A thermal transfer printing apparatus including a feed roll feeding an ink ribbon during forward rotation, a thermal head performing a printing process that involves thermally transferring a color material onto first printing paper using the ink ribbon fed by the feed roll, and a recovery roll winding up the used ink ribbon during forward rotation, the used ink ribbon being the ink ribbon that has been subjected to the thermal transfer. After the feed roll and the recovery roll are rotated backward to rewind the used ink ribbon onto the feed roll, the used ink ribbon is fed from the feed roll and a color material is thermally transferred by the thermal head onto second printing paper based on a disturbance pattern. Because the disturbance pattern is superimposed on a residual image remaining on the ink ribbon, it is possible to prevent leakage of the residual image.