Inkjet Printer Lingo

Before purchasing your next inkjet printer please take a quick look at this list of printer terms and acronyms then you will know just what you are looking at as you read what each printer has to offer. Good luck!

Maricon Williams

Don't you think acronyms are fun? LOL. However, they sure can be confusing when selecting printers and inkjet inks. Most sites are good about defining the acronyms they use at least once, but finding that “once” isn’t always as easy as it looks! Knowing how to speak “inkjet” will help you choose both the printer and the inkjet ink you need to get the kind of results you want! Here are a few inkjet acronyms and other terms to help with your searches for inkjet printers and related products:

AIO (all in one) and MFP (Multifunction Printer) — AIO and MFP are often used interchangeably and stand for printers that include a copier, a scanner, and frequently have fax capabilities as well. Relatively new in the marketplace, All-in-Ones are an affordable way to set up a comprehensively equipped home office.

CMYK— Inkjet colors: C=cyan, M=magenta, Y=yellow, and K=black. The first inkjet printers were three-color printers (CMY) that mixed colors to produce black. Today’s printers generally have the capability to simultaneously use both black and colored inks on the same page.

DPI— Dots per inch. Measures the resolution of images produced by printers, scanners, etc. Typically, more dots per inch means that the image will display with more detail.

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Inkjet Printer Lingo