In a thermal ink transfer printer, a print head and ink ribbon are mounted on a carriage which is moved at a first speed in a first direction along a recording paper in a first recording mode and also moved at the first speed in a second direction along the recording paper in the second recording mode. The ink ribbon is continuously fed in the second direction in the first and second modes and slides on the distal end of the print head so that ink is transferred from the ink ribbon onto the paper. Thus, the ink ribbon can be moved, relative to the paper, at a first speed and at a second speed which is different from the first relative speed.