This updated article summarizes several notable IBM printers: the high-speed mechanical 1403 (1959), the IBM 1132 for the 1130, the rotary-wheel 716 for the 700/7000 series, a RAMAC-era 370-class printer (model details flagged for verification), and the mid-1990s 6400 line-matrix family (Model i24 speeds flagged for verification). It notes IBM's 1991 exit from printer manufacturing and the continued influence of these designs.
IBM's printer legacy
IBM produced influential line and impact printers from the 1950s through the 1990s. These devices ranged from high-speed mechanical line printers used with large mainframes to later line-matrix machines for enterprise servers and PCs. IBM exited the printer and keyboard manufacturing business in 1991 when that division became Lexmark, but many IBM designs shaped the category.
6400 series (line matrix)
The IBM 6400 family is a line-matrix product family introduced in the mid-1990s that targeted high-volume business printing. These printers were built for mainframes, servers and PCs and emphasized sustained throughput for reports and forms.
One notable member, the Model i24, was optimized for high-volume text at six lines per inch and is reported to reach very high line rates in draft and DP modes; specific published figures give as much as 2400 lines per minute in Fast Draft and 1800 lpm in DP mode.
Common attributes of the 6400 line matrix models included an enclosed cabinet to reduce noise, real-time alerting for operator status, and a focus on reliability and low total cost of ownership for continuous, heavy-duty printing workloads.
1403 series (chain and train line printers)
Introduced in 1959 as part of the IBM 1401 system, the IBM 1403 became one of the most recognizable high-speed line printers of its era. Early 1403 models printed about 600 lines per minute and used a horizontal print chain with multiple copies of the character set. Later refinements replaced the chain with a print-train (slugs in a track) for faster, more reliable operation.
Like many mid-20th-century printers, the 1403 used fan-folded, tractor-fed paper and relied on carriage-control tape or program buffers to position forms and specify line starts.
1132 (IBM 1130 companion)
The IBM 1132 line printer was the standard printer option for the IBM 1130 minicomputer. It produced 120-character lines at about 80 lines per minute and supported a limited character set consisting of digits, uppercase letters and selected symbols.
370 (printer for RAMAC systems)
A printer commonly associated with the early IBM RAMAC installations printed 80-column forms and used punched-tape-controlled carriage mechanisms; line formatting was often arranged by plug-board wiring. The specific model number and exact interface used with the IBM 305 RAMAC are noted in some historical accounts but should be verified for model-level accuracy. 1
716 (rotary type wheels)
The IBM 716 was used with the IBM 700 and 7000 series computers. Derived from accounting-machine technology, it had rotary type wheels (reports cite 120 positions with roughly 48 characters per wheel) and could print around 150 lines per minute.
Why it matters
IBM's printers show the evolution from mechanical impact printing to quieter, higher-throughput line-matrix systems. Many of these models are now of historical interest; their concepts persist in modern industrial and enterprise printing solutions.
- Verify the introduction year and published line-rate specifications (Fast Draft 2400 lpm and DP 1800 lpm) for the IBM 6400 Model i24.
- Confirm the exact printer model designation and interface used with the IBM 305 RAMAC (the reference to an IBM 370-class printer and its punched-tape carriage).