Fax

Slang for facsimile. 1. Device that creates and or/transmits a digital version of a document over a phone line. It can be a stand-alone machine, or built into a system, such as a fax/modem on a computer. 2. A document sent or received on a fax machine. 3. The act of sending a document via a fax machine. 4. One of the features of the Scan Dialog Box program that allows users to scan documents and then send them to a fax modem via fax software. See Scan Dialog Box.

Fax/Modem

Common term used to describe a computer modem that has the ability to send and receive faxes when fax software is installed in the system.

Feature Extraction

One of the ways OCR programs recognize characters in a scanned document. Feature extraction looks for basic shape elements that make up characters, such as circles, dots, lines, arcs and slants. The letter "A" is a slant, a line and an opposite slant. See OCR, pattern matching and spell checking.

File

1. To sort items into an organized system usually by name, code number, etc. 2. Generic term used to refer to any named collection of data stored in a computer. Files can be documents, applications, drivers, sounds, etc.

File Extension

A code added to the end of a filename that identifies the purpose, category or type of file to the operating system or user. Examples of file extensions include ".bmp" for bitmap graphics, ".exe" for executable programs, and ".doc" for document files.

File Format

The structure and organization of a file that controls how it appears on-screen or is used by an application. Also known as file type.

File Manager

Program in Windows 3.1x that displays the directory folders and files in the system and allows users to move, search or delete the files.

File Menu

In the Windows and Macintosh GUIs, the File menu is the first or second choice on the far left of the main menu bar of the majority of applications. It contains the most common commands such as saving, printing or exiting a program.

Filename

Descriptive title given to a collection of information stored in a computer. In MS-DOS and Windows 3.1x, filenames were written in the 8.3 format meaning they had eight characters, a dot, then a three-letter file extension. In Windows 95/98, filenames can have up to 255 characters followed by a three-letter file extension. In the Macintosh OS, filenames can have up to 32 characters and do not have a file extension.

Filter

Functions in a scanner driver or imaging program that change an image to create a desired effect.

Firmware

Term used to describe the instructions encoded onto a microchip within a peripheral.

Flatbed Scanner

Scanning device where the document is placed onto a flat, transparent surface. The scanning element either passes beneath the document, or it is fixed in place and moving mirrors reflect the document to the scanning element.

Flip

Command in scanner interface or imaging programs that creates a new version of the image by flipping it horizontally or vertically.

Floppy Disk

Generic term used to describe removable magnetic storage media commonly used with computers. A floppy disk consists of a magnetic storage platter surrounded by two linen liners in a soft or hard plastic shell. The term "floppy" originated when the disks were 5¼" to 8" across and stored in a soft, flexible plastic shell. Today’s current microfloppy disks are 3½" wide and stored in a hard plastic shell with a metal shutter for protection. A typical floppy disk holds 720 KB to 1.4 MB of data.

Folder

In a GUI, an icon shaped like a traditional file folder that represents a directory where files are stored. See directory folder.

Font

A character set of the same style, typeface and weight. Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica and Courier are all fonts.