PURPOSE: To detect removal of a pen at the time of receiving the pin and to eliminate an inconvenience of continuing a drafting operation without holding the pin by detecting a pen holding state by a sensor when a pen carriage holds the pen and moves from a pen holder.

CONSTITUTION: A recorder comprises a pen holder 4 for containing a pen 3 of a recording implement, and a pen carriage 2 for holding and moving the pen 3. The recorder further comprises a pen detecting sensor 1 for detecting whether the pen is held by the carriage 2 or not, a memory 10 for storing a holding state of the pen 3, and a CPU 9 of positioning control means of the carriage 2. In this case, presence or absence of the pen 3 is detected by the sensor 1, and if no pen is detected even if a pen holding flag 13 of the memory 10 is stood, drafting is paused by the CPU 9, and an error is displayed to inform it to an operator.