The Panasonic KX-P2023 Dot Matrix Printer is a great basic printer for everyday use

While the world has moved on to inkjet and laser printers, most of my printing is still done using the Panasonic KX-P 2023 dot matrix printer. Everything gets printed in one color, basic black.

Supported by Windows

Windows (including XP and earlier versions) supplies the correct printer driver automatically when you tell it what printer this is. Because of that, the Panasonic KX-P 2023 will print not just the text for which it was originally designed, but also graphics from Windows documents. This is useful if you are trying to print out an online coupon or other pictorial elements, although they will not be beautiful. Connecting the printer to the CPU is easy if your computer comes equipped with a parallel port.

This is a 24-pin printer which is much better quality than the 9-pin printers available years ago. The printing is adequate for text purposes, but is not recommended for most graphical uses. And don't even think about printing a photo. No matter how much you like black and white photography, the results from this printer will not please you.

Instant on

Dot matrix printers are ready to use in an instant, needing no warm up period after powering on as inkjets and lasers do. But they make up for that timewise in how long they take to print documents. Even plain text will take about two minutes per page on the Panasonic KX-P 2023.

And despite the word "quiet" being largely displayed on the top of the printer's case, the KX-P 2023 is noisy. The noise is not so loud as to harm your hearing, but some people might find it annoying, particularly while printing long documents. Be sure to keep the plastic sound guard closed to minimize printing noise.

May have to search for supplies

Supplies for this printer are inexpensive, but have become somewhat more difficult to find. The best replacement ribbons are those made by Panasonic itself. Unfortunately, none of the major office supply stores where I live carry them anymore. There are aftermarket ribbons made by Nukote and other companies which cost about $11. They do not seem to last as long as the Panasonic ribbons. I don't recommend stocking up on ribbons if you find a deal because they tend to dry out even though they come sealed in plastic inside the cardboard box. The better brands come with a hole that you poke with a pen when the printing gets light. This gives the ribbon a new lease on life, resulting in darker, better print quality for awhile. When the print becomes too light after this, it's time to replace the ribbon. It's still much cheaper than cartridges for most inkjet printers.

The KX-P 2023 has a tractor feed for the paper. This means you buy continuous computer paper where all the sheets are hooked together. Once the printing is done, you separate the sheets using perforations at the end of each page. The paper is wider than normal to accommodate the holes on each side for the tractors. To load, you fold back the sound guard, open the plastic clamps on either side, place the paper's holes over the little lumps, and then close the clamps. Be sure you have lined the paper up so the holes on both sides match the lumps. Then push the "load park" button once and the printer will position the paper correctly for printing the first page. Close the sound guard and you are ready to print. If the paper runs out, blinking lights will alert you. This paper comes in boxes of 1,000 or 2,500 sheets. Sometimes I can find it at yard sales at bargain prices. Otherwise, office supply stores have it, although it is less readily available than formerly when dot matrix printers were in greater use.

Once your printing is completed, you press the "tear off" button once. This advances the paper so the bottom perforation is in the right place for removal. Use the edge of the lid to tear against for a clean edge. Then press the "tear off" button again to put the paper back so it's ready for your next printing job.

Best to watch it while printing

I've learned that I can't just wander off after I've started printing a long document on the KX-P 2023. That's because the paper has a tendency to fail out of proper alignment in the tractor feed. When this happens, the paper stops moving. The printer will keep printing, placing all the information in one spot and creating a big black blotch. It is fairly easy to get the paper reloaded and restart printing, although you do end up wasting some paper.

The ribbon can also get twisted so nothing appears on the paper. This is resolved by turning a knob on top of the ribbon case. There is an arrow that shows the proper direction so you can't do this wrong. Keep turning a bit past where it first looks straight and flat to be sure the twist is completely cleared.

Other than the user serviceable issues, I've never had any trouble with this printer. It has never needed service. It works every time I turn it on. Even though I have two inkjet printers, I use the Panasonic KX-P 2023 the most. I recommend it.