PURPOSE: To make it possible to print characters at a high speed by such an arrangement wherein a type drum is arranged so that its axis becomes perpendicular to the direction of feeding of a sheet of printing paper and in conjunction with the revolution of the type drum, ink on the selected type patterns is transferred.

CONSTITUTION: A drum CD rotates around its axis DG and ink of an ink roller IR is applied to each type TP and the drum stands by, and as a print command is given, a disk DS begins to rotate, and at the same time, the axis DG of the drum CD begins to ascend. As a selected type TC comes to a printing position, being rotated, it is printed by being protruded by a roller RO. At this time, the axis of the drum CD descends. The axis DG descends farther and a type TP is caused to fully contact with a sheet of printing paper PP by the roller RO. As the axis DG descends farther, the roller RO begins to separate from the back projection TT of the type TP, and the type TP also begins to separate from the printing paper and printing operation completes. Next, the disk DS returns to its original position by the force of a spring SP as the force of a coil disappears, and it returns to its stand-by condition.