what is a tractor paper?

On dot matrix and impact (like daisywheel) printers, there were sprockets along the side edges of the paper so that the tractor part of the printer could advance the paper after a linefeed.

It's sometimes called 'listing paper', as it was commonly used to print out listings of your code :

https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/noi8xm/dot_matri...

Hmm, wonder what became of my Epson MX80. Much fonder memories than the printers that came after it....

Also known as "Continuous Stationery" (one of my Father's customers companies was even called that) because each page was joined via a perforated line or "fanfold" as it was folded into the box with alternating left-right folds along the perforation just as a paper fan is folded.

Often the holes for the tractor feed were also separated from the main part of the page by a perforation so that one could tear it off to leave a more-or-less pristine letter (or A4 over here) page of content.

Fiddling with the left-over narrow strips of hole-punched edging paper was one of those universal habits that you don't even notice until long after it's gone.

(Edit: _a_ I just realised I replied to the wrong parent post and _b_ now I'm wondering if you're somebody I know!)

b) I am!

That's hilarious! When I mentioned the joy of messing with those strips of holes from the paper I was thinking of a specific occasion in a very dull lecture (business studies?) when I built a small paper boat out of them and you and Phil (I think) sitting in the row behind me said it was the only interesting part...

As Pratchett said, "We've all passed a lot of water since those days..." :D

I don't remember that one, but I do remember a few others! I've emailed to avoid derailing the thread.

Epson LX300 was on my wish list for a long time. I didn't have the money at the time, then inkjet happened and the matrix printers became extremely expensive here.

heheh, I guess it's (also) a sure sign of my age.