Printers

Keystroke will work with almost any dot matrix or laser printer, but it is recommend to use one that connects via a parallel printer port.

For multiple-copy Invoices (also billing statements, other forms, and reports), just about any dot matrix printer will work well (we like those manufactured by Okidata).

Any HP (Hewlett Packard)-compatible laser printer should work very well for reports, single copy forms (which can be set up to print multiple times), and/or barcode labels. However, there is a reason laser printers are compared to HP... (hint, hint!).

Although inkjet printers are acceptable for printing reports, we do not recommend them for use with Keystroke, especially for labels.

When selecting a printer, it is important to consider what you want to print, how much you will be printing, and the cost of labels and other supplies.

Dot Matrix Printers

Dot matrix printers offer the simplest, least expensive means of printing reports and labels. Most newer 24-pin printers will print acceptable barcode graphics; however, some older models are not capable of printing barcodes. These barcodes do not have the sharp quality of the laser or thermal printers, and therefore it may be necessary to print the barcodes slightly larger to compensate for the lower quality. Label stock is available from a wide variety of sources and is reasonably priced.

The best dot matrix printers to use with Keystroke are those manufactured by Okidata or Epson. Other printers may also work well with Keystroke (i.e., Panasonic, Citizen, Lexmark), but often each printer model has unique properties and printer commands which are not entirely consistent with the emulation they are set up to handle.

Laser Printers

Laser printers provide high quality reports, price tags and labels and excellent general printing capabilities at a reasonable price. Not only can they print labels, price tags and barcode price tags, but also reports, invoices, purchase orders, etc. You can also print to the laser printer from other software packages such as word processing or desktop publishing packages. Laser printers are "page" printers, meaning that labels will typically be printed on 8½ by 11 inch pages. Barcode labels may be set up as one to six across the page, ranging from one to 60 labels per page. Whether you are printing one, 10, or 50 labels, a full page is always sent through the printer, so there may be some wasted label stock.

The best laser printers to use with Keystroke are those manufactured by Hewlett Packard (HP), or printers which are HP-compatible.

Receipt Printers

Receipt printers are an option to be considered if quick sales receipts printed on narrow roll-type paper, typically 3 inches wide (two-part carbon-less paper is available for most receipt printers) are desired. There are a handful of receipt printer manufacturers who all have various models with different capabilities ranging from simple tear-off types, to those with automatic cutters, and check endorsement features. Keep in mind that the less expensive the printer, the slower the print speed and the fewer the options.

Receipt printers can be either thermal or dot matrix; when deciding which type of printer to purchase, keep in mind your budget and what you intend to do with the printer.

One of the newest changes in receipt printers is the use of thermal printer technology, which is much faster than the more common dot matrix types of printers. A thermal receipt printer is generally more expensive, not only due to the cost of the actual printer, but also because the paper stock for thermal printers is usually more expensive than that for dot matrix printers. Thermal printers, however, typically offer benefits such as raw speed, improved flexibility, durability, and quality of the actual printout produced. Another aspect to consider when deciding which type of printer to use is that thermal printers are usually the most difficult to set up because each printer manufacturer uses their own unique programming language.

Receipt printers that work well with Keystroke include Star Micronics, Ithaca Peripherals, and the Epson TM Series.

Label Printers

Thermal label printers are generally the most expensive type of label printer to use. This is due not only to the cost of the printer alone, but also because the label stock for thermal printers can be considerably more expensive than that for laser or dot matrix printers. Thermal label printers also serve a sole purpose, unlike other printers, which can be used for other tasks. Thermal label printers, however, typically offer added benefits such as raw speed, improved flexibility, durability, and quality of the actual labels produced. Another aspect to consider when weighing which type of printer to use is that thermal printers are sometimes the most difficult to set up and create labels for. This is due to the fact that each printer manufacturer uses a different programming language.

The best printers of this type to use with Keystroke are the Barcode Blazers from Axiohm/Cognitive Solutions, Star Micronics, Ithaca Peripherals, and Eltron International.

Certain other relatively high-end barcode label printers can also be configured for special applications such as plastic stake tags used in plant nurseries.