Abstract: A printer for printing characters on paper supported adjacent a path along which a print head can be traversed. Two servo-motors are mounted adjacent the path and each connected to the head by a toothed belt. Control means connects the servo-motors in one of two modes: in the first, one servo-motor is energized to pull the head on a printing traverse while the other servo-motor is connected as a dynamic brake; and in the other, the other servo-motor is energized to pull the head on a fly-back traverse while the other servo-motor idles. To stop the head either in a printing traverse or at the end of a fly-back traverse, the mode of connection of the control means is reversed.