Printer Terminology

Microsoft defines the following terms as follows:

  • Print device (physical printer): The physical print device, such as a printer, copy machine, or plotter.

  • Printer (logical printer): The printer is the software interface between a print device and the print clients or applications. It is a logical representation of a printer device in Windows that has an assigned printer name and software that controls a printer device. When you print to the printer device, you print to the printer, which then prints to the printer device.

  • Spooler: Often referred to as a print queue, the spooler accepts each document being printed, stores it, and sends it to the printer device when the printer device is ready.

  • Print driver:

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