Abstract: A dot impact type serial printer is provided with a print head which has a plurality of print wires for printing an image. The print wires required to print a particular image are thrust toward a platen successively upon receiving a print timing signal, where each print timing signal is delayed from the previous print timing signal by a predetermined time interval t. The delay of each print timing signal is based on the time required for a surface wave, caused by the impact of print wires on the platen, to pass lengthwise across the platen and is selected to be less than one-half the surface wave travel time.

Abstract: The noise level of an impact printer is reduced by at least 5 dB by providing a resonant absorption chamber between the printer frame and the cover which is designed so as to have a resonance frequency corresponding to the fundamental frequency of the printer noise.