The dot-matrix printer is an output device which prints text and graphics onto paper. It does this using a set of small metal pins which are arrayed in a row, or pair of rows, on a print head. Between the print head and the paper is an ink ribbon. As the print head moves back and forth across the page, the pins strike the ribbon and the paper underneath, in a pattern determined by the computer. Once one line is done, a motor advances the paper to the next line, and the process repeats. This forms the desired image on the paper.
The dot-matrix printer is perhaps the most common type of printer because they are inexpensive to own and operate. A ribbon may be re-inked or replaced at a fraction of the cost of a toner cartridge for a |laser printer|. The image quality however is not as high as the lasers because of the physical size of the pins. A common |resolution| for dot-matrix printers is roughly 250 dpi (dots per inch) where lasers generally print at 300 dpi, or as high as 2400 dpi. Advances in dot-matrix technology are working to bridge this gap.
