Abstract: A serial printer which includes a print element which traverses back and forth in front of the paper. The print element is in the shape of a cup. The sides of the cup are formed by a plurality of fingers, each of which has a number of characters thereon. A hammer is located in the center of the cup. The fingers can be selectively raised whereby any one of the characters on each finger can be moved to the print position. Printing is accomplished by rotating the cup so that the desired finger is located between the hammer and the paper. If necessary, the finger is raised so that the desired character is positioned in the print position. The hammer is then fired to print the desired character.