Patent ID: 8456500

Claim:
A printing apparatus comprising: a head holding unit movably configured to hold a thermal head so that the thermal head can be in a pressing state pressing against a platen and in a separated state separated from the platen; a conveyance mechanism configured to convey an ink ribbon and a recording sheet which are put on each other to a recording region between the thermal head and the platen; a reflection surface provided on the head holding unit; and a ribbon sensor configured to detect a marker applied on the ink ribbon, the ribbon sensor being provided on a side opposite to the reflection surface and facing a path of the ink ribbon which has passed through the recording region and been peeled from the recording sheet, wherein the ribbon sensor includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and wherein the reflection surface is configured so that light incident from the light emitting element reaches the light receiving element in both the separated state and the pressing state.