A tape cartridge or the like which can be pulled out of a cartridge loading section while maintaining a loading posture is to be provided. A tape cartridge is configured to be able to be loaded in and unloaded from a tape printing device. The tape cartridge includes a tab portion which is gripped at least at the time of unloading. The tab portion is arranged at or near a position where pull-out resistance due to unloading is balanced within a plane intersecting with an unloading direction.

A tape cartridge or the like which can be pulled out of a cartridge loading section while maintaining a loading posture is to be provided. A tape cartridge is configured to be able to be loaded in and unloaded from a tape printing device. The tape cartridge includes a tab portion which is gripped at least at the time of unloading. The tab portion is arranged at or near a position where pull-out resistance due to unloading is balanced within a plane intersecting with an unloading direction.

To stabilize image quality of a printed image. A thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a thermal head and a platen roll and forms an image on printing paper by causing the thermal head to heat an ink ribbon including a plurality of consecutive ink layers, each of which includes sequential panels of a yellow layer, a magenta layer, and a cyan layer and thereby transfer ink while transporting, between the thermal head and the platen roll, the ink ribbon and the printing paper that are superimposed on each other. The thermal transfer printing apparatus includes a sensor that detects ink content of the ink layers and a controller that controls energy applied to the thermal head during image formation on a basis of a result of the detection of the sensor.

To stabilize image quality of a printed image. A thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a thermal head and a platen roll and forms an image on printing paper by causing the thermal head to heat an ink ribbon including a plurality of consecutive ink layers, each of which includes sequential panels of a yellow layer, a magenta layer, and a cyan layer and thereby transfer ink while transporting, between the thermal head and the platen roll, the ink ribbon and the printing paper that are superimposed on each other. The thermal transfer printing apparatus includes a sensor that detects ink content of the ink layers and a controller that controls energy applied to the thermal head during image formation on a basis of a result of the detection of the sensor.

A printer performs printing on a thermosensitive medium including a plurality of color developing layers including a first layer developing a first color and a second layer developing a second color. The printer includes a head and a control device performing a printing control including outputting a signal pattern based on post-conversion image data converted from pre-conversion image data to cause a plurality of heat generation elements of the head to selectively generate heat while controlling conveyance of the thermosensitive medium. In the converting, when target dots containing the second color is included in the plurality of dots in the pre-conversion image data, the control device converts a color of conversion dots to a conversion color containing the color developed by any one of the plurality of color developing layers.

A printer performs printing on a thermosensitive medium including a plurality of color developing layers including a first layer developing a first color and a second layer developing a second color. The printer includes a head and a control device performing a printing control including outputting a signal pattern based on post-conversion image data converted from pre-conversion image data to cause a plurality of heat generation elements of the head to selectively generate heat while controlling conveyance of the thermosensitive medium. In the converting, when target dots containing the second color is included in the plurality of dots in the pre-conversion image data, the control device converts a color of conversion dots to a conversion color containing the color developed by any one of the plurality of color developing layers.

A thermal transfer sheet is provided, which can be produced with enhanced working efficiency and is identifiable, and a thermal transfer printing device which uses the thermal transfer sheet is also provided. The thermal transfer sheet includes a substrate, and a yellow dye layer, a magenta dye layer and a cyan dye layer disposed on the substrate. An interval between the yellow dye layer and the magenta dye layer is different from an interval between the magenta dye layer and the cyan dye layer. Alternatively, the yellow dye layer and the magenta dye layer overlap partially, and the magenta dye layer and the cyan dye layer overlap partially. The transfer printing device identifies the type of the thermal transfer sheet based on the interval between the dye layers or the widths of the overlaps.

A thermal transfer sheet is provided, which can be produced with enhanced working efficiency and is identifiable, and a thermal transfer printing device which uses the thermal transfer sheet is also provided. The thermal transfer sheet includes a substrate, and a yellow dye layer, a magenta dye layer and a cyan dye layer disposed on the substrate. An interval between the yellow dye layer and the magenta dye layer is different from an interval between the magenta dye layer and the cyan dye layer. Alternatively, the yellow dye layer and the magenta dye layer overlap partially, and the magenta dye layer and the cyan dye layer overlap partially. The transfer printing device identifies the type of the thermal transfer sheet based on the interval between the dye layers or the widths of the overlaps.

An image generation control unit generates a connection image indicating a plurality of print target images. The connection image is an image for being printed using a first region for being used in the n-th printing processing and a second region for being used in the (n+1)-th printing processing. An image processing unit generates a first image for being printed using the first region and a second image for being printed using the second region.

A thermal transfer sheet which can be produced with enhanced working efficiency and is identifiable, and a thermal transfer printing device which uses the thermal transfer sheet are provided. A thermal transfer sheet 5 includes a substrate 50, and a yellow dye layer 51, a magenta dye layer 52 and a cyan dye layer 53 disposed on the substrate 50. An interval between the yellow dye layer 51 and the magenta dye layer 52 is different from an interval between the magenta dye layer 52 and the cyan dye layer 53. Alternatively, the yellow dye layer 51 and the magenta dye layer 52 overlap partially, and the magenta dye layer 52 and the cyan dye layer 53 overlap partially. The transfer printing device identifies the type of the thermal transfer sheet 5 based on the interval between the dye layers or the widths of the overlaps.