A Look At The Dot Matrix Printer: A Type Of Printer

Dot matrix printers are an older type of printer that still have many advantages over other varieties. Although they cannot print as high a quality of text or graphics as laser or inkjet printers, dot matrix printers have some key benefits that make them a good solution for some needs. For example, the low cost of dot matrix printers makes them ideal for low-volume printing, especially in industrial settings. Very old computers that lack modern ports may not be compatible with newer types of printers, but they can make good use of dot matrix printers to continue printing. Because they can be easily repaired and maintained, dot matrix printers also have a longer average lifespan than many other types of printers. Finally, dot matrix printers are much faster than other varieties and can produce several hundred pages per minute.

Dot matrix printers are still the best solution for many applications because they are reliable in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, making them valuable in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and distribution centers. They are also able to print multi-part forms with ease compared to other types of printers. In addition, some types of checks must be printed on dot matrix printers.

Dot Matrix Printer Features

One of the most important features that people look at while shopping for a Dot Matrix Printer is the noise level. This impacts wireless connectivity, compactness, and low-cost maintenance.

Dot Matrix Printer Price

Dot matrix printers are available in two sizes, depending on your requirements. Both types offer good value for high volume and low-cost printing, with low running costs and easy replacement of ribbons.

Epson Dot Matrix Printer

The Epson FX-870+ Dot Matrix Printer is an ideal printer for the budget conscious business. It offers high-speed draft printing at up to 540 cps and near letter quality speeds of up to 125 cps. This version sports a narrow carriage that provides 80 column printing in standard mode, making it the perfect choice for data processing applications. The wide range of font options allows you to tailor the printer to your needs.  A standard parallel interface (IEEE-1284 nibble mode) allows easy connectivity to your computer or network, with no add-on interface board needed.

You can print out invoices, shipping labels and more with this Epson dot matrix printer. The parallel and USB ports let you connect it to multiple devices at once, while the lighted paper-out indicator alerts you when the paper is jammed or runs out. This Epson dot matrix printer uses a nine-pin serial impact method for fast and efficient printing.

Dot Matrix Printer Uses

Dot Matrix Printer is perfect for anyone who needs to print 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This workhorse is suited for harsh environments and can run for years without interruption. The printer’s design, with its paper roll located in the front of the printer easily accessible, creates an extremely quiet printer that will be right at home in your office.

Dot Matrix Printer Working

Triple your impact and make every character count. Print dots instead of lines for smooth, accurate forms, crisp black output even on colored papers, and extra-sharp long-life characters. Built with fewer moving parts than standard impact printers, the forms printer delivers quiet operation, fast performance and reliable results day after day. Dot matrix technology delivers sharp images on plain paper or cut sheet stock in near-letter quality mode. Compatible with more operating systems than any other dot matrix printer in its class, this easy-to-upgrade performer is ideal for high-volume printing requirements.

Dot Matrix Printer Vs Laser Printer

Dot matrix printing is a type of computer printing which uses a print head that moves back-and-forth, or in an up-and-down motion, on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked fabric ribbon against the paper, much like the print mechanism on a typewriter. They can use both a variety of fonts and graphics printer dot-matrix printer only roll paper. The print quality is lower than that of laser printers With dot matrix printers, other marks such as underlining, double underlining, overlining and strikethrough could be produced.

A dot matrix printer prints documents by striking pins against an ink ribbon to form characters. A laser printer uses a laser beam, rather than the pins of a mechanical printer and the “toner” or ink of a conventional printer, to glide across drum. A laser printer is fast, efficient and produces excellent results in varying degrees of quality depending on its resolution. A dot matrix printer is slower and much noisier compared to other types of printers, but it’s also cheaper to purchase and maintain.

Dot Matrix Printer Speed

Dot matrix printers are rated in characters per second (cps, sometimes called cpi), which is how many typewritten pages per minute the printer can produce. The spooled_up, head_down models in our lineup range from less than a page per minute to up to 20 pages per minute. Dot matrix printers usually have a rated life in terms of printed characters. For example, the spooled_up and head_down models we researched print between 2 million and 500 million characters before needing service or replacement.

Dot Matrix Printer Ribbon

This dot matrix Ribbon is designed for a variety of print applications, including premium non-smear, multipart forms printing on single and multi-ply stationery in crisp black. It’s an ideal solution for accounting documents, shipping manifests and other critical data, with clean and clear printing. This high-quality ribbon is formulated to provide excellent print definition and character formation, crisp black output from the first page to the last and complete end-of-ribbon sensing.

Dot Matrix Printer Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages: High printing speed. Low noise level.  More affordable than other kinds of printers. Disadvantages: It can be afforced to print out draft quality when in use. Dot matrix is not suitable for high resolution printing.

Conclusion

Even though the dot matrix printer may not be considered a relic from a bygone era, it hasn’t seen many recent innovations. That said, if you have an original version of the dot matrix printer from the 80’s and you’re happy with its current capabilities, then you don’t have to get rid of it. There’s no reason to upgrade it (yet). But if you would like more out of your dot matrix printer, check out the models that came on top in our comparison above. They offer enhanced color capabilities, quiet operation, and much more as compared to their ’80s counter parts. Either way, if done right, dot matrix printers are affordable and convenient—a modern convenience built on a foundation of technology designed 30 years ago.