Most modern offices use inkjet or laser printers for printing, but a few years ago this technique was not on the market, and each enterprise working with the printing of certain materials had to use a matrix technique. Such printing devices have always produced a characteristic sound familiar to anyone who works with printing. Matrix printers with the advent of color and inkjet devices on the market, however, have not sunk into oblivion and are still actively used - for example, in banks.
Features of the device and the principle of operation of dot-matrix printers
The content of the article
- Features of the device and the principle of operation of dot-matrix printers
- Pros and cons of dot matrix printers
The principle of operation of such a printer is very simple and resembles that of a typewriter. A needle is located on the printhead of the device, which strikes the paper through the dye, leaving a mark in the form of a symbol. If you look closely at such a printed symbol, you can see the small dots of which it consists.
The modern market offers several varieties of printing devices of the matrix type, differing in their speed and quality characteristics. For example, models with a nine-pointed head are more often used for high-speed printing, the quality of which does not impose special requirements. The printing speed of such equipment is measured by the number of characters the device can print per second.
IMPORTANT! If the printer model implies the ability to work with color images, then its speed will be much lower than typing text, so using such models to print photos and images is not considered appropriate.
The main models should be considered in more detail:
- Models with a 9-needle head. Easy to use, allow you to print large volumes of products and are often used at the box office or bank employees.
- Models with a 24-needle head. They have better print quality than the previous view. Convenient when creating receipts, business cards or labels.
- Linear matrix. Commonly used for streaming office printing. Such devices are characterized by a long service life and high reliability even with continuous daily use.
Pros and cons of dot matrix printers
Among the positive qualities of such printers, it is customary to distinguish:
- relatively low cost of printing;
- simplicity in operation;
- a rare need to replace "consumables";
- the ability to print with a carbon copy;
- the ability to print on low quality paper.
IMPORTANT! Matrix devices have a feature that, undoubtedly, can be considered a plus: with a lack of ink in the printer, it continues to work, although the font color is made lighter.
Despite such a number of positive aspects, many prefer to abandon matrix devices because they:
- print relatively slowly;
- cannot print photos and color images (most models);
- produce a lot of noise during operation.
Summarizing all of the above, it is worth concluding that when choosing a matrix printer model, it is worth considering the purpose of use and the amount of necessary work. Taking into account also financial opportunities, you can choose the best option for solving certain problems.
