an impact printing element in the shape of a wheel is constructed by molding a thermoplastic character slug onto the tips of metal spokes or beams extending radially outward from a center section . the thermoplastic is bulk filled to give the slugs tolerance to impacting forces produced by an impact hammer for deflecting the slug toward a record medium enabling a print surface on the slug to cooperate in a process for marking the record medium . each character slug has a front surface with a raised character extending therefrom and a rear surface adapted to be struck by the print hammer for moving the slug in a print operation . extending from the rear surface of each character slug is a spherical section projection that directly receives the strike from the print hammer . the projection is a spherical section positioned at the centroid of the raised character .