In laser dye transfer printing, the small laser spot provides high resolution, but the printing speed is relatively low compared to that of thermal head printing, in which a large number of dots can be recorded simultaneously. To shorten the printing time, a compact high-power Nd:YAG laser is used for the light source in our printing system. We have developed a practical laser dye transfer printing system with a newly developed Nd:YAG laser and compact optical head. Printing characteristics with a short pulse, of the order of 1 ms, are evaluated in this printing system. As a result, continuous-tone printing with a pulse of 2 μs is feasible when laser power is 1.0 W, indicating a significant advance in printing speeds. The transfer efficiency as a function of pulse width has a peak that can be observed. A thick ink layer produces aximum optical density, although a reduction in efficiency results from increasing the layer thickness. Good halftone printing is also performed using this system.