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Dot Matrix Printer
The Basics A dot matrix printer is often called an impact matrix printer because of the way it functions. It prints by striking pins against an ink ribbon. This impact will produce tiny dots in the appropriate shaped characters. These printers were extremely popular in the past but are still in use today because of their reliability. They are only capable of black and white printing and are generally used for invoices, shipping forms, dot matrix labels, and purchase orders. Volume The first thing you should keep in mind when purchasing a dot matrix printer is the number of pages you expect to run through the machine. Most of these printers use tractor feed paper, but the best dot matrix printers can also handle single cut sheets. If you plan on printing less than fifty sheets per day you should look into buying a low volume model. However, if your printing needs require that you print more than fifty sheets per day you will need a high volume design. Quality Another important consideration when buying a dot matrix printer is the quality level that you need. The quality of the dot matrix printer is determined by the amount of pins it uses. The best dot matrix printer have 24 pins and there are some available with nine pins. When deciding which model is best for you it is important to keep in mind that while the 24 pin models offers higher quality images, they are also much slower. If your printing needs do not put much emphasis in the quality of the documents a 9 pin dot matrix printer may be suitable for you. For example, if you are using dot matrix printers for label printing you can probably get away with a 9 pin machine. Other Tips Because dot matrix printer can be pricey investments, often costing several hundred dollars, you may want to consider dot matrix printer rentals. This will allow you to test out a model to see if it is right for you before committing to a purchase. In addition, even the best dot matrix printers can be noisy, so you may want to get an acoustical cover to minimize the noise.
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