PURPOSE: To prevent grips on a movable rail from slipping out of positions determined against a sheet while the sheet is carried by driving of a belt.

CONSTITUTION: The title apparatus is equipped with a sheet support surface, an endless carriage belt 46 that is capable of moving over the sheet support surface, and a movable rail 22 that is supported so that it can move over the sheet support surface in parallel with the movement of the belt. A drawing head 48 for cutting or creating images is mounted to the movable rail 22. Furthermore, two pairs of grips 52, 54 and 56, 58 are provided to the movable rail 22 for holding the belt and the sheet respectively. The sheet-holding grips 56, 58 are adjustable for the distance between themselves in accordance with the width of a sheet 64 placed on the sheet support surface. The belt 46 is held down at parts near both edges thereof with the belt-holding grips 52, 54, and the sheet 64 is held down together with the belt 46 with the sheet-holding grips 56, 58. Then the sheet 64 is carried together with the movable rail 22 by operation of the belt 46 for a specified distance in the specified direction over the sheet support surface.