A printer using multi-part forms has just had the ribbon replaced. After running a print job, the end user reports that the print is not visible on the third and fourth copies of the form. Which of…

Decreasing the characters-per-minute rate slows printing speed but does not change the physical impact force applied to the form layers.

Increasing the platen gap widens the distance between the print head and form, which would make the problem worse by further reducing impact force on deeper copies.

Increasing the characters-per-minute rate speeds up printing but has no effect on the physical depth of impact reaching through multi-part form layers.

The platen gap is the adjustable distance between the print head and the platen roller. When copies 3 and 4 of a multi-part form are invisible, the gap is too wide and the impact does not transfer enough pressure through the form layers. Decreasing the platen gap ensures the pins strike hard enough to produce legible impressions on all copies.