A

Automatic document loading and instant top-of-form alignment on the Star SP298 and SCP700 models

Cuts paper automatically after it has printed. Either full or partial cut or both is possible on some Star printer models.

The document capture function on Star kiosk printers automatically retrieves unwanted print-outs after a pre-selected time period, and drops them into a secure disposal bin within the kiosk

Automatically peels labels away from backing sheets making mass mailing and labeling much quicker.

Software tool which enables some Star printers to print the text upside down when the printer is in a wall mounted or vertical position.

C

Patented printer mechanism which allows paper rolls be simply dropped into place instead of having to "feed" the paper through.

The size of the base of the printer which sits on the counter

Device which is fitted to a cash drawer to detect if it is open or not.

Automatically prints coupons based on the retailers pre-determined product or purchase offers which are relevant to that particular transaction. This action is triggered by certain key words.

D

Direct Thermal Printers use a heated print head to create a character/image directly onto thermal paper. Unlike Thermal Transfer Printers they do not need a heated ribbon.

An impact printer that uses a print head made up of tiny pins which transfers ink from a ribbon by running it back and forth over the page.

Dots per inch. Number of individual dots or pixels that can be produced within a linear one-inch (2.54 cm) space which is used in order to measure print quality.

E

Electronic Cash Register - used for transactions at the point of sale.

Allows a printer to work with software that was written for another printer.

Electronic Point of Sale - equipment used at the point of sale to process transactions

A local area network (LAN) where all devices are connected to a central cable which allows data to be transferred from one device to another.

F

Allows the user to replace any non True Type font featured on the receipt with a more attractive/effective font without amending their current software.

FuturePRNT^TM is the driver based printer software developed by Star Micronics which enables the user to install high volume custom set-ups.

G

High quality autocutter which cuts the receipt once it has finished printing so the user does not have to tear it manually.

H

A printer which has both a thermal and a dot-matrix print head allowing it to be multifunctional (for simultaneous receipt and cheque printing etc.)

I

Uses a print head made up of a number of metal pins that strikes an ink ribbon to create a printed character on a page.

J

Java Point of Sale Devices are used for interfacing point of sale software. It is written in Java, which is compatible with many different operating platforms.

The multi-copy tool allows the user to determine how many copies of each receipt are to be printed and can specify that different text and graphics are used for each individual copy. The journal tool allows the user to create an electronic journal. This stores transaction data as a bitmap file, which can be searchable by calendar date and printed out.

K

A printer which is housed inside an electronic kiosk alongside a computer terminal used for either a commercial or public service.

L

Lines per second - measurement of print speed

M

A machine readable 2-Dimentional barcode that is made up of hexagonal elements rather than bars. Can store more data than conventional barcodes

Mean Cycle Between Failure - measurement of printer reliability

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition is used in cheque-reading devices in order to process cheques.

Windows Hardware Quality Lab is a testing facility for hardware and drivers to see if they are compatible with the Windows operating platforms.

O

Original Equipment Manufacturer

A printer without plastic casing which can be integrated into kiosks etc.

Short for OLE for retail Point Of Sale. The first widely-adopted POS device standard and uses COM technology.

P

A machine readable 2-Dimensional barcode that is made up of hexagonal elements rather than bars. Can store more data than conventional barcodes

Paper Near End Sensor which detects when the printing paper is close to running out.

Point of Sale - the place where transactions are processed

Small plastic cover which protects the power switch on a printer, preventing the printer from being accidentally switched off.

Enables developed software settings to be stored on the PC and copied across to other printers for mass system installations.

R

Allows the user to re-design their receipts and change embedded text and graphics without changing their software.

A method of measuring the output speed of receipt printers by taking into account the time taken to produce an entire receipt from the moment it is requested by the software to when it is produced.

A serial interface that is used to transmit data over a long distance.

S

A scalable raster driver has the ability to format an A4 or smaller page or screen image in the same way as a standard PC printer and then print that image on to much narrower paper.

Software development kit - a programming package that allows a software technician to develop applications.

A feature in Star kiosk printers which protects the document during the printing process from any customer contact by looping the paper within the printer and "presenting" it after the receipt, ticket or document has been printed and cut

T

Thermal printers use specially coated thermal paper that is selectively heated by the print head. The heat causes the paper to change colour creating an image.

Detects gaps between labels for fixed-length output

U

Uninterruptible power supply is a battery powered backup device which feeds power to electrical equipment (usually computers) in the event of a power failure.

Universal Serial Bus. A data transfer interface used for connecting peripherals to a computer. It is steadily becoming the preferred serial interface connection

V

A Virtual Serial Port Emulator allows a COM port to be split between a number of virtual serial ports and Ethernet or USB interface use whilst still retaining legacy software (old computer programmes that are still in use).

A visual card can hold information on a magnetic strip or IC chip which is then displayed when putting it in a visual card reader. It has a display panel which can display a message of the users choice.