If you use commercial software that produces graphics, all you need to know about dot graphics is how to use the software. If, on the other hand, you wish to do your own programming or merely wish to understand how the Apex80 prints graphics, read on.

The Print Head

To understand dot graphics you need to know a little about how the Apex80’s print head works.

The Apex80's print head has nine pins. As it moves across the page, electrical impulses cause the pins to fire. Each time a pin fires, it strikes the inked ribbon and presses it against the paper to produce a small dot. As the head moves across the paper, the pins fire time after time in different patterns to produce letters, numbers, or symbols.

6.2

Introduction to Dot Graphics