Study Lab for Chapter 10

Use the "Key Terms and Definitions" section of the lab to review terms used in this chapter. Try the "Practice Test" to check your comprehension of the chapter. Tackle the "Lab Exercises" to apply your knowledge.

Key Terms and Definitions

9-pin

Printhead design on dot-matrix printers that is optimized for multipart forms.

24-pin

Printhead design on dot-matrix printers that is optimized for NLQ printing.

black

The K in CMYK color printing.

BubbleJet

Canon's name for high-temperature inkjet printing.

character/line printer

Printers that print a character or line at a time such as dot-matrix, inkjet, direct thermal, or thermal transfer.

charging (primary) corona wire

Used in older laser printers to place an electrostatic charge on the paper as part of the EP process. Replaced by conditioning rollers in newer models.

CMYK

Four-color printing process used by inkjet, some dye-sub, and solid-ink printers.

conditioning rollers

Used in recent laser/LED printers to place an electrostatic charge on the paper.

continuous-tone

Printing process in which no ink or dye dots are visible in the finished product.

curved paper path

Paper path in which the paper curves around one or more rollers inside the printer.

cyan

The C in CMYK color printing.

data stream

The commands sent to the printer for characters , formatting, graphics, and so forth.

DIP switches

Small, two-position switches used by printers with serial interfaces to configure the interface speed and settings.

direct thermal

A method of thermal printing used to transfer printing directly to heat-sensitive paper or other media.

dot-matrix printer

Uses a ribbon and a matrix of thin wires (usually 9 or 24) to impact print one or more copies.

drop on demand

Another name for inkjet printing.

dye-sub

Abbreviation for dye-sublimation.

dye-sublimation

A thermal printing process that heats dye on a multicolored ribbon into a gas that is absorbed by the media. Creates continuous-tone photos.

Economode

A toner-saving method developed by HP that can be used to print drafts of documents.

electrophotographic ( EP ) process

A six-part process (cleaning, conditioning, writing, developing, transferring, and fusing) used by most laser and LED printers to create pages.

escape sequence

A series of printer commands prefaced by the ESC (ASCII code 27) character. This method is used by most dot-matrix and many inkjet printers. HP's PCL uses a more elaborate version of escape sequences.

fixed-pitch font

A font such as Courier New, in which each letter uses the same amount of horizontal space.

fixed- size font

A font that can't be scaled, such as the fonts built into a dot-matrix printer.

fonts

A particular size and shape of a typeface, such as Times New Roman 12 point.

gibberish printing

A term for meaningless alphanumerics produced by a printer with a damaged or loose cable, incorrect printer driver, or incorrect serial interface settings. Also called garbage printing .

graphics resolution

Resolution of graphics printed by a laser or LED printer; can be adjusted to save memory, while text prints at highest resolution of printer.

host-based

A method of printer control that uses the operating system to rasterize the page and control the printing process. This method is used by very low-cost inkjet and laser printers, but can make using the printer operating systems other than Windows difficult or impossible .

ink dispersion printer

Another name for inkjet printer.

inkjet printer

A printer that sprays ink directly onto the paper.

landscape mode

Rotates text and graphics and prints them across the long side of standard paper sizes.

laser printer

Uses an imaging drum and toner to create a page electrostatically.

LaserJet Error 11

Paper-out error.

LaserJet Error 13

Paper jam.

LaserJet Error 20

An out-of-memory error; usually caused by sending a page with too many graphics to the laser printer.

LED printer

Similar to laser, but substitutes an LED array for the laser.

magenta

The M in CMYK color printing.

matrix

In dot-matrix printing, the matrix is the series of columns of pins in the printhead.

Near Letter Quality ( NLQ ) mode

Highest-quality print mode on a dot-matrix printer. Available with 24-pin printers.

overcoat

A protective coating applied by many dye-sub printers to the prints they make.

ozone filter

Device used to trap ozone on laser printers that use charging corona wires.

page printer

Printers that print a page at a time such as laser, LED, solid-ink, and most dye-sub printers.

PC-850 character set

A character set that supports line-draw characters.

PCL (Printer Control Language)

The printer language developed by HP for its laser and some of its inkjet printers.

piezo-electric

Low-temperature method of controlling inkjet printing.

pinfeed

A low-cost variation on pull tractor that uses nonadjustable sprockets at the ends of the platen.

pins

Wires in the dot-matrix printhead. The printhead activates various combinations of wires in the printhead's matrix to create letters and print graphics.

pitch

Horizontal space occupied by each letter in a fixed-pitch font such as Courier or Courier New. 10-pitch equals 10 characters per inch.

platen

Rubber roller used as part of the paper-feed mechanism in some dot-matrix printers.

portrait mode

Prints text and graphics across the short side of standard sizes of paper.

PostScript

A printer language developed by Adobe that supports very elaborate graphics effects.

print queue

Windows holding area for print jobs; usually the default temporary files folder.

printer driver

Software used to control the printer in Windows or another operating system.

printer font

A font built into a printer. Could be fixed-size or scalable.

printer language

Commands and statements used to control a printer, such as PCL or PostScript.

printhead

Device that moves over the paper and transfers characters and graphics. Used by character/line, thermal, and dye-sublimation printers.

proportional font

A font such as Times New Roman or Arial (TrueType) or Times Roman and Helvetica (PostScript) that use different widths for different letters ( W is wide, and I is narrow, for example).

pull tractor

Paper-feed mechanism that pulls continuous-form paper through the printer.

push tractor

Paper-feed mechanism that pushes continuous-form paper through the printer.

RIP (raster image processor)

A program that converts PostScript commands into printer commands recognizable by a non-PostScript printer.

scalable font

A font that can be made any size from a single outline. For example, the Times New Roman scalable font can be used to print 10pt, 24pt, and 72pt text in the same document.

single sheet

Paper-feed mechanism that handles individual sheets of paper.

solid - ink printer

Uses melted solid ink and a drum to print.

straight-through paper path

Paper path has little if any curving ; better for heavy paper and label stock.

thermal printer

Uses heat to transfer images to the paper or media.

thermal transfer

A method of thermal printing that uses a wax- or resin-coated ribbon to transfer printing to paper or other media.

toner cartridge

Cartridge that contains toner, imaging drum, and other components of the EP process. Most laser printers use a toner cartridge.

TrueType

A scalable-font technology developed by Apple and Microsoft; used in all Windows versions from 3.1 to the present.

typefaces

The type design for a set of fonts, such as Times New Roman, Courier New, or Arial.

yellow

The Y in CMYK color printing.

zero tear-off

A feature found on many printers with push tractors that enables printed pages or forms to be torn off without wasting a form.

Practice Test

1:	Which font is taller, a 12-point font or a 10-pitch font? (Choose one) 12-point font 10-pitch font Both fonts are the same height It's impossible to tell without additional information
2:	You need to print an 8x10-inch landscape photo on a standard inkjet printer using 8.5x11-inch paper. The photo is wider than it is tall. Which of the following settings will provide the maximum printed area? (Choose one) Portrait Landscape Rotated Mirrored
3:	You need to configure a dot-matrix printer to print multipart forms that can be removed one at a time from the printer to give to customers. Which of the following features enable the printer to perform this task with minimal paper waste? (Choose all that apply) Zero tear off Pull tractor Push tractor Pinfeed
4:	Your client is complaining about frequent paper jams when running card stock through a laser printer. Which of the following changes should be made to the printer to enable more reliable printing? (Choose one) Disable zero tear off. Enable straight-through paper path. Enable curved paper path. Disable Economode setting for toner.
5:	Your client is trying to print a photograph. The colors are off (not enough blue), but all ink levels indicate plenty of ink. Which of the following features should be tried first to correct the problem? (Choose one) Color-correction in a photo editor Replacing the cyan ink cartridge Using the head-cleaning utility Replacing all color ink cartridges
6:	Which of the following steps comes first in the EP process? (Choose one) Cleaning Transferring Conditioning Fusing
7:	Conditioning refers to which of the following steps in the EP process? (Choose one) Scraping excess toner off the imaging drum Applying a positive charge to the imaging drum Applying a negative charge to the imaging drum Applying toner to the drum
8:	An HP LaserJet printer displays an error code of 20 when attempting to print some pages, but other pages print properly. Which of the following changes to the printer will help ensure that error code 20 no longer appears? (Choose one) Switch to USB interfacing. Install more memory in the laser printer. Use only new toner cartridges. Change to PC-8 or PC-850 character sets.
9:	Your client has a thermal printer that can print in both direct thermal and thermal transfer modes. If the client needs multicolor output, which mode should be used? (Choose one) Direct thermal Thermal transfer Either mode with appropriate paper Another printer is needed to support color
10:	Dye-sublimation printers are best used for which of the following tasks ? (Choose one) Printing bar codes Multipart reports Continuous-tone photographs Replacing laser printers
11:	Which of the following components in a solid-ink printer is most likely to need cleaning, even if print quality remains high? (Choose one) Maintenance roller Rapid-release guide Waste tray Paper-feed rollers
12:	Your client has just received an inkjet printer transferred in from another location without any documentation or CDs. The version of Windows in use has a driver for the printer, but the driver doesn't provide ink monitoring. Because the client needs to use the color mode for proofing, this is a major concern. Which of the following is the best solution for this problem? (Choose one) Upgrade to a version of Windows that supports all printer features. Replace the printer with a model that supports ink monitoring. Download a new driver from the printer vendor. Use Windows Update to get a newer driver from Microsoft.

Lab Exercises

Required equipment : working system, working printer with cable, Internet connection, ESD protection (wrist strap, antistatic mat), tools to open system

Self-Test Detective

Objective : Determine how the printer's self test and the Windows printer test differ in the information provided.

1. Run the self test on the printer. Does it display the firmware version? If inkjet, does it test all colors (CMYK)? If laser/LED/solid ink, does it display onboard memory? PCL or PostScript level/version? Number of pages printed?

2. Open the Printers folder in Windows. Right-click on a printer and select Properties. Click Print Test Page. What does this printout show that's different from the printer's self test?

Features Detective

Objective : Determine the major features of the printer and learn if any can be upgraded by the user .

1. Open the Printer Properties sheet as described in the previous exercise and locate the following options (for inkjet, dye-sub, or solid ink):

   • Resolution options

   • Paper type

   • Color correction

   • Ink-level monitoring

   • Head cleaning

   For laser/LED

   • Graphics resolution

   • Installed memory

   • Toner saving

2. Can you install extra memory in the printer? Check the printer documentation to find out.

Answers to Practice Test

A1:	If you chose D (it's impossible to tell without additional information), you're a clever one, all right! Points refer to height, whereas pitch refers to width.
A2:	Answer B (landscape) is the setting that wins the prize. Rotated describes what landscape mode does, but that term doesn't appear on your friendly neighborhood Printer Properties page. Save mirrored for those times that you need to print a T-shirt transfer.
A3:	Set that printer for answers A (zero tear-off) and C (push tractor) and you're in business. A pull tractor wastes lots of paper, and pinfeed (the pull tractor's poor relation) does the same.
A4:	It's time for answer B (enable straight-through paper path). The fewer twists and turns that card stock takes through the guts of the printer, the better off the printer (and your client's nerves) will be.
A5:	Answer C (using the head-cleaning utility) is easy and it's the one to try first!
A6:	Give yourself a gold star if you answered A (cleaning). Even if you never printed with the printer before, the cleaning process still takes place first to make sure there are no "ghosts of pages past" hanging around the imaging drum.
A7:	It's drums all the way down, but answer C (applying a negative charge to the imaging drum) is the right drum to play in this band .
A8:	An error code of 20 means that there's not enough memory, so answer B (install more memory in the laser printer) is the way to drive away the error 20 blues.
A9:	Make your client happy by selecting answer B (thermal transfer), but don't forget to lay in the color ribbons needed.
A10:	Dye-sub printers are good for nothing but answer C (continuous-tone photographs).
A11:	If you want to keep printing with solid ink, make sure you get rid of the leftovers, so choose answer C (waste tray).
A12:	Answer C (download a new driver from the printer vendor) is the low-cost way to client happiness. Microsoft Windows is notorious for providing minimal drivers, so upgrading Windows won't help.