The printing industry specializes in conveying a customer’s message to its audience through some form of published material – newspapers, magazines, books, brochures, directories, product packaging, etc. Some businesses offer design and layout services in addition to printing, while others specialize solely in one or the other.
Historically, the term ‘printing’ refers to any technique for applying under pressure a quantity of colouring agent to a surface in a controlled way to produce text or illustrations. More recently, however, it has come to refer to a whole range of digital processes that do not involve the mechanical application of pressure or the physical concept of colouring agent.
If you’re not in the mood to lug your printer around, your local library is a good place to print documents. Most libraries allow non-students to use their printers, and the prices are usually very reasonable. The print quality is generally pretty basic, but if you’re simply trying to get some paperwork printed out before heading off to work, it will do the trick just fine.
Another option is to visit a UPS Store or FedEx location. In addition to taking your Amazon returns and sending your holiday gifts, most of these businesses have printing centers that can handle a variety of different office-related tasks. The printing center typically has a number of desktop computers and printers that you can use at your convenience.
Finally, some desktop apps, like the Microsoft Office suite and Paint, have built-in print functions. Just open the file you want to print, click the File tab (or Command+P on Macs), select Print from the list of options, and customize how you’d like your document or picture to be printed out.