The control apparatus, in particular for electronic typewriters, comprises a lower guide for guiding a sheet of paper beneath a platen roller and up to a printing line of the platen roller, and a series of paper pressure rollers for guiding the sheet beyond the printing line. The pressure rollers are carried by a frame which is movable manually by a lever, a spring and lever and a pin and slot coupling to move the pressure rollers away from the platen roller and to activate a switch to initiate motor drive of the platen roller. The frame further couples a cyclic actuating mechanism to a drive pinion element of the platen roller. When the plate rotates, this mechanism acts on the frame so as to effect automatic closure of the pressure rollers, such as to permit engagement of the pressure rollers with the upper edge of the paper and subsequent printing in a region of the sheet adjacent to its top edge.