A wire dot printer has a thermistor that detects the temperature of a print head and a counter that starts counting when the detection temperature exceeds an alarm temperature. The printer can be controlled by switching over between normal-printing and reduced-character-printing in which a reduced number of print wires is used. When the detection temperature exceeds the alarm temperature, the printer will first stop and then control the print head in such a way as to reduce the temperature. Once the temperature drops back down below the alarm temperature, the printer will perform reduced-character-printing for a definite period of time based on the length of time from when the temperature exceeded the alarm temperature to when the temperature dropped back down below the alarm temperature. By increasing the length of time in which reduced-character-printing is carried out, the amount of heat given off by the print head decreases. Furthermore, by basing the time over which reduced-character-printing is performed on the length of time that the alarm temperature was exceeded. It is possible to set the reduced-character-printing time to an appropriate length such that the print head does not overheat and throughout is not excessively impaired.