PURPOSE: To enable copying on ordinary paper and reduce the size and cost of a pattern recorder, by causing a detection unit having light receiving elements for detecting a pattern on an object, to correspond to recording elements for recording the pattern on paper.

CONSTITUTION: When the front end of object 1 has passed by a position sensor 13, a clutch 17 is operated through a controller to feed recording paper 15 by a sprocket 16 synchronously with the object 1. When the object 1 has passed by under a group 9 of light receiving elements, a pattern on the object is detected by the elements 9'. A pattern signal is then supplied to a group 20 of recording elements through a control unit. The recording elements 20' act correspondingly to the light receivers 9' respectively to dot the recording paper by an ink ribbon 19.