why do printers have optional font pack?

  • Thread starter Thread starter peter
  • Start date Start date
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peter

It is my impression that printers connected to windowXP can print any font
that the computer can display as long as the font is a vector font, even if
it is a non English font.

Why do some printers have optional font pack for sale? Are they for non GUI
operating systems only?
 
Those fonts are also included for printing speed. If a page is printed with
a font the printer doesn't have resident, the font must either be downloaded
to the printer at printing time (provided the printer supports this) or the
page must be rendered into a bitmap format and sent to the printer as a
graphic. If the printer contains this font in memory, it can immediately
start printing and will print faster.

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- (e-mail address removed)
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-Print/Imaging -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Still Cadillacin' - www.badnewsbluesband.com
 
Speed is one reason. Another is the ability to match a built-in font to the
printer resolution, in order to produce a slightly better quality, or
printer unique fonts. Some printers also accept downloadable fonts. And it
goes on.
It is sort of a holdover from the pre windows and windows 3.1 days.
Direct ASCII text printing is fast going away. It requires less printer
hardware complexity to just support "raster" or graphic printing.
 
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