To obtain a wire dot recorder having an ink ribbon cartridge in which impact print quality is made uniform while reducing the driving power of a wire hammer.

In a wire dot recorder having an ink ribbon cartridge 8 where impact printing is performed using wire hammer 3 through an ink ribbon stretched across the effective recording width of a recording sheet, the ink ribbon is fed by a specified amount by driving an ink ribbon feed motor, i.e., a reversible motor 7. Subsequently, the motor 7 is driven slightly in the reverse direction to release tension of the stretched ink ribbon and impact printing is performed under that state using the wire hammer 3 by controlling a wire hammer drive section 17.