A tape printer for printing a desired string of data onto a tape-like printing object in which a plurality of functions can be set through only one physical operation means. When a character size setting function key is operated (S14), the location of a cursor on the display screen is confirmed. When it is located on the right of a begining-of-line mark, the character size throughout the text is specified (S24), when it is located at the begining of a first line of a paragraph, the character size throughout the paragraph is specified (S23), when cursors are located on the right of the beginings of the lines, the character size of each line is specified (S22), and in other cases, the size of characters on the right of the cursor in the line, or in the word is specified (S20, 21).