PURPOSE: To facilitate the setting and change of a mode by a method wherein a non-volatile memory is provided in a controller of a printer, and with a mode setting status request command, mode setting information is read form the non-volatile memory, returned to a host device, and indicated on a printer using a display.

CONSTITUTION: In the case of a mode setting command, according to the command, mode setting information is stored in a non-volatile memory 214. In the case of a mode setting status request command, mode setting information is read from the non-volatile memory 214 and transmitted to a host device 20 through a host interface 216. Then, a mode setting transfer is completed. On the side of the host device 20, the mode setting information is visually imparted through a display part of a panel operation part 25 by both the returned mode setting information and a software with a display indication function. On the user side, a user can recognize the mode setting information at a glance by referring to a display indication.