Band printer
Band printer
A band printer is an impact printer that utilizes a rotating band with embossed characters to create impressions on inked paper, producing high-speed, multi-copy printouts. Unlike other impact printers, the band provides a continuous print path, allowing for simultaneous printing of multiple characters.
What does Band printer mean?
A band printer is a type of line printer that uses a continuously rotating band or chain of characters to produce high-speed, low-resolution hardcopy output. Each character in the band is represented by a metal or plastic band with raised or embossed portions that correspond to the different characters. As the band rotates, it passes in front of an inked ribbon and then makes contact with the paper, transferring the ink to the paper.
Band printers are typically used in applications where high-speed printing is required, such as in transaction processing systems, inventory control systems, and Point-of-sale systems. They are also used in applications where low-resolution output is acceptable, such as in shipping labels, receipts, and other documents that do not require high-quality graphics.
Applications
Band printers are important in technology Today because they offer a number of advantages over other types of printers, including:
- High speed: Band printers can print at speeds of up to 1,500 lines per minute (lpm), which is much faster than most other types of printers.
- Low cost: Band printers are relatively inexpensive to Purchase and operate.
- Reliability: Band printers are very reliable and can withstand heavy use.
- Versatility: Band printers can be used to print a variety of documents, including text, graphics, and barcodes.
History
The first band printer was invented in 1953 by Remington Rand. The printer was called the Uniprinter and it could print at speeds of up to 600 lpm. The Uniprinter was a commercial success and it quickly became the standard band printer for many years.
In the 1970s, a new generation of band printers was introduced that used electronic controls instead of Mechanical controls. These printers were faster and more reliable than the earlier mechanical printers.
In the 1980s, band printers began to be replaced by laser printers and Inkjet printers. These printers offered higher resolution and better print quality than band printers. However, band printers are still used in some applications where high speed and low cost are more important than high resolution.