Dot matrix printing or
impact matrix printing is a type of
computer printing which uses a print head that moves back-and-forth, or in an up-and-down motion, on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper, much like the print mechanism on a
typewriter. However, unlike a typewriter or
daisy wheel printer, letters are drawn out of a
dot matrix, and thus, varied fonts and arbitrary graphics can be produced.