A thermal head includes a substrate, heating resistors aligned on a surface of the substrate, an electrode pattern connected to the heating resistors, a protective film that covers the heating resistors and the electrode pattern, and a conductive film that covers an upper surface of the protective film. The conductive film has an opening at least in an area above the arrangement of the heating resistors, and the surface of the protective film is exposed through the opening. An edge of the conductive film adjacent to the opening is inclined outward so that the area of the opening gradually increases as the distance from the exposed surface of the protective film. The thermal head may be used as a printing device in facsimile machines and video printers.