THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTER APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a printing with an appropriate color developing characteristics by correcting for example, fluctuation of color development of a thermal transfer ribbon caused by difference in manufacturing lots, change in the color developing characteristics of the ribbon caused by change with time, and fluctuation of the color of a printed article depending on difference in machines of a thermal transfer printer apparatus. SOLUTION: A non-volatile memory 5 stores color gradation data for reference prepared in advance, and a CPU 7 prints the color gradation data in the memory 5 on a photographic paper. Blocks 1 and 2 obtain color information by a reflected light obtained by irradiating the photographic paper after printing with a light. The CPU 7 compares a relation of sizes of a gradation value expected from the color gradation data in the memory 5 with a gradation value obtained from the color information, and based on the difference, corrects a control strobe pulse of a thermal head 3 or corrects the image data before printing. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT