To enable a stable printing operation without entering a resonance region proper to a driving motor even when a printing speed is lower than a reference printing speed.

When it is detected that the inputted printing speed is lower than a second reference speed, "a third driving mode" is set, and a second gear 12 is engaged with an eighth gear 27 by rotary driving a rotary solenoid 15. A driving force of the driving motor 1 is transmitted to a ribbon take-up gear 16 via a motor gear 10, a first gear 11, the second gear 12, the eighth gear 27, a sixth gear 20 and a fourth gear 18, thereby rotary driving a ribbon take-up member 3. Accordingly, the stable printing operation is enabled without entering the proper resonance region of the driving motor even when the printing speed is lower than the reference printing speed.