HP Scitex LX850 and LX820 Printer Series - Glossary

The printheads produce many fine droplets of ink, most of which are placed accurately on the substrate. However, a small proportion of these droplets escape sideways; the two aerosol filters are placed on either side of the printhead carriage to intercept them.

A print quality defect that occurs when the ink spreads on the substrate across areas of different colors.

The beam supporting the printhead carriage as it moves back and forth across the printer.

A print quality defect that looks like a higher level of whiter grain.

A substrate condition in which it is not lying perfectly flat, but rises and falls slightly in shallow waves.

The ability to print colors that match the original image as closely as possible, bearing in mind that all devices have a limited color gamut and may not be physically capable of matching certain colors precisely.

The ability to print the same colors from a particular print job from print to print and from printer to printer.

A system of representing colors by numbers, such as RGB or CMYK.

A color model in which each color is represented by a specific set of numbers. Many different color spaces can use the same color model: for instance, monitors generally use the RGB color model, but they have different color spaces, because a particular set of RGB numbers results in different colors on different monitors.

Curing is needed to coalesce the latex, creating a polymeric film which acts as a protective layer, while at the same time removing the remaining co-solvents from the print. Curing is vital to ensure the durability of the printed images.

The heat applied in the printing zone removes water and fixes the image to the substrate.

ElectroStatic Discharge. Static electricity is common in daily life. It is the spark when touching the car door, or the cling of clothing. Although controlled static electricity has some useful applications, uncontrolled electrostatic discharges are one of the main hazards to the electronics products. Therefore, to prevent damage some precautions are needed when setting up the product, or handling ESD sensitive devices. This type of damage may reduce the life expectancy of the device or render it unusable. One way to minimize uncontrolled ESDs, and therefore reduce this type of damage is by touching any exposed grounded part of the product (mainly metal parts) before handling ESD sensitive devices (such as the printheads or ink cartridges). Additionally, to reduce the generation of electrostatic charge in your body try to avoid working in a carpeted area, and keep your body movements to a minimum when handling ESD sensitive devices. Also, avoid working in low humidity environments.

A popular computer networking technology for local area networks.

Software that controls your printer's functionality and is stored semi-permanently in the printer (it can be updated).

The range of colors and density values reproducible on an output device, such as a printer or monitor.

Input/Output: this term describes the passing of data between one device and another.

The International Color Consortium, a group of companies that have agreed on a common standard for color profiles.

A removable printer component that stores ink of a particular color and provides it to the printhead.

The relative amount of ink that is deposited on the substrate per unit of area.

The printheads sometimes expel a small amount of ink into the ink deposits in order to check the status of each nozzle.

A means of specifying the maximum amount of ink of all colors in total that can be laid down onto a given substrate.

A means of specifying the maximum amount of each color of ink that can be laid down onto a given substrate.

A unique identifier that identifies a particular node on a TCP/IP network. It consists of four integers separated by dots.

Light-Emitting Diode: a semiconductor device that emits light when electrically stimulated.

One of many tiny holes in a printhead through which ink is deposited onto the substrate.

The number of passes specifies how many times the printheads will print over the same area of substrate.

The flat surface within the printer over which the substrate passes while it is being printed on.

A removable printer component that takes ink of a particular color or colors from the corresponding ink cartridge(s) and deposits it on the substrate, through a cluster of nozzles.

A roll of absorbent material used to clean surplus ink from the printheads after each pass over the substrate.

A rod that supports a roll of substrate while it is being used for printing.

A thin, flat material made to be printed on.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: the communications protocols on which the Internet is based.

Tension is applied at the input and the output side of the printer. It needs to be evenly distributed along the whole width of the substrate, thus substrate loading is a critical operation.

The vacuum applied to the substrate in the printing zone helps to hold the substrate down on the print platen, keeping the distance to the printheads constant.