Font design for high-speed impact line printers

In impact line printers that use print-band (or similar) technology, the higher speed required of the type band for higher print throughput results in wider printed strokes with increased slur. Ordinarily, font designers compensate for the increased printed strokewidth by narrowing the width of the engraved characters on the type band. While this approach corrects the total printed character stroke, the print quality is degraded because of increased slur. This paper presents an alternative design approach in which an examination of the essential parameters of print dynamics suggests a font design that incorporates wider strokewidths.