PRINTER

PURPOSE:To rapidly and accurately make the interval between paper and a printing head constant regardless of the thickness of the paper by operating a printing head to advance the same until a paper position detection signal is outputted from a touch sensor and retracting the printing head by a predetermined retraction quantity after the output of the paper position detection signal. CONSTITUTION:In such a case that paper P is inserted, an advance control means controls the driving of a gap adjusting means 11 to allow the printing head 5 to advance toward a platen 2 along with a paper guide 6. When a touch switch 21 comes into contact with the paper P with the advance operation of the printing head 5, a paper position detection signal is outputted from the touch sensor 21. The advance control means stops the driving of the gap adjusting means 11 to complete the advance operation of the printing head 5 and a retraction control means controls the driving of the gap adjusting means 11 after the paper position detection signal is outputted from the touch switch 21 to retract the printing head 5 by a predetermined retraction quantity along with the paper guide 6. By this constitution, the interval between the paper P and the printing head 5 becomes constant regardless of the thickness of the paper P.