In a recording medium transporting device, an inter-shaft distance between a printing barrel that rotates and transports with gripping an end portion of a recording medium inwardly from an outer peripheral surface thereof and a first transporting barrel juncturally connected with the printing barrel is set to be a distance shorter than a sum of a radius of the printing barrel and a radius of the first transporting barrel, and an inter-shaft distance between the first transporting barrel and a second transporting barrel juncturally connected with the first transporting barrel is set to be a sum of the radius of the first transporting barrel and a radius of the second transporting barrel, which can suppress distortion of the recording medium and enables the first transporting barrel and the second transporting barrel to grip the end portion of the recording medium on the outer peripheral surface thereof, allowing stable transportation.