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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Types of Printers
3. Dot Matrix Printers
4. Need for Dot Matrix Printers
5. Categorizing Width Wise
6. Front Panel Operations
7. Printer and Driver Installation
8. Service Check
9. Compatibility
10. Troubleshooting

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 Introduction
Printer Definition
A printer is a piece of hardware for a computer. It is a device that must be connected to a computer
which allows a user to print items on paper, such as letters and pictures. It can also work with digital
cameras to print directly without the use of a computer.

Types of Printers
There are two types of Printers:

1. Impact Printer
2. Non-Impact Printer

Impact Printer

An impact printer has mechanisms resembling those of a typewriter. It forms characters or images by
striking a mechanism such as a print hammer or wheel against an inked ribbon, leaving an image on
paper. Impact printers are dying out; however, you may still come in contact with a dot-matrix printer. A dot-
matrix printer contains a print head of small pins that strike an inked ribbon, forming characters or images.
Print heads are available with 9, 18, or 24 pins; the 24-pin head offers the best print quality.

Dot-Matrix Printers

Dot-matrix printers print about 40-300 characters per second (cps) and can print some graphics, although
the reproduction quality is poor. Color ribbons are available for limited use of color. Dot-matrix printers
are noisy, inexpensive, and they can print through multipart forms, creating several copies of a page at
the same time,

Line Printer

A high-speed printer capable of printing an entire line at one time. A fast line printer can print as many
as3,000 lines per minute. The disadvantages of line printers are that they cannot print graphics, the print
quality is low, and they are very noisy.

Non-Impact Printer

Nonimpact printers form characters and images without direct physical contact between the printing
mechanism and the paper.

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Two types of nonimpact printers often used with microcomputers are laser printers and ink-jet printers.

Laser Printer:

Like a dot-matrix printer, a laser printer creates images with dots. However, as in a photocopying machine,
these images are created on a drum, treated with a magnetically charged ink-like toner (powder), and
then transferred from drum to paper.

Ink-jet printer:

Like laser and dot-matrix printers, ink-jet printers also form images with little dots. Ink-jet printers spray
small, electrically charged droplets of ink from four nozzles through holes in a matrix at high speed onto
paper.

Plotter

A plotter is a computer printing device for printing vector graphics. Plotter is a device that draws
pictures on paper based on commands from a computer. Plotters differ from printers in that they draw
lines using a pen. As a result, they can produce continuous lines, whereas printers can only simulate lines
by printing a closely spaced series of dots. Multicolor plotters use different-colored pens to draw different
colors.

DOT MATRIX PRINTERS

A type of printer that produces characters and illustrations by striking pins against an ink ribbon to print closely
spaced dots in the appropriate shape. They can print to multi-page forms (that is, carbon copies), something
laser and ink-jet printers cannot do.

Dot-matrix printers vary in two important characteristics:

speed: Given in characters per second (cps), the speed can vary from about 50 to over 500 cps. Most dot-
matrix printers offer different speeds depending on the quality of print desired.

print quality: Determined by the number of pins (the mechanisms that print the dots), it can vary from 9
to 24. The best dot-matrix printers (24 pins) can produce near letter-quality type, although you can still see
a difference if you look closely.

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Need for Dot Matrix Printer

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Printing Terminologies
• Bi Directional
Describes on printing direction [L to R, R to L]
Also denotes on communication [PC to Printer, Printer to PC]

• CPS (Characters Per Second

CPS Is used to represent the speed of the Dot Matrix printer

• CPI (Characters Per Inch) or Pitch

CPI Is a measure of Character spacing. Ex : 10 cpi, 12 cpi, Compressed

• LPI ( Lines Per Inch )

LPI is a measure of Line spacing in printing. Ex : 6 LPI, 8 LPI

• DPI (Dots Per Inch)

DPI is a measure of the printer’s resolution

• Font
Font denotes shape/ style of a character. Ex: Roman, Courier, Script,.

• Buffer
Buffer denotes printer memory. Storage area for the characters not yet printed.

• Copy Mode

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 Increases the Multi copy capability by increasing the Pin intensity
2nd or 3rd copy quality looks good and correspondingly reducing the speed

• ASCII
ASCII means to American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A standard
coding system having letters, symbols and control commands

• LF / FF
Line Feed : skips line by line
Form Feed : skips page by page

• Paper feed

• MTBF
MTBF denotes Mean Time between Failure. Measure of Reliability in POH

• Drivers
Drivers are used for translating PC data into Printer understandable instructions

• Hex DUMP
Hexadecimal Print out used to diagnose the print instructions

• TOF
Top of Form: Used to set the first line [top of the line] in a page

• Tear Off
Tear Off is used to set paper tear position. It brings the stationery to bring to the cutting
position

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Know Your MSP Printer

MSP Star – India’s Most Selling Printer

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MSP 140 Star: 9 Wire, 80 Column 300 CPS

Key features, Advantages and Benefits

 Long Print head Life

o 200 Million Characters
o Gives high reliability for high volume print requirements
o Reduced down time
o Lowest cost of operation. Saves up to ` 2000 per year

 Superior Print Speed

o 380 CPS in 12 CPI High Speed Draft
o Faster and Efficient printing
o Prints more - tickets/ bills/ invoices per hour.
o Highest throughput and productivity in its class

 High reliability
o 10000 Power on Hours MTBF
o Rugged and unbeatable performance
o Dependable at high volume printing

 Lowest Cost per print

o Patented TVS Inkbank technology
o 10 Million Characters inkbank life
o Cost to print per page is 2 paise

 Built in Roll paper feeder and printer stand

o Adjustable roll paper feeder to support from 3” to 10”
o Saves space by storing stationery below the printer
stand
o Saves upto Rs 300/- against purchasing external stand
roller

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MSP 240 star

Key Features and Benefits

 Superior Print Speed

o 375 CPS in 15 CPI Draft
o 340 CPS in 12 CPI High Speed Draft mode
o Prints more - tickets/ bills/ invoices per hour

 Lowest Cost per print

o Patented TVS Ink bank technology
o 10 Million characters ink bank life
o Cost to print per page is 2 paisa

 High reliability
o 10000 Power on Hours MTBF
o Rugged and unbeatable performance
o Dependable at high volume printing

 Space saving
o India’s first vertical mountable printer
o Stores stationery below the printer stand
o Saves up to 40% working space
o Convenient to tear the stationery

 i-Sense
o Built in Self diagnostic tool
o Helps checking health of the printer

 Wide Input Power Supply

o Wide Input Power Supply range : 90V ~ 270V AC
o Works in the lowest power at 90VAC without any external UPS
and Stabilizers

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MSP 250 star

Key Features and Benefits

 Superior Print Speed

o 450 CPS in 12 CPI High Speed Draft
o Prints more - tickets/ bills/ invoices per hour
o Up-to 30% more throughput in Text and graphics against
competition printers

 Lowest Cost per print

o Patented TVS Ink bank technology
o 10 Million Characters ink bank life
o Cost to print per page is 2 paisa
o Savings up to ` 7000 in consumables cost every year

 High reliability
o 15000 Power on Hours MTBF
o Rugged and unbeatable performance
o Dependable at high volume printing

 Space saving
o India’s first vertical mountable printer
o Stores stationery below the printer stand
o Saves upto 40% working space
o Convenient to tear the stationery

 I-Sense
o Built in Self diagnostic tool
o Helps checking health of the printer

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MSP 430 / 450 / Star Series

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Front Panel Operations of HD7xx & HD9xx (HD745, HD755, HD945, HD955)

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Front Panel New Star Series Printer

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Platina DP 5000 Alarm Table

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