A small printer using character wheels is provided. The printer includes a plurality of character wheels frictionally mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith and having a ratchet wheel on side surface. Associated with each character wheel is a pivotable selector pawl actuatable by an electromagnet. The number of electromagnets is less than the number of selector pawls and character wheels. Stopper cams are actuatable into locking engagement with the ratchet wheels on even-numbered character wheels when the shaft begins to rotate. Only odd-numbered character wheels are caused to rotate with the shaft. The desired characters on the odd-numbered character wheels are selected when the electromagnets are energized selectively to move the selector pawls into locking engagement with the ratchets on the odd-numbered character wheels. During the next revolution of the shaft, the stoppers are retracted, that is, out of engagement with the ratchets on the even-numbered type wheels. Accordingly, the even-numbered character wheels are then caused to rotate with the shaft for selection.
