A combined mechanism for impacting a print member and advancing a printing ribbon of a high speed printer wherein an electromagnet, located near and on a yoke mechanism containing the print stem shaft of the print head, operate together with a linkage mechanism which is attached to the yoke mechanism, to impact the print head upon a platen and advance a printing ribbon one increment, the linking mechanism including several linking members and a stop which allows free movement to a first linking member and a cable which during energization is drawn taut but goes slack during de-energization and remains slack after the print head impacts and rebounds to a neutral position.