Output Devices : Dot Matrix Printers

Dot matrix printers are impact printers. They produce an image by hammering a column of 9 or 24 pins against a ribbon. Characters are produced as the print head (which contains the pins) moves across the page.

Dot matrix printers are cheap to purchase and have low operating costs. Most can run in either draft mode (quick but very low quality) or Near Letter Quality mode (slower but better quality). If carbon paper is put into the printer then a dot matrix printer can print more than one copy of a document at a time. This feature is often used by companies when they print invoices, bills etc. The company can keep one copy themselves and send the other copy to the customer. Dot matrix printers typically print at speeds around 300 characters per second (cps).

The disadvantages of dot matrix printers are that the output quality is poor, it takes a long time to print a document and the noise can be annoying.

GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004