Printers have become an essential element for almost every computing device. With this peripheral device, you can effectively perform your daily tasks with a great output rate. Within a shorter time, there are numerous technologies introduced that boost up the overall performance and efficiency of printers. A Dot-matrix printer is one of them. Moreover, these devices can be attached easily to a desktop, tablet, and MacBook to produce original results. Along with that, printers can be effectively utilized with the help of Wi-Fi -enabled camera so that you can print the hard copy of your favorite memories without any hassle.
Impact and non-impact printers are two distinct styles of printers. Impact printers print by making direct contact with the paper, while non-impact printers operate differently. Dot-matrix printers are one of the oldest styles of printers. This is one of the better machine printing methods because ink-soaked ribbons are directly impacted against the paper. These printers are capable of producing a wide range of fonts and graphics in dot form. These dots are created by metal wires or pins that move back and forth, up and down, thanks to the power of small electromagnets or solenoids. Dot-matrix printers are no longer the primary mode of printing since a variety of other modern printers are now available.
Have you ever thought about how dot matrix printers work? If not, then read this article as it demonstrates every phase of the Dot matrix printer.
Without taking your time, let's get started.
What do you mean by Dot matrix printer?
A dot matrix printer is defined as the device that makes use of pins against an ink ribbon to publish the closed fixed dots in an adequate shape. This peripheral device is quite inexpensive and it doesn't produce the best quality outputs. Moreover, impact printers are beneficial for specific settings area.
Apart from this, dot matrix printers include the following characteristics:
Speed: The average speed of a dot matrix printer varies from 50 to 500 cps (characters per second).
Print quality: The print quality of dot matrix printers (9 to 24).
Working of Dot Matrix Printer Device
Dot-matrix printer, well known as Impact matrix printer is an old skool printer that depends only on the ink-soaked ribbon. This type of printer is very costly and due to its obsolete technology, it is used in some specified fields. Sometimes, you may confuse with a typewriter when you perform tasks on dot-matrix printers
Dot-matrix printer work in the following manner:
Primary Printing Function
Characters are printed on paper by hitting an inked ribbon against a rough surface in all dot-matrix printers. Dot-matrix printers, unlike typewriters that use a similar process, do not have set character shapes or fonts. Instead, a set of pins are arranged to form each character. This enables dot matrix printers to print basic graphics and multiple symbols, as well as basic text, but it gives the printout a distinctive "dotted" look. Dot-matrix printouts are notorious for producing low-quality, difficult-to-read text. Furthermore, dot matrix printers are noisier than inkjet or laser printers.
Media Types
The majority of dot matrix printers use a "daisy-wheel" paper feeding mechanism, which necessitates special continuous-feed media with punched holes on the sides. On uncoated, relatively thin paper, they work best. Dot-matrix machines, unlike laser or inkjet printers, are suitable for printing multi-part types such as shipping documentation and invoices. They can print on all parts of a single type in one pass thanks to their impact-based printing capabilities.
Pin density & Dot size
The number and size of pins in a dot matrix printer print head have a huge impact on print quality; even the best dot-matrix printers can't reach the quality of inkjet or laser printers. To build each character, the simplest dot matrix devices use only nine pins, resulting in a pixelized, dense form.
Pros of Using Dot Matrix Printers
Well, dot matrix printers are used frequently in today’s market, but their advantages are insane. There are numerous advantages of dot matrix printers, some of them are enlisted:
- Easy Availability
- Can Make Multiple Carbon Copies
- Low Printing Cost
- Maintenance Cost is Low
- Reliable & Durable in nature
Cons of Using Dot Matrix Printers
- Noisy Sound.
- Limited Print Quality
- Low-level Color Printing
- Output is not High Resolution
- Very low-resolution graphics with very limited color performance.
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