The usual transfer of information from computer to paper appeared in 1964 and has not lost its relevance today. We are talking about printing documents on a matrix printer, which, although it is considered somewhat outdated, but sometimes turns out to be much more practical than modern inkjet and laser models.
Why matrix
The name is derived from the design features of the device. The term "matrix" is borrowed from mathematics, where it denotes a mathematical object written to a table consisting of rows and columns. The print head of the printer is represented by a column of movable needles that are placed in a horizontally moving carriage. Here is such a relationship.
What are the features
Dot matrix printer is one of the most budget and reliable printing devices. These qualities are the result of simplicity and brevity of the structure. Prints are obtained due to the mechanical action of the needle, which presses the ink ribbon to the paper, forming a point. The more needles in the head, the smaller the individual points that make up a fragment of a letter or pattern. The most widely used printer with 9 and 24 needles in the head column, although their number may be different (maximum - 48 pieces in the vertical).
Considering that the ribbon is cheaper than ink cartridges for an inkjet or laser printer, matrix models retain their relevance if you need to create a large number of inexpensive prints.
But the reproduction of multi-color graphics with their help, though possible, but impractical. The first reason is a limited number of colors: there are only 4 of them in the database, thanks to which it is possible to get only 7 shades. The second is the gradual contamination of the dye ribbons, because the same needles are in contact with all of them.
An equally important feature of a matrix printer is the ability to simultaneously create several absolutely identical copies of a copy paper document. To do this, the device fills a kind of sandwich from sheets of office and copy paper. The pressure of the tip of the needle is usually sufficient for simultaneous creation of 2-5 copies, where the first one is the print left by the ribbon and the subsequent ones are painted with a carbon copy.
Kinds
Dot matrix printers are divided into point and line printers. The first are different:
- low cost;
- relatively low print speeds, measured in characters;
- the speed of wear of the needles and carriage;
- noisy work.
The second ones are a bit more expensive, but they are much quieter, faster (speed is already measured in rows) and longer. The fact is that the dot-matrix printer is equipped with a print head that moves from one edge of the sheet to the opposite. But a somewhat more cumbersome linear-matrix version is characterized by the number of needles collected in blocks of hammers placed across the entire width of the paper. Thus, the printer prints a string not as a whole, but as a whole. The result - together with the dimensions of the device increases its speed and decreases the wear of moving parts of equipment.
Dot matrix printers in the modern world
The prints obtained on such a device are distinguished by a number of features, among which are:
- low cost of each of them;
- the resistance of the applied paint, which is practically driven into the sheet fibers;
- the presence of prints on paper, allowing to verify the authenticity of the document.
That is why matrix printers are still found where speed and reliability of work is more important than print quality. With their help, financial documents, tickets and receipts are created, the indicators of measuring devices are transferred to paper and the sales receipts, labels and labels are printed.
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