Two-stage skew adjustment is achieved by first using only the drive force of the platen roller with the pinch roller and the capstan roller drive disrupted by a gap opening mechanism to effect a large skew adjustment. Then, the gap is closed and the platen roller, which has a Teflon-resin coating thereon and a larger diameter than the capstan roller or pinch roller, effects a small skew adjustment. Thereafter, printing is effected by feeding the paper in a reverse direction to register with an inked ribbon feed of a primary ribbon using the platen roller drive and the pinch roller drive with the skew cycle repeated for each ribbon color segment to achieve improved multicolor printing registration.