What print quality?
LQ |
Letter Quality = |
as good as best typewriter output |
NLQ |
Near Letter Quality = |
nearly as good as best typewriter output |
Draft |
used internally or for a test print |
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The better the quality, the slower the printing. |
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A more numerical measure of print quality is printer resolution. Measured in dots per inch (dpi), this determines how smooth a diagonal line the printer can produce. A resolution of 300 dpi will produce text that shows jagged edges only under a magnifying glass. A lower resolution than this will produce text with stair-step edges, especially at large sizes. Even higher resolutions are needed to get smooth photo reproduction. Professionals in graphics use 1200 to 2400 dpi printers.
What will it print?
Printers vary in what varieties of type they can print. You must know the limits of your printer to avoid unhappy surprises!
Typeface |
Set
of letters, numbers, and special characters with similar design
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Styles |
Bold, italic, underlined... |
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Size |
Measured in points One point = 1/72 of an inch like: 12 pt 18 pt 24 pt 36 pt Use 10 or 12 pt for writing a letter or report. |
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Font |
A complete set of letters, etc. in the same typeface, style, and size |
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Color |
Printing in color takes longer, uses more expensive inks/toner, looks best on more expensive papers, but can add a lot to the quality of the output |
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Graphics |
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How big? The footprint, or the physical size of a printer, determines where it can be placed. |
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What kind of cable connection?
Serial cable |
Sends data only 1 bit at a time Printer can be up to 1000 feet away from the computer. Maximum data transfer speed = 115 kilobits/s (.115Mbits/s) |
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Parallel cable |
Sends data 8 bits at a time Printer must be within 50 feet of the computer. Maximum data transfer speed: 115 kilobytes/s (.115MBYTES/s). This is 8 times faster than the maximum serial speed. Newer printers may need bi-directional cable so that the printer can talk back to the computer. Such a cable is required if the printer can give helpful error messages. It's startling, but nice, the first time your computer politely says "Ink is getting low" or "Please place paper in the AutoSheet feeder." Oddly, Windows XP does not support spooling for a parallel connection to a printer. Spooling is what allows you to do other things on the computer while the printer is processing and printing the document. WinXP does spool when the printer uses a USB connection. |
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USB cable |
Printer must be within 5 meters (16.5 feet) of the computer, when connecting straight to the computer. [You can hook up several 5 m. cables and USB hubs in a chain - up to 25 meters.] Maximum data transfer speed: 12 megabits/s (1.5 MBYTES/s) Lots faster! |
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Best choice:
The new USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection is likely your best choice, if your printer can use it. It is faster and a USB connector can be unplugged and re-plugged without turning off the system. USB ports are gradually, but rapidly, replacing parallel ports. The printer cannot handle the data as fast as the USB port can send it. The real limit on how fast a printer works is in how fast printer can get the characters onto the paper. Serial cable may have to be used if a printer is shared in a fairly large office, due to the length needed.