GLOSSARY
Installation Planning Guide GLOSSARY-9
mixed environment Group of different printing systems at the same location.
network 1. System of geographically separate computers, linked
to one another over transmission lines.
2. Communication lines connecting a computer to its
remote terminals.
Novell Commonly used network communications protocol
supported by the DocuPrint NPS/IPS.
offline Devices not under the active control of a central
processing unit. For example, a computer makes output
to a magnetic tape. The tape is then used by an offline
printing system to produce printed data. Offline
operations are much slower than online operations.
Refer to online.
offset To place pages currently being printed in slightly different
positions from previous pages.
online Devices under the direct control of a central processing
unit, e.g., a printing system in interactive communication
with a mainframe. Refer to offline.
operating system Basic host- controlling program that governs the
operations of a computer, such as job entry, input/output,
and data management. The operating system is always
running when the computer is active. Unlike other types
of programs, it does not run to an end point and stop.
orientation 1. In reference to image area, orientation describes
whether the printed lines are parallel to the long edge
of the paper or the short edge of the paper.
2. Choice of printing portrait (vertically) or landscape
(horizontally).
page orientation Direction in which data is printed on a report. Refer to
landscape page orientation and portrait page orientation.
PC Personal computer. Family of computers that most
commonly run a version of DOS.
Page Description Language
(PDL)
Page description language used to describe the printing
of jobs to a laser printing system. PDL describes the
input (type, format, characteristics), performs the
processing functions (logical processing), and describes
the output (type, format, font selection, accounting
options) of a print job.
peripheral Device used with a computer or workstation, usually for
input or output. Printers, modems, and the IPS/NPS
cartridge tape drives are examples of peripherals.
platform Combination of hardware and operating system
software.
