halftone
A grayscale image that is composed of small dots. The dots can be close together to create black or more widely spaced to create gray or white areas in the image. Newspaper photographs are common examples of halftones.
initialization
The act of returning the printer to its defaults (fixed set of conditions).
interface
The connection between the printer and the computer. A parallel interface transmits data one character or code at a time, while a serial interface transmits data one bit at a time.
landscape
Printing that is oriented sideways on the page. This orientation gives you a page that is wider than it is high and is useful for printing spreadsheets.
memory
The part of the printer’s electronic system that is used to store information. Some information is fixed and is used to control how the printer operates. Information that is sent to the printer from the computer is stored in memory temporarily.
See also RAM.
orientation
Refers to the direction in which characters are printed on a page. This direction is either portrait, where the length of the page is longer than its width, or landscape, where the width is longer than its length.
outline font
A font whose outline is described mathematically, allowing it to be rendered (printed or drawn) smoothly at any size.
photoconductor unit
A component of the printer that contains a photosensitive print drum.
pitch
A measure of the number of characters per inch (cpi) for
point size
The height of a particular font as measured from the top of the tallest character to the bottom of the lowest. A point is a typographic unit of measure equivalent to 1/72 of an inch.
308Glossary