PURPOSE: To make the optical printer head compact by providing a light emission body which guides luminous flux which is lengthwise in the thickness direction of a substrate out of a slit part and a liquid crystal shutter array which turns on and off the linear luminous flux in dot sequence.

CONSTITUTION: A transparent electrode substrate which is partially transparent is provided on the internal surfaces of transparent electrode substrates 8 and 9. Then a layer 10 of a liquid crystal material varies the light transmissivity of polarizing plates 12 and 13 by electrooptic effect according to whether an electric field is turned on or off. For the purpose, electrodes are so patterned that opposite parts form a dot sequence 11, thereby controlling the light transmission state and light cutoff state by dots. Therefore, the linear luminous flux 7 is made incident on the dot sequence 11 to generate luminous flux which turns on and off in the dot sequence shape. This luminous flux is image-formed on a photosensitive body through a lens array 14 to realize operation as the optical printer head.