Introduced in the 1970s, laser printing has brought major cost savings to the document production process. It has also ushered in a whole new world of freedom and flexibility in computer printing. Laser printers combine computer, laser, and xerographic technologies to print text and graphics, as well as forms, in practically unrestricted paper size, type of paper and orientation directly from digital information.
Impact printing imposes many constraints on the user because it is a mechanically based technology.
Meeting Critical Print Windows. As mentioned earlier, a key feature of laser printing is the ability to print a form and the variable data that goes into the form all in a single operation. This capability not only cuts costs but allows users to meet printing deadlines that would be difficult or impossible using preprinted forms. For example, a Canadian food distributor was having a major problem getting price information to its customers quickly enough. The firm was using line printers and a quarter-million preprinted forms monthly to produce an order guide which its customers needed for ordering products.