Printer

In a printer of the heat-sensitive transfer type having a platen for holding a printing paper thereon, a printing head supported on a carriage movable along the platen in a horizontal plane, an ink ribbon cassette for supplying an ink ribbon to a printing position in contact with the printing head for thermally transferring ink from the ink ribbon to the printing paper,

• the improvement comprising:
• said ink ribbon cassette being arranged horizontally and provided with a supply spool having the ink ribbon wound on its core with its width oriented in an upright direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, a take-up spool for winding the ink ribbon on its core with its width oriented in the upright direction, and guide means including a first sloped guide roller for guiding the ink ribbon from the supply spool and turning it to run upward in the upright direction, a first reversing roller for reversing the ink ribbon to run from upward to downward in the upright direction, a first turning tensile roller for turning the downward running ink ribbon from the first reversing roller to run in the horizontal direction toward the printing position and for tensioning the same, a second turning tensile roller for turning the horizontal running ink ribbon from the printing position to run upward in the upright direction and for tensioning the same, a second reversing roller for reversing the ink ribbon to run from upward to downward in the upright direction, and a second sloped guide roller for turning the downward running ink ribbon so that its width is oriented in the upright direction and guiding the ink ribbon to the take-up spool;
• and
• ink ribbon peeling means around the printing head carried together on the carriage with the printing head for sequentially peeling off the portion of the ink ribbon which has been used for printing from the printing paper.