Thermal printing apparatus using intermediate medium

A thermal printing apparatus for printing a recorded picture on an image receptor, comprising:

• an intermediate medium having an endless shape;
• a color developing layer transfer member including a first base member and a color developing layer on a surface of the first base member;
• a dye layer transfer member including a second base member and a dye layer on a surface of the second base member, the dye layer containing dye;
• first means for transferring at least a part of the color developing layer from the color developing layer transfer member onto the intermediate medium in response to at least one of heat and pressure;
• second means for transferring the dye from the dye layer of the dye layer transfer member onto the color developing layer on the intermediate medium to form a recorded picture on the color developing layer in response to both heat and pressure while contacting the dye layer on the dye layer transfer member and the color developing layer on the intermediate medium with each other;
• third means for transferring the color developing layer with the recorded picture from the intermediate medium onto the image receptor;
• and
• fourth means, located at a place downstream of at least one of the first means and the second means as viewed in a direction of movement of the intermediate medium, for implementing separation between the intermediate medium and at least one of the color developing layer transfer member and the dye layer transfer member;
• wherein the fourth means comprises a releasing blade and a belt support member associated with the releasing blade, the releasing blade engaging at least one of the color developing layer transfer member and the dye layer transfer member, the belt support member supporting the intermediate medium along one of a flat plane or an outwardly-projecting plane.