The invention concerns a postage meter with an electrothermal printing device by means of which value indications and/or graphics are printed onto a postage item moved past it at a predetermined speed by the transfer of color particles in a graphic forming distribution from a carrier web (114), which carrier web is heated by means of a thermal print head in correspondence to the graphic forming distribution and is driven past the printing device, with a counterpressure element (116) standing oppositely to the thermal print head (110). As the counterpressure element a counterpressure roll (116) is provided which is movable in a direction perpendicular to the printing surface, which counterpressure roll is so yieldingly supported on a shaft arranged parallel to the printing ledge (112) of the thermal print head (110) that its contact face with the postage item can take on different angles to the printing ledge (112) in a plane containing the printing ledge (112) and the shaft (130).