In Window NT, a print device refers to the actual hardware device that produces printed output. A printer refers to the software interface between the application and print device.
In Windows NT terminology, a queue is just a group of documents waiting to be printed. In the NetWare and OS/2 environments, queues are the primary software interface between the application and print device: users submit print jobs to a queue. However, with Windows NT the printer is that interface — the job is sent to a printer, not a queue.
Network-interface printers are printers with their own network cards; they need not be adjacent to a print server since they are directly connected to the network.
Print device resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI). The greater the DPI, the better the resolution.
Print jobs are classified into data types based on what modifications the spooler should make to the job (if any). For instance, one data type implies that the spooler should not modify the job at all; another data type implies that the spooler should add a form feed to the end of the job, and so on.
Rendering means converting a print job from whatever commands the application uses to describe output into commands that a print device understands.
The terms workstation and server refer to two different roles in over-the-network printing. The workstation is the computer that sends print jobs over the network; the server is the computer that receives print jobs. Do not confuse these terms with Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server. Both Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server can operate in either workstation or server roles. However, because Windows NT Workstation is limited to 10 connections from other computers, it does not make a practical print server except in small-network situations. Unless otherwise specified, all topics in this chapter apply equally to both Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server.
Spooling means writing the contents of a print job to a file on disk. This file is called a spool file. Despooling means reading the contents from a spool file, and then sending those contents to a print device.