How Dot Matrix Printer Work

How It Works

Dot matrix printers, also known as impact printers, are capable of printing text and simple graphics. The printer draws one character at a time from a dot matrix, usually consisting of either 9 or 24 pins, then striking a number of metal pins against an inked ribbon, transferring the image to a sheet of tractor-feed paper. A dot matrix printer can print at high speed for many hours at a time with little to no human intervention.

Capabilities

• A dot matrix printer may use plain paper, NCR paper or thermal paper, and several copies of a document can be made at the same time. Most dot matrix printers print bidirectionally. The speed of a dot matrix printer is measured in cps, or characters per second. Line width is generally 80 characters, or columns, with some dot matrix printers being capable of 132-character lines.
  
  A 24-pin dot matrix printer can achieve very good print resolution, although a high-resolution printout takes longer than draft quality.

Other Considerations

• Dot matrix printers reached their height of popularity in the 1980s. Since that time, with inkjet and laser printers becoming both more capable and less expensive, the dot matrix printer's market share has decreased, but it is still found in offices where its primary use is to print large quantities of draft-quality documents.
  
  Consumables for dot matrix printers include tractor-feed paper and inked ribbons.
  
  The metal print head usually does not need replacement unless one or more of the pins breaks off.
  
  Dot matrix printers have a tendency to be noisy.
  
  Source: www.ehow.com