Posted: January 26, 2001
Written by: Dustin "TimmyC" Jones

Spooooooools!

Spooling (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation On-Line) has been used for a long time and it is usually configured correctly. For the sake of information, I'll provide a simple overview of it and setup information.

Spooling is when you send multiple commands/files to a device or a program and it sets it up in 'spool'. You can also think of this as queuing.

Go back to your printer properties, then details, and spool settings. For most operating systems, the spooling settings are already optimized and don’t need changing. Here is a picture of what the spool settings should be in Windows 9x:

If your settings are different than those in this screenshot, just click "Restore Defaults" then OK.

Paper

Choosing the right paper for your printer is another simple (but effective) step you can take to make sure your printer is performing as best as it can. There are tons of different paper types with almost as many different uses, so knowing what kind to buy for your application is key. When deciding on paper, there are three key elements to picking the best paper for your scenario: What printer type it's made for, the weight, and the color type.

Once again, your printer manual should have some hints on what the best paper type is for your printer. I personally prefer 24lb, 88 bright white paper for my Ink Jet printer. If you are still confused, you can ask the retailer what he/she recommends and go from there. Don't expect paper you find on the shelves of a grocery store to be anywhere near the quality of that you'd find in an office supply store. Typically, the printer you find for very cheap prices is just that; cheap. Paper is very affordable for most people, so try to pinch those precious pennies on another item.

Paper Jams? - If you find that your paper gets jammed up from time to time, there are a few little things you can do to prevent that from happening. First, reduce the amount of paper in the tray. A ream is a pack of paper with 500 sheets. Most paper trays will hold less than one hundred sheets of paper at a time, so don't try to squeeze as much paper as you can into the printer's tray. Also, before you stack the paper in, fan it back and forth to reduce static in the paper and prevent sticking. This appears to be one of the leading causes of paper jams.

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