Archive for the ‘Printing Technology Glossary’ Category

Ever wonder how your favorite magazine is made and how so many are mass produced? We have all heard the term “offset printing,” but do you actually know what goes into that particular printing process? Find out more about how so many publications are produced before they get into your hands. Continue reading “How Offset Printing Works Infographic” »

If you spend any time at all in the art, design or technology worlds, chances are at some point you have heard the term “letterpress” used and didn’t understand what it meant. You might not have known that it is actually the oldest form of printing. According to The Happy Dragons’ Press, letterpress is when “ink is applied to the surface of metal type (which has a raised surface with a reverse image, like a rubber stamp) and the type is pressed against paper to make an ‘impression’.” This slight indentation where the type pressed against the paper, coupled with a thick layer of ink, should give the finished piece a noticeably tactile quality.

Image via Wikipedia Continue reading “Letterpress: The Forerunner of Modern Printing & Its Recent Revival” »

Image: Abdillah Wicaksono

If you’ve used a color printer or programs like Photoshop, you’ve probably seen or heard the term CMYK, but what does it stand for? Why should you care? In this article, we’ll explore the CMYK color model, as well as how it differs from other color models like RGB.
Continue reading “What is CMYK?” »

Basic printing tasks tend to be pretty straightforward. Most users can handle their essential printing without knowing too much about their printer or the printing process, but having a little advanced knowledge can help you produce better prints at higher quality. With a few advanced options, you can even tailor the output to your specific needs. Most of these terms are those you will see in the printing dialog box on your computer, or on the control panel of your printer.

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The printer statistics page (sometimes referred to as a printer status page, supplies status page, or printer test page) can be a useful tool for providing information about your machine. Not only does it provide statistics about usage that can help you estimate costs, but some statistics pages can even help you determine which cartridge needs to be replaced.

Continue reading “The Purpose of a Printer Statistics Page” »

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Hard drives and memory are both used for data storage in printers, so what is the difference between the two and what is theirpurpose?

Every printer has RAM, as it provides print queues and holds individual tasks so they can be printed.  The data is sent from the computer to the printer memory.  The amount of memory determines the number of jobs that can be in the queue at the same time and the size of documents that can be processed, which is why machines that have expandable memory are good for growing companies.

Continue reading “Printer Memory Management” »

Image: Wikipedia.org

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is one of the most important components in any piece of major office equipment.  While many people are aware of the role a CPU or processor plays in a computer, few may realize that a CPU is a very important component in most printers and multifunction devices as well.

Continue reading “Role of the CPU – Processor” »

In the past, printers were typically very large and expensive, as manufacturers had not yet figured out how to fit all of that power into a compact frame.  Dot matrix and laser printers were just about the only option until the late 1970s, when a different type of machine started to be developed.  From innovators like HP, Canon and Epson, inkjet printers burst on to the market in 1984, but reached optimum popularity in 1988 when HP introduced the Deskjet line of ink-based personal printers.  Though it cost as much as $1,000 at the time to own one of these inkjet printers, it didn’t take long for the technology to advance and for other companies to jump on the bandwagon, while prices began to shrink. By the 1990s, inkjet printers had virtually silenced the dot matrix printing industry and began to compete with standard laser printers.

Continue reading “Breakdown of Inkjet Printing Technology” »

Though the printer spooler is a service that is not required for operation of a computer, it is an essential service for managing print jobs.  Basically the spooler serves as a queue coordinator.  With multiple jobs being sent to the machine, often at the same time, keeping the tasks organized is essential.  The jobs are put in chronological order, though the print queue can be accessed from the computer, giving users the opportunity to manually prioritize the tasks in the queue.

Continue reading “Printer Spooler Explained” »

Anyone on the market for a fast printer that can handle the pace of a busy office and large daily volumes will find the best match with a laser printer.  Though inkjet printers are reliable and deliver precise resolutions, laser machines tend to offer faster speeds and sharper text, but how does a laser printer actually work? Let us look at the laser printing process, and some of the science behind it.

Continue reading “The Basic Science of Laser Printing” »