Dot Matrix Printers

In many applications, dot matrix printers still provide an excellent solution because of their durability, tolerance to arduous conditions and simplicity of design. The use of tractor feed paper is also ideal in applications such as data logging and aviation.

Dot Matrix Printers from B2B.ie

Industrial settings such as factories and garages often provide difficult conditions for more modern printers unless you put them under a cover. Dust and dirt can have detrimental effects on ink and the insides of printers. In industries such as these, dot matrix printers still provide an excellent solution due to their durability, tolerance for hot conditions and simplicity of design. The use of tractor feed paper is also ideal in many circumstances.

For those that are more accustomed to a more traditional method of doing things, buying a high speed dot matrix printer can be beneficial. As they are technologically similar to typewriters, the mechanism for changing ribbons and fixing paper jams can be a more straight forward process.

Many applications such as ATMs and point of sale machines still benefit from the use of dot matrix printers. However, an area where their importance is often overlooked or under-appreciated is in IT security. Hackers generally attempt to alter and remove logs from systems in order to disguise their activities. As dot matrix printers print line by line, one entry at a time, a local hard copy of system activity is created. This cannot be changed or manipulated so evidence of tampering is always available.

There are also many practical reasons to buy a dot matrix printer:

• They use continuous paper instead of individual sheets.

• Low printing costs per page as the ink begins to fade when low, giving the user sufficient warning of when new ink is required.

• The ink ribbon does not dry out easily.

• Reliable and durable for tough working environments where cost of printing and efficiency is more important than quality.

• Operation and repair costs are minimal in comparison with more advanced printers.

Browse our Range of Durable, Cost Effective Dot Matrix Printers

Dot Matrix Printers

Dot matrix printers are different from inkjet and laser printers in so many ways. They use ‘impact’ technology which involves a printhead that runs on the page and, by ‘impacting’ on a ribbon, produces print, not unlike the way a traditional typewriter worked. They draw letters out of a dot matrix, which enables different fonts and graphics to be applied.

Because they are very reliable and low cost compared to the other two kinds of printers, they are popular in business environments, especially accounting offices, retail stores, garages, warehouses and factories – basically anywhere with tough and challenging conditions. They are also often used for invoices, purchase orders and shipping forms because you can get up to five copies of a document at once, which saves time and money. Another advantage to the dot matrix printer is the fact that you can use continuous paper feed, which means it is suitable for businesses with a high print volume.

There are a few things to look out for when buying a dot matrix printer. The most important is the ‘pin’ number. This determines the print quality and speed. The printers come as either 9pin or 24pin. 24 pin printers survive the toughest conditions and offer fast, efficient and consistently high-quality printing. For flexibility and reliability, the 24pin printer is superior to the 9pin. If you want something more basic, the 9pin will suffice. Other things to consider are print speed and paper size. Print speed is expressed in characters per second (cps) and paper size can be either A4 or A3.

We deal only in Oki dot matrix printers as they are by far the best on the market. They come as both 9pin and 24pin with a print speed of 333 to 1066 cps. Whichever you choose, you can be sure that your printer will be durable and reliable and meet a broad range of business requirements, including multi-part forms and continuous feeds. They are also easy to use, quiet and come with multiple interfaces.