Print spooling is a software process that temporarily stores print jobs on a computer’s hard drive or in memory before sending them to a printer. This allows users to continue working on other tasks without waiting for each print job to finish. For example, if multiple documents are sent to a printer simultaneously, the spooler manages the order and timing of these jobs, ensuring that they are printed efficiently and without conflicts.
The practice offers several key benefits. It improves user productivity by reducing wait times. Print management is also streamlined because the operating system handles prioritization and error management. Historically, this functionality became essential with the increasing complexity of printers and the rise of multitasking operating systems, addressing the need to manage print resources effectively.
