A recording apparatus having a carriage which scans along a guide shaft and which is provided with recording heads includes a position detector for detecting the positions of the carriage in the scanning direction; and a fixing device for engaging with the carriage to regulate the carriage in the scanning direction when it is detected by the position detector that the carriage is in a given fixing position and fixing the carriage in the given fixing position. With the structure thus arranged, this recording apparatus is capable of preventing the carriage from being bent or deformed when the ink tanks and recording heads are detachably mounted or the gap adjustment for the recording heads are executed on the carriage, thus enabling the operation and positioning of the carriage to be executed exactly.