Printing apparatus

A printing apparatus for performing printing processing on a recording medium with a thermal head via an ink ribbon, comprising:

• a thermal head having a plurality of heater elements lined up in a main scanning direction;
• and
• a current passage control device switching current passage timing of the plurality of heater elements,
• wherein the current passage control device controls a first strobe signal for switching between ON and OFF of passage of current through a part of the plurality of heater elements and a second strobe signal for switching between ON and OFF of passage of current through the other part of the plurality of heater elements, so that current passage time periods for switching passage of current through the part and the other part of the plurality of heater elements to an ON state partially overlap and that in printing data of a same concentration over a plurality of lines with the part of the plurality of heater elements and the other part of the plurality of heater elements, a sum of an integrated value of current passed through the part of the plurality of heater elements in printing processing of an odd-numbered printing line and an integrated value of current passed through the part of the plurality of heater elements in printing processing of an even-numbered printing line is the same as a sum of an integrated value of current passed through the other part of the plurality of heater elements in printing processing of the odd-numbered printing line and an integrated value of current passed through the other part of the plurality of heater elements in printing processing of the even-numbered printing line.