PURPOSE: To obtain the stable running of recording paper and accurate recording by detecting a pattern printed on the recording paper and compensating the displacement, elongation, and contraction of the recording paper.

CONSTITUTION: An input signal (a) in relation to the movement of a recording head 2 controls a recording head driving mechanism 5 through an amplifier 14, a coefficient device 15, an adder 16, and a main amplifier 17 and compensates the movement of the head 2 in correspondence with the displacement of the recording paper 6. In this case, in order to detect the pattern position of recording paper 6, an optical sensor 19 is provided at the position corresponding to the upper part of the printed parttern 8 on the recording paper 6. The sensor 19 is always moved at corresponding relative speed with respect to the recording paper 6, and the movement in the direction perpendicular to the running direction of the recording paper 6 is detected.