9.4 Sharing a Printer
9.4.3 Printer built-In fonts and font cards
A font is a complete set of characters of a particular typeface used for display and printing purposes. These characters include letters, numbers, and other symbols that share a common theme or look. Fonts can be modified by size, weight, and style. Groups of fonts with differing styles are called font families. Display fonts are used for screen output, and print fonts are used for hardcopy output. Display fonts and print fonts try to match one another as closely as possible to ensure that the user has true WYSIWYG output. When using host-based printing technology, virtually any font that can be displayed on the screen can be output to the printer, but using true print fonts can speed up the printing process even more.

The two different varieties of print fonts are printer built-in fonts or font cards.

  • Printer built-in fonts – Also known as resident fonts, these character sets are part of the firmware (ROM that includes software) built into the printer. These are usually common fonts of serif and sans serif types. Upgrading the built-in fonts of a printer is limited by the specifications of the printer. Many printers require a firmware change for an upgrade, which can be a costly and difficult task. Other printers allow users to download fonts (sometimes referred to as soft fonts) directly to the printer where the firmware can be flash upgraded or the fonts can be saved to another part of the printer memory.
  • Font cards – Many printers (especially laser printers) have expansion slots similar to those in personal computers. These slots allow for memory upgrades, different printer interfaces, and font upgrades. Font upgrades are accomplished through the use of font cards, which are hardware cards that contain firmware housing other print fonts. Font cards can be purchased with single or multiple font families and are easy to install and configure. Users can also "swap" font cards for use in particular print jobs. These cards must be purchased for specific printers as printer expansion slots vary by manufacturer.