Why should I use a dot matrix printer instead of an inkjet or laser printer?
Dot matrix printers are impact printers meaning that they have a number of pins that actually strike the paper (hitting the ribbon first of course). This allows the use of carbon or carbonless copies to be made at the time of printing. If you were to use a nonimpact printer such as an inkjet or laser printer then you would have to make a photocopy if copies are needed – not a very professional or timesaving task. Dot matrix printers are typically used for Point of Sale (POS), barcode and other labels, invoices, statements, reports, logs, and other general purpose uses. They are extremely cheap to operate only requiring a routine low cost ribbon change from time to time. Note that some people call dot matrix printers line printers. This is not strictly correct as dot matrix printers don’t print a line at a time – they print a character at a time. Dot matrix printers are also called impact printers for obvious reasons.
