Specifications

drivers included with Windows are usually developed by the manufacturer of the printer—not by
Microsoft—and are included in the Windows package for the sake of convenience.
Although the printer manufacturer develops the drivers for any printer model used with Windows,
significant differences might exist between the printer drivers included with Windows and those
shipped with the printer or available online. Drivers included with Windows normally provide access
to a printer’s basic features, whereas the enhanced drivers provided by the manufacturer on CD-ROMs
included with the printer or via download might include deluxe color-matching, enhanced spooling,
improved dialog boxes, or other benefits. Be sure to try both types of drivers to see which one works
best for you. Check the printer manufacturer’s Web site for the latest version of the driver. Note that
in some cases, printer manufacturers no longer support older printers with enhanced drivers, forcing
you to use the ones supplied with Windows.
Before you try to use an older inkjet printer in particular with the newest versions of Windows (Me
and 2000), make sure drivers are available. Whereas Windows Me can use most Windows 9x drivers
for devices, Windows 2000 requires its own native drivers. Many relatively recent inkjet printers are
not supported by Windows 2000 drivers, which means you must look for a newer printer. Fortunately,
printer performance keeps increasing, even as printer prices drop, so replacing a desktop inkjet printer
isn’t a major expense—although it can be a major annoyance.
PostScript Printer Descriptions
Whereas printers that use PCL or escape sequences all have completely separate Windows drivers,
PostScript printers use a single generic driver to support the PDL. For all versions of Windows, this
driver is called PSCRIPT.DRV. To support the various capabilities of individual printers, the driver uses
plug-in modules called PostScript Printer Descriptions (PPDs). The PPD provides information on the
specific mechanical capabilities of the printer, such as paper trays and sizes, whereas the language sup-
port is provided by the PostScript driver. To support multiple PostScript printers in Windows, you
install additional PPDs to the existing driver architecture.
In addition to the module included with Windows, a PostScript driver called AdobePS also is freely
available from Adobe, the owners of the PostScript language. If you have a printer that uses true
Adobe PostScript, this driver is recommended because it provides more complete support for the lan-
guage and all its capabilities. Although the PostScript driver is provided by Microsoft or Adobe, you
typically obtain new PPDs from the manufacturer of your printer.
How Printers Operate
Each of the three main printer types uses a different method to create images on a page, as well as a
different substance: powdered toner, liquid ink, or a fabric ribbon. The following sections examine
how each type of printer creates images on the page.
Laser Printers
The process of printing a document on a laser printer consists of the following stages:
■ Communications
■ Processing
■ Formatting
■ Rasterizing