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.

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.

An object is to improve image quality in panoramic printing using a thermal printer. The thermal printer includes a seam shape calculator and a controller. The seam shape calculator determines the position and shape of a seam between images on the basis of an index of inconspicuousness to human eyes, in panorama printing where a panoramic image longer than a specified printing size is divided into the images as small as or smaller than the printing size, and is printed multiple times so that the images are joined to each other. The controller controls a printing medium, an ink ribbon, and a thermal head so that the images divided based on the position and shape of the seam are thermally transferred onto respective continuous regions of the printing medium using unit printing regions of the ink ribbon, so as to be joined to each other.

An object is to improve image quality in panoramic printing using a thermal printer. The thermal printer includes a seam shape calculator and a controller. The seam shape calculator determines the position and shape of a seam between images on the basis of an index of inconspicuousness to human eyes, in panorama printing where a panoramic image longer than a specified printing size is divided into the images as small as or smaller than the printing size, and is printed multiple times so that the images are joined to each other. The controller controls a printing medium, an ink ribbon, and a thermal head so that the images divided based on the position and shape of the seam are thermally transferred onto respective continuous regions of the printing medium using unit printing regions of the ink ribbon, so as to be joined to each other.

An object is to improve image quality in panoramic printing using a thermal printer. The thermal printer includes a seam shape calculator and a controller. The seam shape calculator determines the position and shape of a seam between images on the basis of an index of inconspicuousness to human eyes, in panorama printing where a panoramic image longer than a specified printing size is divided into the images as small as or smaller than the printing size, and is printed multiple times so that the images are joined to each other. The controller controls a printing medium, an ink ribbon, and a thermal head so that the images divided based on the position and shape of the seam are thermally transferred onto respective continuous regions of the printing medium using unit printing regions of the ink ribbon, so as to be joined to each other.

An object is to improve image quality in panoramic printing using a thermal printer. The thermal printer includes a seam shape calculator and a controller. The seam shape calculator determines the position and shape of a seam between images on the basis of an index of inconspicuousness to human eyes, in panorama printing where a panoramic image longer than a specified printing size is divided into the images as small as or smaller than the printing size, and is printed multiple times so that the images are joined to each other. The controller controls a printing medium, an ink ribbon, and a thermal head so that the images divided based on the position and shape of the seam are thermally transferred onto respective continuous regions of the printing medium using unit printing regions of the ink ribbon, so as to be joined to each other.

A non-transitory storage medium stores instructions readable by an information processing apparatus. The instructions cause the information processing apparatus to: obtain a type of a printer; obtain a combination between a type of a printing medium and a color of a coloring agent for printing of a code; determine whether the obtained combination is included in a first combination or whether the obtained combination is included in a second combination; and output an alert message when the obtained combination is included in the second combination or not included in the first combination. A combination between the color and the type of the printing medium printable by the printer of the obtained type includes the first combination in which a probability of reading of the code is a first value and the second combination in which the probability is a second value less than the first value.

A non-transitory storage medium stores instructions readable by an information processing apparatus. The instructions cause the information processing apparatus to: obtain a type of a printer; obtain a combination between a type of a printing medium and a color of a coloring agent for printing of a code; determine whether the obtained combination is included in a first combination or whether the obtained combination is included in a second combination; and output an alert message when the obtained combination is included in the second combination or not included in the first combination. A combination between the color and the type of the printing medium printable by the printer of the obtained type includes the first combination in which a probability of reading of the code is a first value and the second combination in which the probability is a second value less than the first value.

A transfer printing device includes a transfer ribbon, a print unit, a mark sensor and a controller. The transfer ribbon includes a transfer layer that is attached to a carrier layer. The transfer layer includes a series of transfer sections. The controller is configured to perform a print operation, in which a transfer section that is available for printing is selected by detecting an absence of a used mark in a predetermined position on the transfer ribbon corresponding to the transfer section using the mark sensor. An image is printed to the selected transfer section and a used mark is printed on the transfer ribbon using the print unit. At least a portion of the used mark is in a predetermined position relative to the selected transfer section and is outside the selected transfer section.