printer

The hardware device that prints text or graphics on paper. There are several kinds, including LCD, LED, thermal, line, ink-jet, and dot-matrix, but we recommend getting a laser printer. Some Web pages offer a "printer-friendly version," and this means they've developed a page that contains the same information but doesn't have all the extra graphics or ad banners (to save you some toner-the ink inside the printer).

If you want to print a Web page, always choose the printer-friendly version, if it's available. Also, if the Web page you are viewing is relatively short, try selecting "Print Page 1 of 1" in your printer menu so you don't waste a second sheet of paper by only printing the bottom nav bar on it. You can always print "page 2 of 2" later, if necessary.

Most of the time, users are pretty good about using the word "printer" to refer to printers. Be aware however, that the word is sometimes used to describe anything with paper in it, such as photocopiers or fax machines.