To rewind a fed ink ribbon upon generating the cutting trouble of the ink ribbon and prevent the generation of white paper printing by a method wherein a driving torque, whose direction is reverse to the running direction of a feeding side ink ribbon, is applied on the feeding side ink ribbon at all times.

A feeding pulley 7 is turned into the reeling direction (direction shown by an arrow sign B) while the force is transmitted to a reel through a torque limiter 10, slipping when a torque higher than a specified value is applied. When an ink ribbon is cut, the reel is turned into the direction shown by the arrow sign B whereby the elongated ink ribbon is rewound to a place whereat the ribbon is cut. The ink ribbon, distant from the cut place, is wound by a reeling pulley 4 and, therefore, a black ink ribbon, intercepting reflected light, is not exist near a light sensor 6, detecting light from a reflecting plate 12. In this case, the light sensor informs the generation of a trouble to stop printing operation. The ink ribbon, interfering the operation of the light sensor, is not stayed whereby white paper printing can be prevented.