Printing apparatus

A printing apparatus configured to transfer a transfer layer from a thermal transfer ribbon having a substrate and the transfer layer to a transfer target medium, the transfer layer including a release layer in contact with the substrate and a resin layer including a hardening resin and in contact with the release layer, comprising:

• a head mechanism including a thermal head;
• a ribbon conveyance unit that defines a conveyance path of the thermal transfer ribbon and conveys the thermal transfer ribbon along the conveyance path of the thermal transfer ribbon;
• and
• a medium conveyance unit that defines a conveyance path of the transfer target medium and conveys the transfer target medium along the conveyance path of the transfer target medium,
• wherein
• each of the conveyance path of the thermal transfer ribbon and the conveyance path of the transfer target medium includes a transfer position and a peeling position downstream of the transfer position, the transfer position being a position where the thermal transfer ribbon overlaid on the transfer target medium is subjected to heat and pressure from the thermal head, the peeling position being a position where the thermal transfer ribbon starts to be peeled away from the transfer target medium,
• a peeling angle formed by a direction in which the thermal transfer ribbon is conveyed from the peeling position and a direction in which the transfer target medium is conveyed from the peeling position is 2° or more and 30° or less, and
• the ribbon conveyance unit comprises a path definition member configured to contact the thermal transfer ribbon at a position downstream of the transfer position to define the direction in which the thermal transfer ribbon is conveyed and thereby to define the peeling angle,
• the path definition member is connected to a part of the head mechanism other than the thermal head, wherein the hardening resin is a photosetting resin or a thermosetting resin.