Dot matrix printers, also known as impact matrix devices, are an older kind of printer that relies on an ink-soaked ribbon similar to that used in a typewriter. These devices were the most common ...

A printer that uses hammers and a ribbon to form images from dots. Used to print multipart forms and address labels, the tractor and sprocket mechanism in these devices handles thicker media better ...

Before the 1980s, laser printers were expensive, high-volume units. At that time, dot matrix printers commanded the early PC desktop market for homes and businesses. Compact laser printers, introduced ...

Dot matrix printers are the dinosaurs that won’t go extinct. They are not unlike a typewriter with the type bars behind the ink ribbon replaced by a row of metal pins controlled by solenoids, each pin ...

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Excerpted from The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age, by Thomas S. Mullaney. Published by The MIT Press. Copyright © 2024 MIT. All rights ...

While laser and inkjet printers are increasingly popular, older technology still has value in daily life. Dot matrix printers are similar to manual typewriters, with a history dating back over 100 ...