Printing terms: Glossary - Reference from


Printing terms: Glossary

Part of the Printers glossary:

1284 (IEEE 1284 parallel interface standard): the prevalent standard for connecting a computer to a printer or certain other devices over a parallel physical and electrical interface. The physical connection is similar to the older Centronics interface, which it continues to support. Whereas the Centronics interface only allowed data to flow in one direction, from computer to peripheral, IEEE 1284 also supports bi-directional data flow.

aliasing : the generation of a false (alias) frequency along with the correct one when doing frequency sampling. For images, this produces a jagged edge, or stair-step effect.

antialiasing : the smoothing of the image or sound roughness caused by aliasing. With images, approaches include adjusting pixel positions or setting pixel intensities so that there is a more gradual transition between the color of a line and the background color.


Centronics parallel interface : an older and still widely-used standard I/O interface for connecting printers and certain other devices to computers. The interface typically includes a somewhat cumbersome cable and a 36-PIN male and female connector at the printer or other device. The cable plugs into a 25-pin parallel port on the computer. Data flows in one direction only, from the computer to the printer or other device. The prevalent standard, IEEE 1284, offers more speed and bi-directional communication.

coldset web offset printing (also known as non-heatset): a web offset printing process in which ink is allowed to dry naturally through evaporation and absorption. (See also heatset web offset printing .)

digital printing : the process of transferring a document on a personal computer or other digital storage device to a printing substrate by means of a device that accepts text and graphic output. Digital printing has steadily replaced lithography in many markets, especially at the consumer and business level, because of its substantially lower production costs.

DOT4 : a protocol that allows a component of a multifunction peripheral (MFP) to send and receive multiple data packets simultaneously across a single physical channel to other devices on the MFP. All data exchanges are independent of one another so cancelation of one does not affect the others.

dots per inch : the usual measure of printed image quality on the paper. The average personal computer printer today provides 300 dpi or 600 dpi. Choosing the higher print quality usually reduces the speed of printing each page.

electronic publishing on demand : the use of a digital printer to create a book. EPOD books often have relatively small print runs, even single copies, sometimes causing the method to be derisively referred to as vanity publishing.



EPP/ECP (Enhanced Parallel Port/Enhanced Capability Port): a standard signaling method for bi-directional parallel communication between a computer and peripheral devices that offers the potential for much higher rates of data transfer than the original parallel signaling methods. ECP is for printers and scanners. EPP/ECP are part of IEEE Standard 1284.

flexography (sometimes referred to as "surface printing"): a method commonly used for printing on packaging and other uneven surfaces. In "flexo," the plates used in the printing process are often made of rubber or plastic, allowing the inked surface to conform to many kinds of substrates due to its flexibility.

Ghostscript : a program for Unix systems that interprets a Postscript file (which is a file formatted for a PostScript printer) so that, using a related program, Ghostview, you can view it on a display screen.

gravure : method in which an image is applied to a printing substrate by use of a metal plate mounted on a cylinder. Unlike other processes, gravure uses a depressed or sunken surface for the desired image. While gravure printing can produce high-quality results rapidly, the costs are significantly higher than other printing methods, including flexography or various forms of digital printing .


hard copy : printed copy of information from a computer. Sometimes referred to as a printout, a hard copy is so-called because it exists as a physical object. The same information, viewed on a computer display or sent as an e-mail attachment, is sometimes referred to as a soft copy .

heatset web offset printing : a printing process in which ink is dried rapidly by forced-air heating. (See also coldset web offset printing , web offset printing .)

imagesetter : a high resolution output device that can transfer electronic text and graphics directly to film, plates, or photo-sensitive paper. It can be thought of as a very expensive high resolution printer and can come in many different sizes and formats. An imagesetter uses a laser and a dedicated raster image processor (RIP) and is usually Postscript-compatible to create the film used in computer-based preproduction work.

inkjet printer : a printer that produces hard copy by spraying ink onto paper. A typical inkjet printer can produce copy with a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (dpi). Some inkjet printers can make full color hard copies at 600 dpi or more. Inkjet printers are, as a rule, inexpensive.

landscape : a mode in which content is printed for reading on the longer length of the sheet of paper. This enables a longer than usual line length or image to be printable. The alternative is portrait mode, which is the usual default.


letterpress : the oldest form of printing, in which a surface with raised letters is inked and pressed to the surface of the printing substrate to reproduce an image in reverse. Examples of letterpress printing include carved wood or stone block printing.


multifunction peripheral (MFP): a device that performs a variety of functions that would otherwise be carried out by separate peripheral devices. As a rule, a multifunction peripheral includes at least two of the following: printer; scanner; copier; fax.

offset printing (also called offset lithography): a method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media. The print media, usually paper, does not come into direct contact with the metal plates, which prolongs the life of the plates. The flexible rubber conforms readily to the print media surface, allowing the process to be used effectively on rough-surfaced media such as canvas, cloth or wood.

page description language (PDL): a language that specifies the arrangement of a printed page through commands from a computer that the printer carries out. Hewlett Packard's Printer Control Language (PCL) and Adobe's Postscript are the two most commonly used PDLs.


port replicator : an attachment for a notebook computer that allows a number of devices such as a printer, large monitor, and keyboard to be simultaneously connected. Each of the devices is attached to the port replicator and when the notebook user wants access to one or more of the devices, the user simply attaches the port replicator rather than having to connect one device at a time.


portrait : a mode in which the printer orients content for reading across the shorter length (the width) of the sheet of paper. Because most printing is done in portrait mode, it is set up as the default mode for printer operation. The alternative to portrait mode is landscape mode, which presents content across the longer length of the sheet of paper.


PPD file (Postscript Printer Description) file: a file that describes the fonts, paper sizes, resolution, and other capabilities that are standard for a particular Postscript printer.


Printer Control Language (PCL): a language that enables applications to control Hewlett-Packard DeskJet, LaserJet, and other HP printers.

scanner : a device that captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages, and similar sources for computer editing and display. Scanners come in hand-held, feed-in and flatbed types and for scanning black-and-white only, or color.

screen printing (also known as serigraphy): a method of creating an image on paper, fabric or some other object by pressing ink through a screen with areas blocked off by a stencil.

sheet-fed offset printing : method in which individual pages of paper are fed into the machine. This printing method is popular for small and medium-sized fixed jobs such as limited-edition books. In another method, web offset printing , a continuous roll of paper is fed through the printing press.

soft copy : an electronic copy of some type of data, such as a file viewed on a computer's display or transmitted as an e-mail attachment. Such material, when printed, is referred to as a hard copy .

spool (simultaneous peripheral operations online): a computer document or task list is to read it in and store it, usually on a hard disk or larger storage medium so that it can be printed or otherwise processed at a more convenient time

substrate :a solid substance or medium to which another substance is applied and to which that second substance adheres. In offset printing, the substrate the material onto which the print ink is ultimately applied, such as paper, canvas or cloth.

thermal transfer printing : a type of thermographic printing in which heat is used to transfer print from a ribbon to paper.


thermography : a printing or imaging method that uses heat in the process. The printing method, known as thermographic printing, uses heat to create an image.

Universal Plug and Play :a standard that uses Internet and Web protocols to enable devices such as PCs, peripherals, intelligent appliances and wireless devices to be plugged into a network and automatically know about each other.

web offset printing : a form of offset printing in which a continuous roll of paper is fed through the printing press. Pages are separated and cut to size after they have been printed. Web offset printing is used for high-volume publications such as mass-market books, magazines, newspapers, catalogs and brochures.

WYSIWYG : describes a program that allows the user to see what the end result will look like while an application, image or document is being created. WYSIWYG is an acronym for "what you see is what you get."

xerography :a printing and photocopying technique that works on the basis of electrostatic charges. The xerography process is the dominant method of reproducing images and printing computer data and is used in photocopiers, laser printers and fax machines.

Xon/Xoff :a protocol for controlling the flow of data between computers and other devices on an asynchronous serial connection.

This was last updated in May 2010
Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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