A thermal head comprises at least a heating resistor (3), wire electrodes (4, 4a, 12) for supplying electricity to the heating resistor (3), and a protective film (9) covering the heating resistor and the surrounding wire electrodes, all of which are arranged on an insulating substrate (1). At least peripheral edge portions of the wire electrodes in areas of the protective film near the heating resistor are tapered in cross section whereby a difference in level between the substrate surface and the wire electrodes is smoothed and the covering protective film has a Vickers hardness Hv of not less than 1200.