A printer capable of reducing a time for increasing the temperature of a heating element to a proper level for starting printing beforehand and suppressing density reduction in an initial stage of printing is obtained. This printer comprises a print head having a heating element for printing an image on a paper, a platen roller against which the print head is pressed through an ink sheet and the paper and print head control means applying a prescribed voltage to the heating element of the print head while carrying the paper after pressing the print head against the platen roller and before starting printing.