A printing apparatus is provided. A vibrator comprising an elastic member and an electric/mechanical energy converting device jointed to the elastic member is attached to a carriage on which a printing head is mounted. The vibrator generates a progressive vibrating wave. The vibrator is partially come into frictional contact with a rail-shaped stator and moves along the rail-shaped stator by the progressive vibrating wave. An object to be driven is frictionally come into contact with a portion of the vibrator which is not in contact with the rail-shaped stator. The object to be driven is driven by the progressive vibrating wave. By providing a motion converting mechanism for the carriage, driving operations other than the carriage feeding operation are also executed by the vibrator.