PURPOSE: To enable a ribbon tape to run repeatedly many times, by a method wherein the position of a cartridge to a printer is changed by providing rotating members on reels of the cartridge, a tape tension control member disposed in the vicinity thereof, and a rotating means engaging with either of the rotating members.

CONSTITUTION: In a reel-to-reel type cartridge 9 in use, one of rotating members 104, 30 is engaged with a printer side rotating means 32 so that a multi-use ribbon tape 83 can run from one reel 98 to the other reel 96. The ribbon tape 83 advances printing in cooperation with a line head 76 and a platen roller 42, simultaneously being taken up by the reel 96 on one side of the cartridge. After all the tape is taken up, the direction of cartridge is manually reversed, and the cartridge is set to a printer. Then, the other rotating member comes into mesh with the aforesaid rotating means 32 to enable the tape 83 to run again in a printable direction.