Printer with detachably mountable ink ribbon cassette

Abstract

A printer system using a cassette housing therein printing ribbon is provided. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cassette provided with an electrically conductive sheet for preventing the cassette from accumulating charge. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal printing process in which a heat-sensitive ink ribbon is separated away from a recording medium while the ink is still half-melted thereby allowing to prevent a printed image from becoming reflective. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer system in which a printing ribbon is extended as inclined with respect to a recording medium such that the printing ribbon is separated farther away from the recording medium in a printing direction. In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal printer system which can set a desired mode of printing operation, depending on with or without using printing ribbon, automatically by detecting the presence or absence of the printing ribbon in position.