carriage return

The control code that returns the print position to the left margin. When issued together with a line feed, the print position moves to the left margin of the next line. In bidirectional printing, the print head may not actually move to the left margin.

characters per inch (cpi)

A measure of the size of text characters, often referred to as pitch. 10 cpi (also called pica) is often the standard or default setting.

character set

A collection of letters, numbers, and symbols that provides you with the characters used in a particular language.

condensed

Printing in which each character is approximately 60% of the width of standard characters. Useful for fitting wide tables or spreadsheets onto the paper.

continuous paper

Paper that has sprocket-feed holes on each side, is perforated between pages, and comes in a folded stack. Also called fanfold paper.

control code

Besides the codes for printable characters, the ASCII standard also includes 33 other codes called control codes. These control codes perform such functions as sounding the beeper and performing a carriage return or line feed.

cut sheet feeder (CSF)

An optional, detachable device that automatically feeds single sheets of paper into the printer.

data dump

A troubleshooting feature. When the printer is in data dump mode, each code that it receives is printed in hexadecimal notation as well as the ASCII codes that stand for the characters. Sometimes called hex dump.

decimalSee number systems.
GL-2

Glossary