ImageWriter

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Apple ImageWriter dot-matrix printer, next to a Macintosh 512K

ImageWriter were a series of dot matrix printers sold between 1982 and 1996 by Apple Computer. Although supplanted in the high-end by the famous LaserWriter and on the low-end by the StyleWriter, the ImageWriter remained a popular printer for roles like forms printing or producing banners.

The original ImageWriter was a re-packaged 7-pin printer from C.Itoh Electronics, released in 1983. It was originally intended to be used with the Apple II, replacing the earlier Apple Dot Matrix Printer (also a C.Itoh model). The ImageWriter could produce images as well as text, up to a resolution of 144 DPI and a speed of about 120 cps. The ImageWriter was also supported by the Macintosh 128K computer, the original Mac. Apple wanted a graphical printer for the Mac, and had introduced the ImageWriter primarily to support the new machine. This permitted it to produce WYSIWYG output from the screen of the computer, which was an important aspect for promoting the concept of the GUI. Quality was adequate rather than startling.

1 ImageWriter II
2 ImageWriter LQ
3 Options
4 References
5 External links

[edit] ImageWriter II

ImageWriter II

The ImageWriter II was released in September 1985. It utilized a C.Itoh mechanism and was somewhat faster than the original ImageWriter, and particularly well known for being extremely sturdy – ImageWriter II's were still in common use for forms printing a decade after they were produced.

With an optional networking card installed, the ImageWriter II was a low cost alternative to the vastly more expensive LaserWriter. It could also produce basic colour images using a colour ribbon, a feature that was supported by the original black and white version of QuickDraw, which, although almost unknown, actually supported eight colors. The ImageWriter II also offered an NLQ (near-letter-quality) ASCII mode, a feature for improved text quality on the Apple II platform.

The ImageWriter II was offered as two models with different carriage widths: the narrow carriage version for 8.5-inch-wide tractor-fed paper, and the wide carriage version for wider paper. When the wide carriage was introduced in late 1985 (or early 1986), the only Apple software that supported it was MacProject. Although a very few third-party applications also supported it, most applications could print only as if there were 8.5-inch paper in the printer.

The narrow carriage model also supported an optional external sheet feeder that could feed cut sheet paper. However, the attachment was generally unreliable.

The ImageWriter II was designed in accordance with Apple's Snow White design language. In 1986 it received the I.D. Design Review and Silver Industrial Design Excellence Awards^[1], making it the first desktop printer to receive such appraisal.

Despite the introduction of the inkjet StyleWriter in 1991, the ImageWriter II kept selling. It was made until late 1996, making it the longest running Apple product in history. They are still useful for printing banners.

[edit] ImageWriter LQ

Around the turn of the decade a 27-pin (as opposed to the earlier models' 9 pins) model called the ImageWriter LQ (short for "letter quality") was introduced. The print quality was comparable to competing 24-pin dot-matrix printers, and offered graphics at 320 x 216 DPI. Unlike the ImageWriter II, the LQ was unreliable and noisy.

The ImageWriter II (as well as the LQ) could be networked on an AppleTalk network with the addition of a card. This, as well as guaranteed compatibility with both Apple II and Macintosh computers, made it a popular choice in schools.

[edit] Options

Apple provided a LocalTalk option for network connectivity. Apple also sold a 32K input buffer option, while Orange Micro marketed the ImageBuffer with a whopping 128K. Sequential Systems also sold buffer and LocalTalk options.^[2] In 1984 Thunderware introduced the ThunderScan, an optical scanner that was installed in place of the ImageWriter ribbon cartridge.^[3] With support for the Apple II and the Mac, the ThunderScan provided low cost grayscale scanning with moderate resolution and speed.

Using CUPS drivers, it is possible to use an ImageWriter II under OS X - with suitable hardware/software it can also be shared over AppleTalk.