Glossary
P
Page Cost
Cost per printed page or label, including materials, ribbon, energy, and maintenance. Relevant for cost transparency in production, logistics, and industry.
Paper Feeder
The mechanism of a printer that feeds the material into the printing area in a controlled manner. Precise paper feeding ensures clean printing, accurate barcode placement, and process reliability.
Paper Output Mechanism
Mechanism that reliably ejects the printed material from the printer. Important for inline production lines and automated processes.
PCL (Printer Command Language)
HP's widely used printer language – standard in enterprise environments.
PCL is a printer language from Hewlett-Packard (HP) that controls text, graphics, and barcodes on printers. It enables fast, reliable printing, direct PDF printing, just-in-time printing, and integration with ERP, WMS, and inline production systems. It is widely used in industry, logistics, and manufacturing and supports various print formats, resolutions, and layouts.
PCL5 (Printer Command Language 5)
PCL5 is a printer language from Hewlett-Packard (HP) that controls text, graphics, and barcodes on printers. It enables fast, reliable printing, direct PDF printing, just-in-time printing, and integration with ERP, WMS, and inline production systems. It is particularly widespread in industry, logistics, and manufacturing.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A platform-independent file format for documents, label layouts, and print templates. PDF files accurately preserve layout, fonts, graphics, and barcodes, enabling direct PDF printing without the need for conversions or drivers.
PDF is ideal for just-in-time printing, inline production, ERP/WMS integration, and reliable labeling in industry, logistics, and manufacturing.
PDF is ideal for just-in-time printing, inline production, ERP/WMS integration, and reliable labeling in industry, logistics, and manufacturing.
PDF Direct Printing
A printer function that processes PDF files directly without driver conversion.
Advantages: precise layout accuracy, error-free barcodes and graphics, fast processing of large data volumes, and seamless integration with ERP, WMS, or SAP systems. Especially important for industry, logistics, and automated printing processes.
PE (Polyethylene)
Plastic film frequently used for robust labels, flexible packaging, and durable labels. PE labels are waterproof, chemical-resistant, and particularly suitable for industrial applications, warehouse marking, and shipping labels.
PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
Robust, durable plastic film for industrial and outdoor applications. PET labels are scratch-resistant, heat-resistant, and chemical-resistant, perfect for long-term applications, laboratory labeling, and heavy-duty labels.
PGL (Printer Graphics Language)
PGL is a printer language that enables the creation of graphics, text, and barcodes on industrial printers. It is commonly used in thermal transfer and direct thermal printers and supports direct PDF printing, just-in-time printing, and inline production. It facilitates integration with ERP, WMS, and production systems and ensures process-compatible, high-quality print results.
Plant engineering/plant integration
Integration of printers into complex production or logistics systems — combined with automatic controls, signal exchange, interfaces, etc.
PLC (Programmable Logic Controller)
Industrial controller (e.g. Siemens S7) that can control printers via GPIO or other interfaces.
Plug-n-Print
Plug-n-Print is a function or system concept that allows printers to be connected and operated immediately, without complex configuration. It supports just-in-time printing, inline production, and direct PDF printing, and facilitates integration with ERP, WMS, and production systems, thereby saving time and increasing process reliability.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
A raster graphics format for lossless image storage. PNG files are used in printing and labeling software to display high-quality barcodes, logos, or graphics and to transfer them directly to PDF direct printing systems or industrial printers.
PostScript
Page description language, popular in the graphic design field.
PP (Polypropylene)
High-quality plastic film for durable labels in industrial environments. PP material is tear-resistant, temperature-stable, and resistant to moisture and chemicals, ideal for logistics, pallet labels, and industrial marking.
PPM (Pages Per Minute / Print Speed)
Indicates the print speed of a printer, usually in pages per minute. An important KPI for high-volume production and industrial printing lines.
Print Head
Central component of direct thermal and thermal transfer printers. Creates printed images on paper or film using heat. The quality and lifespan of the printhead determine printing precision and durability.
Print Resolution
A measure of the level of detail in a print, specified in dpi (dots per inch). Higher print resolution results in more precise barcodes, QR codes, text, and graphics.
Print Speed
A metric indicating how many labels, pages, or documents a printer produces per minute (PPM). Print speed impacts production output, inline production, and just-in-time printing processes. High print speed is crucial for efficient workflows and reliable barcode and label printing in industry, logistics, and manufacturing.
Print Width
Maximum usable width of a printer's print area. Crucial for layout, label size, and barcode quality.
Printer Driver
Software that translates print jobs from applications to the printing system. Printer drivers enable the use of features such as duplex printing, barcode printing, and variable data.
Printronix
Manufacturer of industrial printing systems, especially thermal printers, label printers, and high-speed solutions. Printronix printers are used in production, logistics, and shipping.
Putaway Slip
A document for recording stock receipts, containing information such as item, quantity, storage location, and date. Putaway slips are used in warehouse management and production logistics and support just-in-time printing, barcode integration, and reliable inventory control.