Editing Dot matrix printing (section)

{{Short description|Computer printing process}}
[[File:Tally 5040 Passbook dot matrix printer.jpg|thumb|A dot matrix printer]]

[[File:"Delivery", printed in a bold, large font on a dot matrix printer.jpg|thumb|Sample output from a dot matrix printer|alt=The word "Delivery" as output in a bold, large font by a dot matrix receipt printer, as seen under a low-powered microscope]]

'''Dot matrix printing''',<ref name=NYT.dot>{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |title=Getting the most out of a dox matrix printer |author=Peter H. Lewis |date=December 17, 1985 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/17/science/peripherals-getting-the-most-out-of-a-dot-matrix-printer.html |access-date=December 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212193238/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/17/science/peripherals-getting-the-most-out-of-a-dot-matrix-printer.html |archive-date=December 12, 2017}}</ref> sometimes called '''impact matrix printing''', is a [[computer printing]] process in which ink is applied to a surface using a relatively low-resolution [[dot matrix]] for layout. Dot matrix printers are a type of [[printer (computing)#Impact printers|impact printer]] that prints using a fixed number of pins or wires<ref name="KidBrit1">{{cite web |title=Dot-matrix printer |website=Britannica.com |url=https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Dot-matrix-printer/321714 |access-date=2017-12-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212144651/https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Dot-matrix-printer/321714 |archive-date=2017-12-12}}</ref><ref name="NYT.dot2">{{cite news |author=Peter H. Lewis |title=Getting the most out of a dot matrix printer |date=December 17, 1985 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/17/science/peripherals-getting-the-most-out-of-a-dot-matrix-printer.html |access-date=December 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212193238/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/17/science/peripherals-getting-the-most-out-of-a-dot-matrix-printer.html |archive-date=December 12, 2017}}</ref> and typically use a print head that moves back and forth or in an up-and-down motion on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper. They were also known as '''serial dot matrix printers'''.<ref name="PCmag.DotM">{{cite web |title=Dot Matrix Printer |website=PCmag.com |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/41904/dot-matrix-printer |access-date=2017-12-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212140806/https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/41904/dot-matrix-printer |archive-date=2017-12-12}}</ref> Unlike [[typewriter]]s or [[line printer]]s that use a similar print mechanism, a dot matrix printer can print arbitrary patterns and not just specific characters.

The perceived quality of dot matrix printers depends on the vertical and horizontal resolution and the ability of the printer to overlap adjacent dots. 9-pin and 24-pin are common; this specifies the number of pins in a specific vertically aligned space. With 24-pin printers, the horizontal movement can slightly overlap dots, producing visually superior output ([[near letter-quality printing|near letter-quality]] or NLQ), usually at the cost of speed.
[[File:Indian railway suburban rail ticket.jpg|thumb|A [[Kolkata Suburban Railway]] rail ticket printed on by a dot matrix printer]]
Dot matrix printing is typically distinguished from non-impact methods, such as [[inkjet printer|inkjet]], [[thermal printer|thermal]], or [[laser printing]], which also use a [[bitmap]] to represent the printed work. These  other technologies can support higher dot resolutions and print more quickly, with less noise. Unlike other technologies, impact printers can print on [[multipart stationery|multi-part forms]], allowing multiple copies to be made simultaneously, often on paper of different colors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dot Matrix vs. Inkjet |website=YourBusiness.AZcentral.com |url=https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/dot-matrix-vs-inkjet-2827.html |access-date=2018-10-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012060734/https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/dot-matrix-vs-inkjet-2827.html |archive-date=2019-10-12 |quote=Dot matrix and inkjet printers share one key characteristic — both make images out of small dots. With a dot matrix printer, a pin presses through a ribbon to make an impact on the page. Inkjet printers have an electrical signal that causes a microscopic quantity of ink to squirt onto the page.}}</ref> They can also employ endless printing using [[continuous paper]] that is fanfolded and perforated so that pages can be easily torn from each other.