A printing apparatus includes a pulse motor which operates to carry a recording medium, a thermal head to print on the recording medium, a pulse motor control unit which controls the pulse motor so that the pulse motor is operated at a carrying velocity based on a print ratio of input print data, a head control unit which controls the thermal head in a first or second head control mode, a head detection unit which detects the type of thermal head attached in the printing apparatus and a judgment unit which judges on the basis of the type of head detected by the head detection unit whether to control the thermal head by the first head control mode or the second head control mode.