PURPOSE: To enable a striking force for printing to be finely adjusted in a free manner, by a method wherein a variable-gain amplifier is provided between an output circuit for a preset command value and a comparing part, and the amplification degree of the amplifier is changed.

CONSTITUTION: In an automatic typewriter wherein a detection value fed from a detecting part 3 for the moving velocity of a type bar and a command value preset on a presetting part 1 for printing pressure by an analog switch 2 are compared with each other by the comparing part 4 and the velocity of the type bar is controlled to adjust the printing pressure, the variable-gain amplifier 7 is provided between the switch 2 outputting the command value and the comparing part 4, and a target value of the printing pressure is finely adjusted by changing the amplification degree of the amplifier 7. A non-inversion amplifying circuit can be used as the variable-gain amplifier 7, in which case the output value VO of the amplifier 7 can be finely adjusted in a free manner by setting a command value VS by the analog switch 2 and changing the resistance value of a variable resistor Rf.