A hand punching apparatus for translating information into a punched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to the base plate and carrying a plurality of coding disks stacked one above the other and each having information carrying notches and teeth cut along a peripheral portion thereof and a fine teeth segment along an opposite peripheral portion thereof to cooperate with a stop to fix a tooth in aligned position with a punch member, a lever attached to each coding disk for rotating each disk individually about the shaft when the stop is rendered inoperative, a plurality of punch members arranged in a matrix form and each line cooperating with the teeth of a disk so that a single disk will affect punching one line of holes in the tape, while a punching member extending into one of the notches will thereby be prevented from causing a perforation.