There are four types of device contexts: display, printer, memory (or compatible), and information. Each type serves a specific purpose, as described in the following table.
| Device Context | Description |
|---|---|
| Display | Supports drawing operations on a video display. |
| Printer | Supports drawing operations on a printer or plotter. |
| Memory | Supports drawing operations on a bitmap. |
| Information | Supports the retrieval of device data. |