Thermal printer, thermal printing method and conveyor for recording material

A color thermal printer for recording a full-color image to color thermosensitive recording material, said recording material including a support, and at least first, second and third thermosensitive coloring layers, overlaid on said support, for developing respective colors being different from one another, wherein said first coloring layer is disposed at a recording surface, said third coloring layer is disposed most deeply from said recording surface, and said first and second coloring layers have fixability to electromagnetic rays of respectively first and second ranges of wavelength, said color thermal printer comprising:

• a printer casing;
• a conveyor disposed in said printer casing for conveying said recording material along a conveying path;
• a thermal head disposed under said conveying path and capable of contacting said recording surface of said recording material while said recording surface is directed downwards and for heating said at least first, second and third coloring layers serially to develop said colors while said recording material is conveyed along the conveying path, said thermal head effecting thermal recording of said full-color image in a frame-sequential manner;
• a fixer disposed under said conveying path and said recording surface for emitting electromagnetic rays of first and second ranges of wavelength to optically fix said first and second coloring layers;
• and
• an insertion opening formed in said printer casing and connected to said conveying path, wherein said insertion opening is adapted to receive said recording material inserted therethrough into said printer casing with said recording surface directed downwards.

A color thermal printing method of recording a full-color image to color thermosensitive recording material, said recording material including a support, and at least first, second and third thermosensitive coloring layers, overlaid on said support, for developing respective colors being different from one another, wherein said first coloring layer is disposed at a recording surface, said third coloring layer is disposed most deeply from said recording surface, and said first and second coloring layers have fixability to electromagnetic rays of respectively first and second ranges of wavelength, said color thermal printing method comprising steps of:

• conveying said recording material along a substantially linear conveying path with said recording surface of said recording material directed downwards;
• heating said at least first, second and third coloring layers serially to develop said colors by use of a thermal head oriented upwards while said recording material is conveyed, for effecting thermal recording of said full-color image in a frame-sequential manner;
• and
• emitting electromagnetic rays of first and second ranges of wavelength upwards serially while said recording material is conveyed, to fix said first and second coloring layers optically.

A color thermal printing method of recording a full-color image to color thermosensitive recording material, said recording material including a support, and at least first, second and third thermosensitive coloring layers, overlaid on said support, for developing respective colors being different from one another, wherein said first coloring layer is disposed at a recording surface, said third coloring layer is disposed most deeply from said recording surface, and said first and second coloring layers have fixability to electromagnetic rays of respectively first and second ranges of wavelength, said color thermal printing method comprising steps of:

• conveying said recording material along a conveying path with said recording surface of said recording material directed downwards;
• heating said at least first, second and third coloring layers serially to develop said colors by use of a thermal head oriented upwards while said recording material is conveyed, for effecting thermal recording of said full-color image in a frame-sequential manner;
• and
• emitting electromagnetic rays of first and second ranges of wavelength upwards serially while said recording material is conveyed, to fix said first and second coloring layers optically;
• supplying said conveying path with said recording material from an outside with said recording surface of said recording material directed downwards;
• and
• after said thermal recording and said optical fixation, ejecting said recording material to said outside with said recording surface of said recording material directed downwards.