Pros and cons of dot matrix printers
Most modern offices use inkjet or laser printers for printing, but a few years ago this technology was not on the market, and every company working with printing of certain materials had to use matrix technology. Such printing devices have always produced a characteristic sound, familiar to anyone who works with printouts. With the advent of color and inkjet devices on the market, matrix printers, however, have not sunk into oblivion and are still actively used - for example, in banks.
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Features of the device and principle of operation of dot matrix printers
The operating principle of such a printer is extremely simple and resembles the operation of a typewriter. On the print head of the device there is a needle, which hits the paper through the ink, leaving a mark in the form of one or another symbol. If you look closely at such a printed symbol, you can see the small dots that make up it.
The modern market offers several types of matrix-type printing devices, differing in their speed and quality characteristics. For example, models with a nine-pin head are more often used for high-speed printing, for which there are no special requirements for quality.The printing speed of such equipment is measured by the number of characters that 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 printing text, so using such models for printing photos and images is not considered appropriate.
The main models should be considered in more detail:
- Models with 9-needle head. They are easy to use, allow you to print large volumes of products and are often used at cash desks or by bank employees.
- Models with 24-needle head. They have better print quality than the previous type. Convenient for creating receipts, business cards or labels.
- Linear matrix. Typically used for online office printing. Such devices are characterized by a long service life and high reliability even with daily continuous use.
Pros and cons of dot matrix printers
Among the positive qualities of such printers, it is customary to highlight:
- relatively low printing cost;
- ease of operation;
- rare need to replace “consumables”;
- possibility of carbon copy printing;
- Possibility of printing on low-quality paper.
IMPORTANT! Matrix devices have a feature that can undoubtedly be considered a plus: if there is a lack of ink in the printer, it continues to work, although the font color becomes lighter.
Despite so many positive aspects, many prefer to abandon matrix devices because they:
- print relatively slowly;
- cannot print photos and color images (most models);
- They make quite a lot of noise when working.
To summarize all of the above, it is worth concluding that when choosing a dot matrix printer model, you should take into account the purposes of use and the amount of work required. Taking into account also financial possibilities, you can choose the best option for solving certain problems.
