Printing apparatus including a flexible support for a patch to be printed on and a vertical ram carrying type at its lower end. An inking roller is positioned to pass over the type with the type held up away from the patch to be printed on, and, after the inking roller has left the area of the type, the ram drives the inked type onto the patch. The ram is then raised, and the inking roller returns from being inked to a position where it can again ink the raised type to begin and repeat the printing operation.