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Auto Print
Allows all images to be printed automatically off a PC card.
Band Printer
A line printer that uses a metal band, or loop, of type characters as its printing mechanism. This band has a fixed set of embossing characters that can only be changed by replacing the band. The band spind horizontally around a set of hammers for each print column. When the desired character in the band is near the selected print column the hammer pushes the paper into the ribbon and against the embossed image of the desired letter, symbol, or digit.
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CMY (Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow)
The three colors used create photos in some printers.
Coated Paper Stock
Paper that has a special laminate added to one or both sides of the paper to enhance the printing quality.
Consumables
Parts of a printer that must be periodically replaced. (Toner, cartridge, developer. . .)
Continuous Printing
Printing from paper that is folded into a stack of perforated pages with tractor-feed holes on the sides.
Continuous Tone
A printing technology that combines ink dots of different colors to form the appropriate color on the page.
Correspondence Quality
A printing feature that uses 144 dots per inch to create each character on a page.
CPI
The number of characters printed in an inch on a dot matrix printer. Usually 10 or 12.
CPS
The number of characters printed in one second. This is used to measure the printing speed of dot-matrix printers.
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Desktop Publishing Quality
A printing feature that uses 300 dots per inch to create each character on a page.
Distributed Printer
Printer used in a network.
Dot-Matrix Printer
Printer that produces characters and illustrations by striking pins against an ink ribbon to print closely spaced dots in the desired shape.
DPI
The number of dots that can be printed in an inch of space. The is used to measure the printer's resolution.
Draft Mode
A printing feature that uses fewer pins (72 dots per inch) to create each character on a page therefore speeding up printing.
Dye Sublimation
A type of printing in which an image is placed on laminated paper when the printer's thermal print head passes across the ribbon. The heat causes the color on the ribbon (cyan, magenta, or yellow) to be transfered to the paper. Variations in the print head temperature cause the various colors to appear.
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Four Color Printing
A printing technique that uses cyan, magenta, yellow, and black to create all colors. Good when combining black text and color images on a single page.
Full Bleed
An image that extends to the edge of the printed paper.
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Host System
The computer to which the printer is attached.
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Impact Printers
A printer that produces images by striking a pin or hammer against a ribbon of inked cloth held next to the page. The ink is then transferred to the page in the shape of the pin of hammer applied.
Ink Jet Printers
A printer that produces images by splashing ink onto printer paper in the form of an image or character.
IPM
The number of impressions printed on a page per minute. This is used to measure printing speed in laser printers.
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Laser Printers
A printer that produces images using a laser beam to electrostatically form characters on a page. After forming the characters, the printer heats the paper thereby melting the metallic dust attracted to the electrostatic areas which form the inked images on the paper.
Letter Quality
A printing feature that uses 180 dots per inch to create each character on a page.
Line Printers
A printer that prints an entire line of text at a time.
LPM
Lines per minute. This is used to measure the printing speed of line and band printers.
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Near Letter Quality
A printing feature that uses 144 dots per inch to create each character on a page.
Network Printer
A printer that has all necessary components to support multiple users on a network.
Non-Impact Printer
Printers that do not strike a hammer in the printing process.
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Printer Font
Fonts, similar to those used in the computer, that can be reproduced in the printer.
Printer Languages
How the computer communicates with the printer.
Printer
A unit attached to a computer that produces text on paper (hard copy).
PPM
The number of pages that can be printed in a minute. This is used to measure the speed of laser printers.
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Resolution
The number of dots per inch a device is capable of recognizing or producing. The more dots per inch that are printed the greater the level of detail.
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Smoothing
The printer fills in jagged edges of an image with small dots to create a smoother looking line.
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Thermal Transfer
A printing method that uses heat to transfer colored dye onto the paper.
Three Color Printing
A printing technique that uses cyan, magenta, and yellow to create all colors. Does not produce very dark blacks.
Tractor Feed
A guide used to draw paper through the printer mechanism by matching holes in the paper with spokes on the feeder.
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Unidirectional Printing
A type of printing in which every line is printed from left to right.
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Wicking
Refers to ink being absorbed into paper fibers creating a slightly smeared or blurry image. This can be minimized by using special smoothing paper for ink-jets.
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