A gap switching mechanism 30 is installed for switching the gap between a recording head 15 and a recording medium in a predetermined position during transverse travel of a carriage 10. The carriage 10 has a recording head 15 downwardly mounted thereon and is swingably and turnably supported at one side of its lower end by a guide shaft 11 in the form of a round shaft. A switching block body 13 having a plurality of abutments 52, 53 with different heights in opposed relation to the upper-end slide portion 12a of a frame 12 longitudinally extending along the back of the carriage, is turnably supported by the carriage. A first pusher 56 is positioned at the left-hand end of the frame to be allowed to abut against the switching block body 13, so that the abutting changes the turning posture of the first pusher to bring the abutment 53 into sliding relation to the frame 12, thus providing a small gap. A second pusher 57 is positioned at the right-hand end of the frame to be allowed to abut against the switching block body 13, so that such abutting changes the turning posture of the first pusher to bring the abutment 52 into sliding relation to the frame 12, thus providing a large gap.