Printer and Scanner Fundamentals Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key printer and scanner terms, technologies, maintenance tools, and operational modes.

Flatbed scanners

A scanner with a flat, glass surface that holds paper to be scanned. The scan head moves under the glass, and the scanner might have feeders to scan multiple copies.

ADF (automatic document feeder) scanners

A component of a copier, scanner, or printer that can automatically pull individual items of paper, cards, or envelopes from a stack into a roller system for processing.

Laser printer

A type of printer that uses a laser beam to control how toner is placed on the page and then uses heat to fuse the toner to the page.

Imaging drum

An electrically charged rotating drum found in laser printers.

Page description language (PDL)

A language used by printers that describes the appearance of the printed page.

Transfer belt

A laser printer component that completes the transferring step in the printer.

Duplex printer

A printer that is able to print on both sides of the paper.

Duplexing assembly

In a duplex printer, an assembly of several rollers that enables printing on both sides of the paper.

Inkjet printer

A type of ink dispersion printer that uses cartridges of ink. The ink is heated to a boiling point and then ejected onto the paper through tiny nozzles.

Printhead

The part in an inkjet or impact printer that moves across the paper, creating one line of the image with each pass.

Ink cartridge

A cartridge in inkjet printers that holds different colors of ink.

Impact printer

A type of printer that creates a printed page by using a mechanism that touches or hits the paper.

Tractor feed

A continuous feed within an impact printer that feeds fanfold paper through the printer rather than individual sheets; this format is useful for logging ongoing events or data.

Multipart paper

Paper used by impact printers that comes in a box of fanfold paper or in rolls (used with receipt printers).

Thermal printers

A type of line printer that uses wax-based ink, which is heated by heat pins that melt the ink onto paper.

Direct thermal printer

A type of thermal printer that burns dots onto special coated paper, as older fax machines did.

Thermal paper

Special coated paper used by thermal printers.

Thermal transfer printer

A type of thermal printer that uses a ribbon containing wax-based ink. The heating element melts the ribbon onto special thermal paper so that it stays glued to the paper as the feeder assembly moves the paper through the printer.

Local printer

A printer connected to a computer by way of a port on the computer. Compare with network printer.

Network printer

A printer that any user on the network can access, either through the printer's own network card and connection to the network, through a connection to a stand-alone print server, or through a connection to a computer as a local printer that is shared on the network. Compare with local printer.

Remote printing

Printing from a computer or mobile device to a printer that is not connected directly to the computer or device.

Default printer

The designated printer to which Windows prints unless another one is selected.

Infrastructure mode

A mode in which Wi-Fi devices connect to a Wi-Fi access point, such as a SOHO router, which is responsible for securing and managing the wireless network.

Ad hoc mode

A peer-to-peer wireless network between computers where each wireless computer serves as its own wireless access point and is responsible for securing each connection.

Printer Control Language (PCL)

A language used by printers that was developed by Hewlett- Packard. Used by a majority of manufacturers and supported by many different OSs.

Postscript (PS)

A printer language developed by Adobe Systems that tells a printer how to print a page.

Integrated print server

A printer feature that allows it to connect to a network, manage print jobs from multiple computers, monitor printer maintenance tasks, and perhaps send email alerts when a problem arises.

Secured printing

A security feature that allows documents to print confidentially by using a passcode at the printer to complete a print job.

Toner vacuum

A vacuum cleaner designed to pick up toner used in laser printers; the toner is not allowed to touch any conductive surface.

Extension magnet brush

A long-handled brush made of nylon fibers that are charged with static electricity to pick up stray toner inside a laser printer.

Calibration

The process of checking and correcting the graduations of an instrument or device, such as an inkjet printer.

Printer maintenance kits

A kit purchased from a printer manufacturer that contains the parts, tools, and instructions needed to perform routine printer maintenance.

Printer self-test page

A test page that prints by using controls at the printer. The page allows you to eliminate a printer as a problem during troubleshooting and usually includes test results, graphics, and information about the printer, such as its resolution and how much memory is installed.

Printui

The Windows Printer User Interface command, which is used by administrators to manage printers on local and remote computers.

Elevated command prompt window

A Windows command prompt window that allows commands requiring administrator privileges.