Page "Dot matrix printer" Paragraph 25

Several dot-matrix impact printers ( such as the Epson FX series ) offered ' user-downloadable fonts '.

This gave the user the flexibility to print with different typefaces.

PC software uploaded a user-defined fontset into the printer's memory, replacing the built-in typeface with the user's selection.

Any subsequent text printout would use the downloaded font, until the printer was powered off or soft-reset.

Several third-party programs were developed to allow easier management of this capability.

With a supported word-processor program ( such as WordPerfect 5. 1 ), the user could embed up to 2 NLQ custom typefaces in addition to the printer's built-in ( ROM ) typefaces.

( The later rise of WYSIWYG software philosophy rendered downloaded fonts obsolete.