PURPOSE: To achieve a clear printing with a high speed and a low cost by providing a shift mechanism with a body for forming dots of several types interposed between the tip of a dot wire and an ink ribbon.

CONSTITUTION: Dot forming means 15 and 16 are provided between the top of a dot wire 2 provided at the tip of an armature 1 and an ink ribbon 5. One end of the dot forming means 15 and 16 is connected to a shift mechanism 17 while the other end thereof is positioned on the axis of the tip of the wire 2 through a spring 18 for shifting the dot forming means. A printing signal current is fed to a coil 9 of a printing magnet 8 to excit it so that the armature 1 is attracted and applies an impact on the back of the dot forming means 15 or 16 with the tip of the wire 2. In this manner, a printing paper 6 is impacted with a dot forming means 15' or 16' through a ribbon 5 to form a dot. The dot forming means 15 is provided for Chinese characters with a small dot while the one 16 for Kana characters with a large dot. The dot forming means move in the direction of the arrow 19 corresponding to characters or the like preset for a dot shift mechanism 3.