To protect a flexible printed wiring board and its adhesion part against damage by withdrawing a thermal head so that a thermal recording material may not contact it until the edge of the thermal recording material that is secondary-scanned, passes the edge of a flexible printed wiring board of the thermal head and starting recording after its passage.

A thermal head 66 is lifted and withdrawn from the recording position while the edge of a thermal film A does not reach the recording position. Even when the edge passes the recording position, if the recording position has not reached the edge of the flexible printed wiring board 66d, it is kept withdrawn as it is (b). After the edge of the thermal film A passes the edge of the flexible printed wiring board 66d in the recording position, the thermal head 66 is lowered to the recording position and holes the thermal film A between it and a platen roller 60 (c), and carries the thermal film A into a recording section 20 without making its edge collide against the flexible printed wiring board 66d.