Star Dot Matrix Printer, Model NX 1001, circa 1985

Dot matrix printers were introduced to the computing market in the 1970s. Their operation is similar to a typewriter: a print head moves across the page, striking an inked ribbon, producing characters. As hardware improved, speed and typeface options increased. However groundbreaking, by the 1990s, dot matrix printers were replaced by inkjet and laser printers, capable of producing photorealistic images.