Abstract: A serial type thermal printer for printing while moving a carriage. The printer includes two thermal heads mounted on the carriage and arranged axially of a platen roller. Two ink film cassettes are arranged side by side on the carriage to be associated with the two thermal heads, respectively. A two-direction printing is effected where one of the thermal heads is pressed upon the platen roller during a forward movement of the carriage and the other head is pressed upon the platen roller during a backward movement thereof. A two-color or multicolor printing is carried out without changing the ink film cassettes where the cassettes contain ink films of different colors.

Abstract: A paper feed device includes a paper cassette with separating pawls which can be detachably mounted on the paper feed section of an apparatus body. The separating pawls are retractable out of a sheet-separating position in response to detachment of the cassette from the paper feed section, and positionable into a sheet-separating position in response to mounting of the cassette on the paper feed section.