The present invention refers to a tape printing device for hand-held operation, having a housing with a first part and a second part, wherein the first part of the housing comprises a surface with a keyboard with keys for inputting desired characters to be printed onto an image receiving tape, the surface having a breadth which is larger than a thickness of the first part of housing, preferably a multiple thereof, The second part of the housing comprises a cassette receiving bay for accomodating a tape cassette holding a supply of the image receiving tape, the second part of the housing further enclosing a print mechanism arranged to print the desired characters onto the image receiving tape. Further the tape cassette can have an angled peel slot.