Line printer#Chain .28train.29 printer

The chain printer is used in the computer printing device that has been used particularly in the 1970s and 1980s in the mainframe area. A rapidly rotating chain with applied pressure type is guided via an ink ribbon. The ribbon is usually made ​​in the form of an ink sheet to meet the high mechanical load requirements. There is a hammer mill which is operated by an electromagnet at each printing position. The individual forges hit exactly when passing by the desired character of the type chain at the printing position. It is printed on continuous paper.

The printing speed and the number of used copies is very high. Already in the 1970s and 1980s were the devices into operation, the sides could every second print. Thus, even today, many chain printer for mass printing, especially in the logistics in use. The high speed is achieved by the fact that on the type of chain printable characters (usually only the 7- bit standard ASCII character set) are redundant to some extent, so that the to be printed in one line characters not only sequentially but within certain limits can be printed simultaneously. Out of this peculiarity is also stated that chain printers are also known as line printer. Bold and semi- graphic printing could be achieved through multiple means of overpressure ASCII control characters. An example of a chain printer is the IBM 3203rd

A follower chain of printer is the steel tape printer in which the types are marked into a steel strip. Examples of this type of printer, the IBM 4245 and IBM 6262 models.