Editing Dot matrix (section)

== Use in printers ==
The process of doing [[dot matrix printing]] can involve [[dot matrix printers]], both for impact and non-impact printers.

Almost all modern computer printers (both impact and non-impact) create their output as matrices of dots, and they may use 
* [[laser printer|laser printing]] 
* [[inkjet printer|inkjet printing]]
* [[dot matrix printers]]

Except for impact dot matrix printers, it is not customary to call the others by that term.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 4, 1985  |author=ERIK SANDBERG-DIMENT
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/04/science/personal-computers-letter-quality-almost.html
|title=PERSONAL COMPUTERS; LETTER QUALITY, ALMOST|work=The New York Times
}}</ref>

Printers that are not but what ''The New York Times'' calls a "dot-matrix impact printer" are not called [[dot matrix printers]]. Impact printers survive where multi-part forms are needed, as the pins can impress dots through multiple layers of paper to make a [[carbonless copy]], for security purposes.

As an impact printer, the term mainly refers to low-resolution [[computer printer#Obsolete and special-purpose printing technologies|impact printer]]s, with a column of 8, 9 or 24 "pins" hitting an ink-impregnated fabric ribbon, like a [[typewriter]] ribbon, onto the paper. It was originally contrasted with both [[daisy wheel]] printers and [[line printer]]s that used fixed-shape [[embossing (manufacturing)|embossed]] metal or plastic stamps to mark paper.

All types of electronic printers typically generate image data as a two-step process. First the information to be printed is converted into a dot matrix using a [[raster image processor]], and the output is a dot matrix referred to as a [[raster image]], which is a complete full-page rendering of the information to be printed. [[Raster Graphics|Raster]] image processing may occur in either the printer itself using a [[page description language]] such as [[Adobe Postscript]], or may be performed by printer driver software installed on the user's computer.

Early 1980s impact printers used a simple form of internal raster image processing, using low-resolution built-in bitmap fonts to render raw character data sent from the computer, and only capable of storing enough dot matrix data for one printed line at a time. External raster image processing was possible such as to print a graphical image, but was commonly extremely slow and data was sent one line at a time to the impact printer.

Depending on the printer technology the dot size or grid shape may not be uniform. Some printers are capable of producing smaller dots and will intermesh the small dots within the corners larger ones for [[Spatial anti-aliasing|antialiasing]]. Some printers have a fixed resolution across the printhead but with much smaller micro-stepping for the mechanical paper feed, resulting in non-uniform dot-overlapping printing resolutions like 600×1200 dpi.

A dot matrix is useful for marking materials other than paper. In manufacturing industry, many product marking applications use dot matrix inkjet or impact methods. This can also be used to print 2D matrix codes, e.g. [[Datamatrix]].