PURPOSE: To obtain a multi-color printer capable of multi-color printing only by one-time movement of a carriage by a method in which plural printing heads are provided at given intervals in the direction of printing and an ink ribbon having plural color lines arranged in parallel is provided skewly to the printing direction.

CONSTITUTION: Plural (3 in Fig.) printing heads 6W8 are mounted at almost equal intervals on a carriage 5 moving in the horizontal printing direction, and a multi-color ink ribbon 10 housed in a cartridge 9 is provided skewly in the printing direction between the printing heads 6W8 and a recording medium 1. The multi-color ink ribbon 10 is provided with color lines 10aW10c arranged in parallel with its longitudinal direction, corresponding to the printing heads 6W8.