Commonly Used Printing Terms

Common Printing Terms

The following are commonly-used printing terms. Note that some of these terms are not specific to printing.

• alias
  An alternative name that can be assigned to a printer.
• allow list
  A file that includes a list of users that the print service uses to allow access to forms or printers.
• attached printer
  A hardware device that is connected directly to a system. Sometimes referred to as a local printer
• banner page
  A cover page that is printed along with each print request. This page displays the name of the user who submitted the print request, the request ID, and when the request was printed. Banner pages can be disabled by using the lpadmin command for from within Solaris Print Manager
• baud rate
  The rate at which information is transmitted between devices; for example, between a computer and a printer. Baud rate measures the number of events, or signal changes that occur in one second.
• Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD)
  A version of the UNIX operating system.
• BSD printing protocol
  A printing protocol that is uses the Berkeley Software Distribution version of the UNIX operating system. The BSD printing protocol can communicate with BSD print servers, SVR4 (LP) print servers, and any other print server that accepts the BSD printing protocol.
• BSD print server
  A print server that uses the Berkeley Software Distribution version of the UNIX operating system.
• Common Internet File System (CIFS)
  A protocol that follows the client-server model to share files and services over the network, and which is based on the Server Message Block protocol.
• daemon
  A special type of program that starts itself and carries out a specific task without any need for user input. Daemons are typically used to handle jobs that have been queued, such as printing.
• default printer
  The printer that you designate as the destination for all print requests. If no printer name is used, default is used.
• deny list
  A file that includes a list users who are denied access to forms or printers.
• destination or network printer access name
  The internal name of the printer node port that is used by the printer subsystem to access the printer. The access name is the name of the printer node, or the name of the printer node with a printer vendor port designation. Any printer vendor port designation is explicitly defined in the printer vendor documentation. The designation is printer specific. If the printer is a printer-host device and a printer, the port designation is documented in the printer-host device documentation.
• device URI
  The device URI contains the type of interface and the device path for printing on the Internet. The device URI can be used with the IPP, RFC-1179, and SMB printing protocols.
• Domain Naming Service (DNS)
  A service that provides the naming policy and mechanisms for mapping domain and machine names to addresses outside of the enterprise, such as those on the Internet. DNS is the network information service used by the Internet. filter
  A file that converts a print request into a format that can be processed by a particular type of printer.
• form
  A form is a printed paper stock, such as letterhead or blank checks. A form can also be a software file that contains printing characteristics, such as page length, page width, number of pages, line pitch, character pitch, character set choice, ribbon color, and alignment pattern.
• Internet Printing Protocol (IPP)
  An Internet protocol that allows universal solutions to printing documents from the Internet.
• IPP listening service
  A service that listens for traffic on the network. Also referred to as the IPP network listening service or IPP listener.
  The IPP listening service provides server-side support for the Internet Printing Protocol in the Solaris OS.
• Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
  A standard, extensible directory access protocol that is used by LDAP naming service clients and servers to communicate with each other.
• Line Printer Daemon (LPD) protocol
  LPD is a component of the LPR/LPD printing protocol. The LPD portion of the printing protocol receives and processes print requests. A daemon is a server or agent. See RFC-1179.
• local printer
  A print queue that has been defined on a system that is local to you. Sometimes the term is used interchangeably with the attached printer.
• Line Printer Request (LPR)
  LPR is a component of the LPR/LPD protocol. The LPR portion of the printing protocol submits the print request.
• network printer
  A network printer is a hardware device that is connected directly to the network.
  A network printer transfers data directly over the network to the output device. The printer or network connection hardware has its own system name and IP address. Sometimes, a network printer is referred to as a remote printer.
• Network Information Service (NIS) database
  A distributed database that contains key information about the systems and the users on the network.
  The NIS database is stored on the master server and all the replica or slave servers.
• Network Information Service Plus (NIS+) database
  A distributed database that contains hierarchical information about the systems and the users on the network.
  The NIS+ database is stored on the master server and all the replica or slave servers.
• PAPI
  Open Standard Print Application Print Interface.
• PostScript Printer Description file
  A file that describes the fonts, paper sizes, resolution, and other capabilities that are standard for a particular Postscript printer
• PPD file
  See PostScript Printer Description file
• PPD File Manager utility
  A utility for administering PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files that are used with the Solaris print subsystem. See the PPDMGR(1M) man page
• print client
  A system becomes a print client when you install the Solaris printing software and enable access to remote printers on the system.
• print job
  A file to be printed. Also called a print request.
• print queue
  A printer that has been set up on a print server.
  Also refers to a temporary lineup of print requests that are scheduled to print on a printer.
• print request
  A file to be printed. Also called print job.
• print scheduler
  A program that schedules print requests.
  In the Solaris OS, the print scheduler is the lpsched daemon.
• print server
  The print server is a system that has a local printer connected to it and makes the printer available to other systems on the network.
• print spooler
  Software that intercepts a print request on its way to the printer and sends it to disk or memory, where the request is held until the printer is ready for it. The term, spooler, is an acronym for "simultaneous peripheral operations online".
• printer-host device
  The software and hardware supplied by a vendor that provides network printer support for a non-network capable printer.
  The combinationof the printer-host device with one or more printers attached to the device creates a network printer.
• printer driver
  A printer driver program uses a PPD file to understand the capabilities of a particular printer.
• printer interface program
  A set of resources that the print commands use to locate printer names and printer configuration information.
• printer name
  The name that is typed on the command line when you use any of the printer commands.
  You select the printer name at the time of printer configuration. Any one physical printer can have several printer name or queue names. Each name provides access to the printer.
• printer node
  Either the physical printer or the printer-host device.
  The printer node is the physical printer when the network support resides in the physical printer. The printer node is the printer-host device when an external box is used to provide the network interface. The printer node name is the system name that is given with the IP address. You select this name, which has no default or vendor requirement. The printer node name, as with all nodes, must be unique.
• printing protocol
  The over-the-wire protocol that is used to communicate with the printer.
  Many times, the documentation from the printer vendor supplies the information regarding the protocol to select. In the Solaris OS, network printer support supplies both the BSD and URI print protocols, and raw TCP.
• >protocol
  A set of formal rules that describe how to transmit data, especially across a network. See printing protocol.
• remote printer
  A remote printer is a hardware device that has its print queue defined on a system that is not local to you.
• Request for Comments (RFC)
  The name of the result and the process for creating a standard on the Internet.
  New standards are proposed and published on the Internet, as a Request For Comments. The proposal is reviewed by the Internet Engineering Task Force Request (IETF) for comments. Each document is assigned a number. See RFC-1179.
  RFC-1179 defines a standard method by which print jobs can be transferred using the TCP/IP protocol between hosts.
  The RFC describes the protocols with which a line printer daemon client may control printing.
• Samba
  Is an Open Source, free software suite that provides file and print services to all manner of SMB and CIFS clients, including the numerous versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems.
• Server Message Block (SMB) protocol
  A protocol that enables clients to access files and to request services of a server on the network.
• SMB client
  Software that enables a system to access SMB shares from an SMB server. A local resource on a server that is accessible to clients on the network. In the Solaris release, the SMB client is administered through Samba. See Samba.
• Solaris Print Manager
  Solaris Print Manager is a Java technology-based GUI that enables you to manage local and remote printer configuration. See also the PRINTMGR(1M) man page.
• Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)
  An addressing technology for identifying resources on the Internet or private intranet.
  The terms URI and URL are used synonymously. URI's can be used with application-level protocols that are called URI schemes.
• URI scheme
  A scheme is a "format" that enables inclusion of small data items inline, as if they were referenced as an external resource. See URI.