Why are dot matrix printers used for?

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Jake

Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
should've been replaced by inkjet and laser printers long ago. Are they?
 
Jake said:
Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
should've been replaced by inkjet and laser printers long ago. Are they?
Click to expand...

While dot matrix has long ago left the consumer mainstream it still has its
niche. Applications such as receipt printing, especially when multipart forms
are required, still use dot matrix printers.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging
 
Jake said:
Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
should've been replaced by inkjet and laser printers long ago. Are they?
Click to expand...


Ever tried to do 3-part invoices with a laser? I get the yellow copy
every time I pay my cable bill. They are using the next version up of the
Epson LQ 750 I still have around somewhere from a previous computer--why?
Because it does this specific job.

Brendan

--
 
Jake said:
Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
should've been replaced by inkjet and laser printers long ago. Are they?
Click to expand...

Old things, like old people, should be put in the garbage?

Dot matrix printers are used in banks and stores where they print
duplicates on two part forms for record keeping.

They could be used in voting machines where they make a copy for the
voter to take home, and a second copy for permanent records for recounts.

Old isn't necessarily dead because it is old.

Sure, there are other ways to make "duplicates" , but two part forms are
really useful.
 
Sure, there are other ways to make "duplicates" , but two part forms are
really useful.
Click to expand...

I want to know what other ways are there? Actually I really want to
know how I can print my two-part invoice form from my laser printer.

Here's the reasons for what I might not like. The invoice books sold
by Staples don't have my company name on it. Print shops can add my
company logo but ask for a minimum of 5000 sets when I need no more
than 200. Buying a dox matrix printer is unlikely due to limited
office space and technical know-how.
 
Ezo said:
I want to know what other ways are there? Actually I really want to
know how I can print my two-part invoice form from my laser printer.

Here's the reasons for what I might not like. The invoice books sold
by Staples don't have my company name on it. Print shops can add my
company logo but ask for a minimum of 5000 sets when I need no more
than 200. Buying a dox matrix printer is unlikely due to limited
office space and technical know-how.
Click to expand...

1. Why not just print 2 or more copies of your invoice. 2. Or, you could
buy some multi-part carbonless treated paper and create your own invoices.
Some craft stores have pad making kits so after printing your invoice sets
you can then make your own books if you like.

David
 
Ezo said:
I want to know what other ways are there? Actually I really want to
know how I can print my two-part invoice form from my laser printer.

Here's the reasons for what I might not like. The invoice books sold
by Staples don't have my company name on it. Print shops can add my
company logo but ask for a minimum of 5000 sets when I need no more
than 200. Buying a dox matrix printer is unlikely due to limited
office space and technical know-how.
Click to expand...

Why not just print two copies?
With a laser printer there are ways you can store "forms" and set them
to be printed on every sheet (using a PCL or PS macro).

Dot matrix aren't great for graphics, though.
Once I designed a form with out logo in CorelDraw, made an Epson print
file, then set up a batch file to print it on every page of a 2000
sheet box of tractor feed paper. Did it overnight once a month, then
spent 10 minutes refolding the paper and fed it back in and used t to
print invoices.
 
Jake said:
Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
should've been replaced by inkjet and laser printers long ago. Are they?
Click to expand...

They're extremely cheap to run. $3-4 for a ribbon that does a few
thousand pages. You can get them used free or for a few dollars. Main
use is for invoices and such plain text, but a 24 pin dotmatrix does
about 180dpi, adequate for Truetype text for correspondence (better if
you can use the built in fonts). However, they are slower than lasers
(for small SoHo ones, the manframe ones that big companies use scream
through paper).
I've got one, (found it in the trash, scraped the rust off, bought a
ribbon, and it was away.) I used it as a backup printer when I was
between lasers.
 
Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
should've been replaced by inkjet and laser printers long ago. Are they?
Click to expand...
Where I've seen them used most is for multi part tractor feed (holes on
the edge) forms.
 
Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
1) Makes that ear shattering sound. Very soothing.

2) Prints that can't be photocopied and passed off - ie. the original
'look' of a dot matrix can't be easily duplicated in today's Xerox
machines. You'd have to have a dot matrix printer to do that, which
very few people have. (on the other hand, good for times when you're
trying to duplicate an original dot matrix print, ie. receipts)

3) Solid as a rock. Dot matrix printers almost never break down
after years of heavy use. They simply go and go like the Energizer
bunny, and rarely require anything more than a new ribbon.

4) Prints banners easily. You want a 50 mile banner? No problem!
Just feed paper that long and it'll print a banner that long. Can't do
that with any inkjet/laser printer today because they all are limited to
a certain limit (although some enterprising people who use Linux + GIMP
+ certain printers can bypass the limit in creative manners).

5) Love that Z-fold paper. Can't get that anywhere else, and you
don't even need to staple the mess together later on. Perfect for those
multi-million line program printouts for archiving as well as
debugging on paper.

6) Imprints paper. Can't do that with any other format. You can
adjust most printers to make a pretty heavy imprint so that you can
actually feel the bumps on the other side.

7) dirt-cheap to operate. ribbons are cheaper than lasers or inkjets
-- and super-easy to reink.

8) all prints can be logged. Use a film one-time-use ribbon, lock
the printer up, and you can track every character it prints.

9) Prints in any orientation. Honestly, it's the only printer out
there short of ribbon-type thermal transfer printers (eg. dye-subs) that
can print in any orientation as long as the paper path is supported.
Want to mount it upside down? No problem. (and no ink/toner leaking )
 
Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
should've been replaced by inkjet and laser printers long ago. Are they?
Click to expand...
They are used for multi-part forms in most offices, they work and seem
to last forever
 
1. Why not just print 2 or more copies of your invoice. 2. Or, you could
buy some multi-part carbonless treated paper and create your own invoices.
Some craft stores have pad making kits so after printing your invoice sets
you can then make your own books if you like.
Click to expand...

One reason to continue multi-part forms would involve signatures. You
get one IDENTICAL signature on all copies. I would think there could be
legal problems in some cases if there are multiple signatures required
for the same thing.
 
Ezo said:
I want to know what other ways are there? Actually I really want to
know how I can print my two-part invoice form from my laser printer.

Here's the reasons for what I might not like. The invoice books sold
by Staples don't have my company name on it. Print shops can add my
company logo but ask for a minimum of 5000 sets when I need no more
than 200. Buying a dox matrix printer is unlikely due to limited
office space and technical know-how.
Click to expand...


My old Epson LQ 570 did a decent job with graphics. Why not just include
your logo (a basic line-art version) as part of the template. Won't be
great quality but it will be cheap to print on generic 2-part forms.

Other people use a custom rubber stamp.

Brendan
--
 
They tend to be noisy and slow, but they are the perfect solution in
cases where carbon or carbonless copies are required, since they
actually impact the paper with pressure. They are also very inexpensive
to run, because the ribbons are much cheaper than the ink or toner in
laser or inkjet printers (mainly because they charge enough for the
printer when sold not to try to make the money back on the consumables).

They can print and be legible on pretty much any basic paper. Many
point of purchase and cash register type devises have dot matrix
mechanisms built in.

Art
 
David said:
8) all prints can be logged. Use a film one-time-use ribbon, lock the
printer up, and you can track every character it prints.
Click to expand...


It might be difficult to log a dot matrix printer output from the
ribbon, even if it were a one use type. I don't think the ribbon moves
at the same rate as the head.

A daisy wheel printer might work for this application.

Art
 
Why are dot matrix printers used for? I thought they are old and
Betcha you didn't think of this one:
A dot matrix printout will last for decades, while a direct thermal printout
lasts a maximum of 5 years.

My arabic friend had trouble returning a car battery to the store when the fax
paper receipt was erased and they didn't have the transaction in the computer.
He wouldn't of had to argue as much if the receipt was printed with a dot
matrix printer. (Sad how the battery warranty is longer than how long the store
remembers transactions :-p)

When I was in the 3rd grade, I used to think those printers were called dot
"matt tricks" printers instead of dot "may tricks" printers.
 
Looking for a replacement board or a scrap printer, not willing to pay encad
$725 for a board. Printer seems to be a needy type, this is the last chance
for it.
 
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