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Computer Basics
 5 - Output:
Printer Features |
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The job of a printer is to put on paper what you see on your monitor. How easy this is to do and how successfully it is done determines whether or not you are happy with your printer choice.
Monitor screens and printers do not use the same formatting rules. In the olden days of
computers, the way something looked on the screen could be VERY different from how it would look when printed.
Early word processors didn't have a way to show what the printed version would look like. Now a word processor that doesn't have print preview, would be laughed off the shelf.
Nowadays we expect to see a WYSIWYG view (What You See Is What You Get), where you see almost exactly what the document will look like in print, while you are still working on it.
How fast?
The speed of a printer is measured in:
| cps |
= characters per second |
| lpm |
= lines per minute |
| ppm |
= pages per minute |
The faster the printing, the more expensive the printer. |
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What paper type used?
| Continuous-Form Paper |
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| Advantage: | Don't need to put in new paper often |
| Disadvantage: | May need to separate the pages and remove the strips of perforations
from the edges. |
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| Single Sheet |
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| Advantage: | Can change to special paper easily, like letterhead or envelopes. |
| Disadvantage: | Must add paper more often. |
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What print quality?
| LQ | Letter Quality = | as good as best typewriter output |
| NLQ | Near Letter Quality = | nearly as good as best typewriter output |
| Draft | used internally or for a test print |
The better the quality, the slower the printing. |
A more numerical measure of print quality is printer resolution. Measured in dots per inch (dpi),
this determines how smooth a diagonal line the printer can produce. A resolution
of 300 dpi will produce text that shows jagged edges only under a magnifying
glass. A lower resolution than this will produce text with stair-step edges,
especially at large sizes. Even higher resolutions are needed to get smooth
photo reproduction.
Professionals in graphics use 1200 to 2400 dpi printers. Draft quality on
such a printer would be 600 dpi.
What will it print?
Printers vary in what varieties of type they can print. You must know the limits of your printer to avoid unhappy surprises!
Modern printers can handle most anything, but older printers may not.Yes, there
are still old, clunky computers and printers in use out there in the real
world.
| Typeface
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Set of letters, numbers, and special characters with similar design
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| Styles | Bold, italic, underlined... |
| Size
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Is measured in points
One point = 1/72 of an inch like: 12 pt 18 pt
24 pt 36 pt
Use 10 or 12 pt for writing a letter or report. |
| Font | A complete set of letters, etc. in the same typeface, style, and size |
| Color | Printing in color takes longer, uses more expensive inks/toner, looks best on more expensive papers, but can add a lot to the quality of the output |
| Graphics |
| Pictures add a lot to a document, but not all printers can print graphics. |
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Will it fit?
The footprint, or the physical size of a printer, determines where it can be placed.
You must consider several things:
There must be a good match between the space you need to
work with the printer and the spot you choose to put it! Otherwise, your
print-outs may wind up puddled on the floor or you could bash your knuckles
whenever you put in a stack of blank paper. |
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What kind of cable connection?
| Serial cable |
Sends data only 1 bit at a time
Printer can be up to 1000 feet away from the computer.
Maximum
data transfer speed = 115 kilobits/s (.115Mbits/s)
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| Parallel cable |
Sends data 8 bits at a time
Printer must be within 50 feet of the computer.Maximum data
transfer speed: 115 kilobytes/s (.115MBYTES/s). This is 8 times faster than
the maximum serial speed.
Newer printers may need bi-directional cable so that the printer can talk
back to the computer. Such a cable is required if the printer can give
helpful error messages. It's startling, but nice, the first time your
computer politely says "Ink is getting low" or "Please place paper in the
AutoSheet feeder."
 
Oddly, Windows XP does not support spooling for a parallel connection to a
printer. Spooling is what allows you to do other things on the computer
while the printer is processing and printing the document. WinXP does spool
when the printer uses a USB connection.
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| USB cable |
Printer must be within 5 meters (16.5 feet) of the computer, when
connecting straight to the computer.
[You can hook up several 5 m. cables and USB hubs in a chain - up to 25 meters.]Maximum data transfer speed: 12
megabits/s (1.5 MBYTES/s) Lots faster!
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| Best choice:
The new USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection is likely your best choice, if your printer can use
it. It is faster and a USB connector can be unplugged and re-plugged without
turning off the system. USB ports are rapidly replacing parallel ports. The printer cannot handle the
data as fast as the USB port can send it. The real limit on how fast a printer
works is in how fast printer can get the characters onto the paper.
Serial cable may have to be used if a printer is shared in a fairly large office, due to the length
of cable needed. |
   
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~~ 1 Cor. 10:31 ...whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of God. ~~
Last updated:
22 Jan 2008 |
