How to Configure a Dot Matrix Printer to Print on Receipts
There are a ton of good reasons some businesses and individuals still use impact printers in general and dot matrix printers in particular. They generate instant carbon copies plus they are sturdy, efficient and inexpensive to run. They are less versatile than their modern laser counterparts in some ways, however, not the least of which is finding an easy way to print to your own forms. Fortunately, there are software solutions available to make printing to forms pretty painless after a little initial tweaking.
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Instructions
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With Form Pilot
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Download and install Form Pilot. The "Home" version retails for $29.95 as of 2009 while the Pro version is $89.95. Form Pilot Office costs $245 and adds a number of bells and whistles. Choose the level that is right for you.
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Open the program and go to "File," then choose "TWAIN Acquire" to scan your form.
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Type your information right into the scanned image. There may be a little trial and error, so it's wise to print to a blank sheet on the first run. In the print menu, select "Pre-printed Forms" and click "OK."
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Hold the blank sheet behind your printed form and check the alignment of the printed information. If everything lines up, insert your form into the printer feed and you are all set.
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Resend the job if the alignment is off and use the "Offset Units" function in the print dialogue to move your typed information around on the print form. Alternatively, you can use the moving tools located on the toolbar at the top of the program to move the information manually.
With General Over Printer
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Download Universal Over Printer. They offer a 60-day trial with full functionality during the trial period. When your free time is up, a license will cost $29.95.
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Measure the distance to the first field on your form from both the top of the page and the left. You can use either centimeters or inches.
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Open Universal Over Printer and click "New." You'll see a number list of fields. There are enough fields for even the most complicated forms. Enter the text into the first field, then set the parameters in the dialogue below it. You'll need to input the measurements from the page edges in the spaces and tell the program whether the field is text, a barcode or an image. You can also specify the font type and size.
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Continue with all of your form data with each piece of information on a new line with new parameters.
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Insert your hard copy form into the printer feed and select "Print" from the file menu in Universal Over Printer.
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