To perform recording paper shortage detection control that is synchronized with recording paper medium by deciding as ink film shortage in the case of detecting no rotation of a roll when it is decided as a cut sheet and deciding as rolled paper shortage in the case of detecting no rotation of the roll when it is decided as rolled paper.

The state of an ink film is decided with pulse information issued by a sensor 24. When the pulse information becomes zero, it is checked whether or not information showing a 'cut sheet' as recording paper information is stored in a main storing part 4. Because the ink film 10 is normally mounted when the information showing the 'cut sheet' is stored, an operating part 2 displays the warning of 'film shortage'. Also, if information showing 'rolled paper' is stored as recording paper information in the part 4 when the pulse information becomes zero, the part 2 performs warning display of 'rolled paper shortage', because that not the ink film but heat sensitive rolled paper 16 is mounted.