PURPOSE: To obtain an imprived printing quality right after the start of the printing onward and even after suspending printing for a long period of time, by a method wherein, in a wire dot printer, a pump for feeding ink to a wire is actuated before the start of the printing and the ink is recirculated.

CONSTITUTION: With the power source for the printer ON, a motor for pump driving first runs for a given period of time, and a forward-acting pump 16 is actuated. This causes ink 15 in an ink tank 14 to be fed to an ink soaking member 10 through a pipe 11, and allows it to be discharged from an ink absorption member 12 and to be collected to the ink tank 14 through a pipe 13 for recirculation. Printing starts thereafter, and thereby a suitable amount of ink is adhered to the tip of the wire even after suspending printing for a long period of time, which results in preventing a blur in printing and impossibility of printing which are apt to occur immediately after the resumption of printing.