Printer

1. A device that (a) forms graphic characters and images on a data medium, such as paper sheets, continuous form, cardboard, paper tape, and plastic, (b) accepts data and print control characters to form the graphic characters, and (c) uses a writing medium, such as liquid ink, powdered ink, carbon ribbon, or inked ribbon, to form the characters on the data medium. See also carbon ribbon, character, continuous form, data medium, device, graphics, inked ribbon, print control character, sheet. 2. A unit that (a) may serve as an output unit and (b) produces hardcopy that usually is in the form of (i) a sequence of discrete graphic characters belonging to one or more character sets or (ii) pictures that are digitized as a result of digitized scanning. See also