Interfacing
The hardware connection between your computer and printer may be the easiest to manage among all computer peripherals. Most printers, still, use the vintage printer port. A few (and soon, more than a few) printers use a USB connection. Both of these connection systems are covered in Chapter 11, “Ports.” In either case, you need do little more than plug in the printer. All the details of the linkup are automatically taken care of—or passed off to software.
And with the software, the interface gets interesting. The interface doesn't just have to get signals to the printer (the hardware does take care of that), but it must ensure that the right signals, those that the printer understands, get there. Modern software considers every dot ...
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