PURPOSE: To print the emphatic characters while displacing the same character pattern in the printing direction, and to print the emphatic characters without requiring a character generator exclusive for the emphatic characters by mounting a means varying printing timing and reciprocating and printing the same line.

CONSTITUTION: When a signal generating section 3 brings a signal (a) to a high level, a counter 4 makes pulses appear to a signal CRK every time the predetermined number of pulses of a signal CLK is counted. Consequenty, a carriage controlling section 9 drives a carriage motor 10. When the motor 10 is brought to the state of fixed speed and the generating section 3 brings a signal b to a high level, a programmable counter 5 brings a signal c to a low level during the time when the pulses of the CLK are counted only by number previously programmed, a printing clock signal d is outputted from a counter 6 at the rise of the signal c, and the operation of printing is started. Accordingly, printing having the same content is slightly displaced and overlapped by displacing printing timing by adjusting time T when the signal c is brought to a low level, and the emphatic characters can be printed.