Dot matrix printing

Dot matrix printing forms text and images from patterns of dots, usually by driving pins against an inked ribbon and paper.

Impact printing: A printing method that transfers ink by physically striking a ribbon or other medium against paper. Dot matrix printing is a pin-based form of this broader printing family.
Multipart form: A form with multiple layers that produce matching copies when written or printed upon. Impact can transfer the same printed information through several layers at once.
Inkjet printing: A printing method that creates images by ejecting tiny droplets of liquid ink onto a surface. Inkjet output is usually quieter and finer, but lacks dot matrix's impact-copy ability.
Teleprinter: An electromechanical machine that sends and receives typed messages over communication networks. Teleprinter systems created demand for automated, impact-based text output.
Printer noise: Sound produced by a printer during operation, especially by moving or impact mechanisms. Rapid pin strikes gave dot-matrix printers their characteristic clatter.
Print head: The printer component that deposits marks on a surface, often by moving across it. Its pins fire in timed patterns as the head travels across the page.
Continuous stationery: Paper supplied as a connected web, often folded into stacks and separated by perforations. Tractor-feed dot-matrix printers handle long, connected forms reliably.
Laser printing: A printing method that uses a laser and electrostatic charges to place toner on paper. Laser printers offer sharper, faster office documents without striking the paper.
IBM 407: An IBM accounting machine introduced in 1952 that could print and process business records. Its print mechanism used selectable wires to produce characters as dot patterns.
ASCII art: Images composed from characters in the ASCII text encoding. Dot-matrix printers could render text-based pictures using repeated character patterns.

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Thermal printingCompared with: Its mechanical impact and ribbon distinguish it from heat-driven marking.