Dot Matrix Printers

Correct Answer: Loose or damaged printhead

The most likely cause of irregular, wavy characters in a dot matrix printer's output is a loose or damaged printhead. The printhead is responsible for physically striking the ink ribbon against the paper to form characters. If the printhead is loose or damaged, it can cause misalignment and inconsistent character formation. An outdated printer driver or improper print settings would not typically cause this specific issue, as they relate more to software communication and configuration. Insufficient power supply could potentially cause printing issues, but would more likely result in the printer not functioning at all rather than producing wavy characters.

Correct Answer: Degraded print quality due to uneven impact on the paper

A dot matrix printer operates by striking a printhead against an ink ribbon to transfer ink onto paper. This action creates the visible characters and images. If there is a build-up of debris on the printhead, it can prevent some of the pins from striking the ribbon and paper effectively. This would result in degraded print quality due to an uneven impact on the paper, as some characters may appear lighter, incomplete, or missing. Hence, the consequence described matches the potential issue with a dirty printhead on a dot matrix printer. As for the other potential consequences listed: An increase in paper jams is more likely caused by issues with the paper feed mechanism rather than the printhead; excess toner spillage is not applicable to dot matrix printers, as they use ribbons rather than toner; and while a potential short circuit due to dust accumulation is possible in electronic devices, it is less likely and less immediate than print quality degradation due to a dirty printhead.

Correct Answer: Adjust the print head gap

The best action a technician should take when the print head of a dot matrix printer produces faint characters, even after replacing the ribbon, is to adjust the print head gap. This is because the distance between the print head and the paper may be too great, resulting in a weak impact that doesn't transfer the ink from the ribbon to the paper effectively. Other potential solutions like cleaning the printer's internal mechanisms are important for maintenance but may not address the immediate issue of the print head gap causing faint characters. Realigning the paper feed mechanism is also important for ensuring that paper is fed through the printer properly, but it wouldn't cause faint characters from the print head. Finally, replacing the entire print head assembly might be a more costly solution and generally is only necessary if the print head is actually damaged or completely failed, which does not appear to be the case here since the issue is with faint characters despite having a new ribbon.