Abstract: An ink switching cam (40) is rotated interlockingly with forward/reverse rotation of a head driving motor at all times to swing a cassette support member (20). Accordingly, ink belts can be switched with a simple construction without using a solenoid or the like. By setting a movable area of the ink switching cam (40) to be within one rotation, the operations of a print head (10) and the ink switching cam (40) which are interlocked with the forward/reverse rotation of the head driving motor can be simply associated with each other.

Abstract: According to the thermal transfer printer, a plurality of cassette holder plates each for holding ribbon cassettes stacked in plural stages are arranged side by side on a holding cover on the side opposed to a carriage, a fixed holding arm for holding the ribbon cassettes and a movable holding arm for pressing the ribbon cassettes toward the fixed holding arm are disposed respectively on both sides of each cassette holder plate of the holding cover, holding guides are erected on the holding cover at positions corresponding to ribbon cores of the ribbon cassettes in such a manner as to extend through the cassette holder plate, and a holding arm for holding the peripheral edge portion of one ribbon core of each ribbon cassette is formed integrally with one holding guide, while ribs for engagement with the other ribbon core of the ribbon cassette are formed on the other holding guide.