Thermal head and printer

A thermal head that presses against thermal paper that moves from one side to the other side and prints by melting dye agents contained in the thermal paper, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a heat storage layer formed on the substrate for storing input heat;
• and
• a heating element for melting a dye agent contained in the thermal paper by selectively heating the thermal paper;
• wherein the heating element is formed on the heat storage layer, and is disposed at a position offset to one side from the center of the heat storage layer.

A printer comprising:

• a thermal head;
• and
• a roller that is disposed opposite the thermal head with the paper therebetween and conveys the paper;
• wherein the roller is disposed so that the position where a perpendicular to the substrate of the thermal head passing through the axial center of the roller intersects the thermal head is located on the downstream side in the paper transportation direction from the position where the heating element is formed.

A printer comprising:

• a thermal head that prints by melting dye agents contained in thermal paper;
• and
• a roller that is disposed opposite the thermal head with the thermal paper therebetween and conveys the thermal paper;
• wherein the thermal head includes
• a substrate;
• a heat storage layer formed on a part of the substrate for storing input heat;
• and
• a heating element formed on the heat storage layer for melting a dye agent contained in the thermal paper;
• and
• the length in the thermal paper transportation direction from the heating element to the end of the heat storage layer is 1.5 mm or more.