Printing SpeedThe speed of text printing is measured in lines per minute (lpm). This speed isdependent upon the number of dot rows required to produce a line of characters,regardless of the number of characters in the line. Because more dot rows arerequired to print lowercase characters with descenders, those character lines willprint at a fractionally lower rate.In addition to character printing, the printer can plot dot-addressable graphicimages. The speed of graphics plotting is measured in inches per minute (ipm).Unidirectional plotting can produce better print quality and takes about twice aslong as bidirectional plotting. You can select either plotting mode from theoperator panel or from the host computer.Printing rates also vary according to the print quality you select. For example, ifyou select the Near Letter Quality (NLQ) option, the printer uses more dot rowsand slower print strokes to form characters than if you choose the Draft Qualityoption. Character formation and print speed are faster in Draft Quality because theprinter uses fewer dot rows to form characters.Printing rates are listed in Appendix A, “Printer Specifications,” on page 249.Appendix B. A Quick Look at Line Matrix Printing 263
