proportional printing
Printing in which the width of the character varies from character to
character. For example, a capital W receives much more space than a
lowercase i. The result looks more like a typeset book than a
typewritten draft.
pull tractor
A detachable device that moves continuous paper through the printer.
RAM
Random Access Memory. The portion of the printer’s memory used as
a buffer and for storing user-defined characters. All data stored in
RAM is lost when the printer is turned off.
reset
To return a printer to its defaults, by either a command, an INIT
signal, or by turning the printer off and on.
self test
A method of checking the operation of the printer. When the self test
is run, the printer prints out its current DIP switch settings and the
characters that are stored in its ROM.
10 pitch
A pitch with 10 characters per inch. This is often the standard or
default pitch. Also referred to as pica.
top of form position
The position on the paper which the printer recognizes as the first
printable line. For single sheets, this is the position to which the paper
is automatically loaded. For continuous paper, this position can set to
the current paper position by turning the printer off and on.
12 pitch
A pitch in which each character is slightly narrower than normal, so
that there are 12 characters per inch across the page. Also referred to
as elite.
user-defined characters
Characters that are defined and stored in the printer by the user. Also
known as download characters.
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Glossary
