality of recording layers, the plurality of recording layers being reversible and different from each other in developed color hue, and a controller that controls a main scanning speed and a sub-scanning speed of the scanner section to cause the scanner section to perform overlapping scanning of a predetermined region on the reversible recording medium during erasure of information written on the reversible recording medium.

A thermal transfer printer includes a first supply unit configured to supply an intermediate transfer medium in which, on one surface of a first base, a transfer layer including a receiving layer is disposed, a second supply unit configured to supply a thermal transfer sheet in which, on one of surfaces of a second base, a colorant layer and a particle layer are disposed, a printing unit configured to heat the thermal transfer sheet, to transfer a colorant from the colorant layer to the receiving layer to form an image, and to transfer the particle layer onto the receiving layer, a third supply unit configured to supply a transfer-receiving body, and a transfer unit configured to place the intermediate transfer medium and the transfer-receiving body on top of each other such that the transfer-receiving body faces the particle layer on the receiving layer, and to heat the intermediate transfer medium.

A method operates a thermal printer to print on thermal paper. A thermo-reactive layer of the paper forms a first color at a first temperature and a second color at a second, higher temperature. The printer has a printhead with heat sources arranged next to one another transversely to a paper path. The heat sources are selectively controllable. The method includes: a transport roller line by line moving the paper past the printhead; and in each line of the paper, heating selected heat sources. At points at which the second color is formed on the paper, a plurality of adjacent heat sources is heated to a printing temperature. At points at which the first color is to be formed on the paper, a portion of a plurality of the adjacent heat sources is heated to the printing temperature, and the other portion of the adjacent heat sources is not heated.

A method operates a thermal printer to print on thermal paper. A thermo-reactive layer of the paper forms a first color at a first temperature and a second color at a second, higher temperature. The printer has a printhead with heat sources arranged next to one another transversely to a paper path. The heat sources are selectively controllable. The method includes: a transport roller line by line moving the paper past the printhead; and in each line of the paper, heating selected heat sources. At points at which the second color is formed on the paper, a plurality of adjacent heat sources is heated to a printing temperature. At points at which the first color is to be formed on the paper, a portion of a plurality of the adjacent heat sources is heated to the printing temperature, and the other portion of the adjacent heat sources is not heated.